Visa free transfer possible through Dusseldorf and or Munich?
My wife is a citizen of Russia holding a Canadian Permanent Resident Visa. Right now she is temporarily in Russia. Soon we are meeting for a vacation in the Dominican Republic. We are choosing flight options and one attractive option is via Air Berlin… however…
The outbound flight originates in Moscow and lands in Munich, where she then transfers onto a second flight to Punta Cana. Her return flight originating in Punta Cana lands in Dusseldorf, where she then transfers onto a second flight to Moscow.
The question is, do either of these airports have 'visa free' transit areas for travellers changing flights? In the past she has flown through Frankfurt without issues. Just wondering if Munich and Dusseldorf are set up the same? If not, does a Russian citizen holding a Canadian Permanent Residency Card get exempted from possible German transit visa requirements?
Best Answer
Munich is not a problem at all, Düsseldorf seems a bit trickier, according to the German Missions in the US:
Munich (open 24 hours)
Düsseldorf (6:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. only) and if the airline has arranged the transit beforehand with the authorities responsible for cross-border security (the Federal Police)
Russian citizens don't need a visa to transit airside and if it weren't the case, a Canadian residence permit would exempt her of the transit visa requirement anyway so no problem here. On the other hand, she cannot go landside (which means she cannot pick up her language, switch airports or anything like that). So if there is no transit area, an airport transit visa is of no use and a regular Schengen visa is needed.
See Do I need a visa to transit (or layover) in the Schengen area? for all the details.
Pictures about "Visa free transfer possible through Dusseldorf and or Munich?"
Do I need a visa for a connecting flight through Germany?
Do I need a visa? The vast majority of foreign travellers benefit from the \u201ctransit privilege\u201d - if during a stopover at a German airport, you do not leave the International Airport Area and if the destination is not in a Schengen country, you do not need a transit visa.Do I need a visa to transit through Schengen?
If you are transiting through two different Schengen airports for onward travel to a country outside Schengen and the first transit airport is in the Netherlands, you need to apply for a short-stay Schengen visa. Airport transit visas are not valid for this purpose.Do you need visa for transfer?
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 Indian passport holders need transit visa for Munich?
Indian passport holders in possession of a valid visa to their final destination, but transiting via two Schengen States, require a valid Schengen Visa. In the above routing, the Indian resident would require a Schengen Visa even if there no stopover in Frankfurt or Paris or Munich.LAYOVER AND BOARDING AT MUNICH AIRPORT (MUC) TERMINAL 2 AND SATELLITE
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