Forced layover in country for which you have no visa
Last night, I was in the unfortunate situation of a forced extended layover, due to a delayed flight. The airline automatically rebooked my connecting flights and booked hotel reservations, and informed me as such when I checked in. That meant, that I had to exit the passport control, to travel to a hotel outside the airport area.
In my case, it was no problem, since my layover was in the Schengen area, for which I don't need a visa. But what if that was not the case? What if I had a funny passport, and the layover was not in a country that I would automatically be issued a visa-on-arrival?
Some airports do have hotels or sleeping arrangements inside the airport itself, but not every airport do. Would I be forced to spend the night (and possible longer) on a bench inside the transit area? What if the airport in question do not allow long stays in the transit area, or are not open night-time? Would I be denied boarding at an earlier itineary? Who is responsible?
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Can I leave the airport during a layover without a visa?
And in most cases, you can leave the airport during a layover in the US, even while traveling to an international destination. International travelers need to make sure they have a valid visa to travel in the US. But, whether you need to leave the airport or not during a layover is completely up to you.Do you need a visa for a connecting flight in a country?
Depending on your nationality, your purpose of visit, and which country you will be transiting to, you may not require a transit visa at all. You need to contact the airline and an embassy or consulate of your destination country to verify this information.Do layovers count as entering a country?
\u201cA visit only counts if you leave the airport\u2026or sleep in the airport overnight\u201d \u201cIt counts if you eat there, preferably something local\u201d \u201cIt counts if you go outside and step on the ground\u201dWhat happens if you have a layover in a different country?
For virtually all international airports, as long as you are on a single itinerary with your bags booked through, you will stay in the transit area and do not need to clear immigration or Customs.A Basic Guide to Layovers
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Tima Miroshnichenko, Andrea Piacquadio, Ákos Szabó, James Wheeler