Tocumen international airport - Has anyone tried to transit over 12 hours without a visa?
IATA says Sri Lankan Nationals can transit through Tocumen international airport (PTY) in Panama upto 12 hours without a visa.
My connecting flight however takes 22 hours layover (overnight) in PTY. Has anyone tried to transit longer than the 12 hours at PTY? If I'm staying in the international air side only, what problems could there be??
I called the Panama embassy (in a different country) and they said it maybe possible to make an exception and to email the consulate and they will research)
Best Answer
Despite what the Turkish Airlines phone operator may have told you, the simple fact is that the most likely result is that you will be denied boarding of your flight from Turkey to Panama.
Like most airlines, Turkish use the Timatic system at check-in to confirm a passenger meets the requirements to enter their destination country, as well as for any transit countries - and Timatic clearly states that a visa is required for transit of longer than 12 hours.
Visa
Visa required.
TWOV (Transit Without Visa):
Passengers with a confirmed onward ticket for a flight to a third country within 12 hours. They must stay in the international transit area of the airport and have documents required for the next destination.
If you were to obtain some form of written exception from the consulate it is possible that the Turkish Airline staff would accept this as valid, but even then there's no guarantee. If Turkish airlines allows you to travel to a country without the necessarily paperwork/arrangements (in this case, a visa or an outbound flight within 12 hours) then they can be fined by the government in the destination country, and may be forced to return you to your initial origin airport, so these regulations are generally taken very seriously - especially in the times of COVID-19.
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Do transit passengers need visa?
A transit visa allows you to pass through the border controls of the country you plan to transit in to board your outbound flight or boat. You cannot stay in the country, however. For example, you may be required to get a transit visa if: You are changing transport in a country to travel to another destination.Do I need a visa to transit through Denpasar?
Travelers will need an Indonesian visa to transit to a connecting flight if they pass through border control during the stopover. In addition, it may be necessary to have an Indonesian visa to transit in the following situations, even if staying at the airport between flights: Transit for more than 24 hours.Do you need a visa for a layover in Panama?
Transit. International travellers in transit in Panama do not require a visa provided they don't pass immigration and are staying less than nine hours.These Countries will DENY ENTRY at Immigration. Vacation Disasters
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