Layover in FCO without Schengen visa
I'm travelling from US to Cairo with a layover in Rome (FCO) that's 14 hours long. I'd like to book a hotel in the airport to spend the night. I have found a couple of hotels in the airport but I'm not sure if I'll have to go through passport control or not since I don't have a schengen visa.
Is it possible for me to book either of the hotels in the airport or do I need a visa? If not, is there any other option for a private lounge/sleep area in the FCO layover area?
I'm not a US citizen and can't enter the Schengen area without a visa
Best Answer
FCO doesn't appear to have any airside sleeping accommodations
Some sources claim that as recently as March 2022 the airport is closed at night between 0:00 and 3:00 for Covid related cleaning. I wasn't able to verify this one way or another so I recommend checking with the airline if your layover is indeed over night. If you get kicked out, you need a Schengen Visa or equivalent.
You could consider buying lounge access, but I don't think any of the lounges is open all night.
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Do you need Schengen visa for layover?
Yes, a Schengen visa is needed even for transit. This type of visa is valid for 24 hours and can only be used in the transit area of a Schengen country airport. If you want to leave the transit area and go anywhere outside, you need to have a regular Schengen visa in that case.Can I transit through Italy without visa?
You need an Airport Transit Visa for Italy if you are stopping at an Italian airport to catch another flight and continue your travel to a destination outside the Schengen area. However, not everyone needs an Italy Airport Transit Visa.Do you need a transit visa for connecting flights?
Most countries that normally require that you have a visa, do not require the visa if you are a transit passenger, someone who is only transiting through the airport. As you don't go through immigration, and you don't enter the country, hence no visa is needed.Do you need transit visa for Rome?
There is no transit visa. You do not need an Airport Transit Visa (ATV) as long as you can stay airside (in the international transit area) at Rome airport.India to Canada with Layover in Frankfurt, Germany (Without European/Schengen Visa)
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