Schengen Visa/Transit Visa question
My husband and I are going to Italy for a 15 day vacation from USA. We are NOT citizens of the states, but we work and live here. Our return flight is from Venice, Italy to Chicago, USA with a layover in Madrid, Spain. We are applying for a Schengen Visa with the Italian Embassy. Will we need a transit visa for our layover in Spain, if we already have an approved Schengen Visa?
Since Italy and Spain are both Schengen countries, we assumed that we would not need a transit visa, but we are getting confused reading online blogs.
Best Answer
As @phoog already wrote, you do not need a transit visa.
Note that all the info you might have read about transit visas apply to people who come from outside the Schengen area and leave it immediately (for example India-Madrid-US). Transit rules are quite complicated, see Do I need a visa to transit (or layover) in the Schengen area?
But in your case, the flight between Venice and Madrid is an internal Schengen flight. When you arrive in Madrid, you are still in the Schengen area, just as if you drove there and the rules for transit do not apply at all. For some people, that's actually a problem as they need a full Schengen visa but you already have one of those. Therefore, you will simply go through the exit passport check and get a stamp in Madrid (and not in Venice).
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Is Schengen visa required for transit?
If you are traveling through an airport in the Schengen area, even if you are not leaving the terminal, you may need to obtain a Schengen Airport Transit Visa. The requirements stipulating your entry into a Schengen Airport as a third-country national are determined by your resident status and citizenship.Do I need a transit visa for a connecting flight in Europe?
A transit visa is a travel document allowing you to pass through another country until you reach your destination. For example, if you are traveling from India to the US, but you need to stop in the Schengen Zone to continue your flight for the US, you require a transit visa for the Schengen Area.Can I transit in Schengen?
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 a transit visa be denied?
An Airport Transit Visa is valid for 24 hours, while a Seafarer's Transit Visa is valid for a maximum of 5 days. Rejected \u2013 if your visa has been rejected, it would have been for a specific reason and you have the right to appeal.Schengen Visa Types | Schengen Transit Visa - Transit Through the Schengen Zone by Air or Sea
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