Visa Rules

Disclaimer:

Consulates change their visa guidelines frequently. You are advised to check with the consulate.
We have also got feedback from our clients transiting through several European countries that even though the agencies at links we provide below advise travelers on getting transit visa for certain countries, the consulates have waived it or said otherwise, hence it is the bottom line of the passenger to contact the concerned consulate and reconfirm the visa requirements based on their current immigration status.

http://www.embassy.org/embassies/

Airport Transit in Germany
Transit Visa Country List

List of countries whose citizens do need a airport transit visa

Afghanistan (please see exception 2)
Angola(please see exception 1)
Bangladesh(please see exception 2)
Columbia (please see exception 1) as of Jan 01, 2007
Congo, Democratic Republic (please see exception 2)
Cuba(please see exception 1) as of Jan 01, 2007
Eritrea (please see exception 2)
Ethiopia(please see exception 2)
Gambia (please see exception 1)
Ghana(please see exception 2 and 4)
India (please see exception 4)
Iran(please see exception 2)
Iraq(please see exception 2)
Jordan(please see exception 3)
Lebanon (please see exception 1)
Myanmar( please see exception 1 ) as of May 14, 2008
Nigeria (please see exception 2 and 4)
Pakistan(please see exception 2)
Somalia (please see exception 2)
Sri Lanka(please see exception 2)
Sudan (please see exception 1)
Syria(please see exception 1)
Turkey (please see exception 4)

Exception 1 to the list above

If you hold a visa or other residence permit for a member country of the European Union or the European Economic Area or one of the following US residence permits:

  • I-551 Permanent Resident Card (2 or 10 years validity)
  • I-551 Alien Registration Receipt Card (2 or 10 years or unlimited validity)§ I-327 Reentry Document (2 years validity, issued to I-551 holders)
  • Resident Alien Card (2 or 10 years validity, only sufficient if the stay abroad does not exceed 1 year)
  • Permit to Reenter (2 years validity, only sufficient if the stay abroad does not exceed 2 years)
  • Valid Temporary Residence Stamp (1 year validity)

or-a specific residence permit allowing unrestricted return for Andorra, Japan, Monaco, Canada, San Marino, Switzerland (please call for details)you do not need an airport transit visa.

If you are still in doubt whether you need an airport transit visa, do not hesitate to call the German mission which serves your place of residence in the US.

Exception 2 to the list above:

If you hold one of the following US residence permits:

  • I-551 Permanent Resident Card (2 or 10 years validity)
  • I-551 Alien Registration Receipt Card (2 or 10 years or unlimited validity)
  • I-327 Reentry Document (2 years validity, issued to I-551 holders)
  • Resident Alien Card (2 or 10 years or unlimited validity, only sufficient if the stay abroad does not exceed 1 year)
  • Permit to Reenter (2 years validity, only sufficient if the stay abroad does not exceed 2 years)
  • Valid Temporary Residence Stamp (1 year validity) or
  • a Schengen Visa valid for all Schengen countries or
  • a residence permit for any Schengen country or
  • a Schengen Visa restricted to the issuing country if you are on your way to this country or
  • a specific residence permit allowing unrestricted return for Andorra, Japan, Monaco, Canada, San Marino, Switzerland or for one of the new EU-countries Poland, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Malta, Cyprus and Slovenia (please call for details)you do not need an airport transit visa.

If you are still in doubt whether you need an airport transit visa, do not hesitate to call the German mission which serves your place of residence in the US

Exception 3 to the list above:

the exceptions under no. 1.) apply. In addition, please note:

  • a) If you hold a valid visa for Australia, Israel, Japan, Canada, New Zealand or the United States of America as well as a confirmed airline ticket or a valid boarding pass for a flight destinated to one of the listed countries you do not need an airport transit visa
  • b) if you hold a confirmed flight ticket or a valid boarding pass for a flight to Jordan after terminating a legal stay in one of the countries mentioned under a) you do not need an airport transit visa.These exceptions apply only to transit stays for a duration not longer than 12 hours.
    If you are still in doubt whether you need an airport transit visa, do not hesitate to call the German mission which serves your place of residence in the US.

Exception 4 to the list above

The exceptions under no. 1.) apply. In addition, please note:
Indian, Turkish, Nigerian and Ghanaian airport transit travelers who

  • are holding a valid visa or other residence permit for the USA (this includes advance paroles, but not approval notices), Canada or Switzerland and travel to the country which issued that visa or residence permit.
  • after a legal stay in the USA (this includes holders of valid approval notices), Canada or Switzerland- return to the country whose citizenship they hold do not need an airport transit visa.

If you are still in doubt whether you need an airport transit visa, do not hesitate to call the German mission which serves your place of residence in the US

Airport Transit in UK

Direct Airside Transit Visa (DATV) nationals
Nationals of the following countries also need a visa to transit through the UK, known as Direct Airside Transit Visa (DATV).

Afghanistan Kosovo
Albania Lebanon
Algeria Lesotho***
Angola Liberia
Bangladesh Macedonia
Belarus Malawi
Bolivia** Moldova
Burma Mongolia
Burundi Montenegro
Cameroon Nepal
China, Peoples Republic of Nigeria
Colombia Palestinian Authority
Congo Pakistan
Congo, Democratic Republic of Rwanda
Cyprus, northern part of Senegal
Ecuador Serbia (including documents issued by the United Nations Mission in Kosovo)
Eritrea Sierra Leone
Ethiopia South Africa*
Gambia Sudan
Ghana Somalia
Guinea Sri Lanka
Guinea-Bissau Swaziland***
India Tanzania
Iran Turkey
Iraq Uganda
Ivory Coast Venezuela**
Jamaica*** Vietnam
Kenya Zimbabwe
* Since 1 July 2009, nationals of South Africa need a visa to enter or transit through the UK.
** Since 18 May 2009, nationals of Bolivia and Venezuela need a visa to enter or transit through the UK. Venezuelan nationals holding valid biometric passports containing an electronic chip issued since 2007 will be exempt from the visa requirement.
*** Since 1 July 2009, nationals of Lesotho and Swaziland need a visa to enter or transit through the UK.
Passengers exempt from the DATV requirement
Holders of certain documents are, regardless of nationality, exempt from the requirement to hold a Direct Airside Transit Visa when transiting the UK.
A transit passenger is not required to hold a transit visa if he holds, or a person with whom he arrives in the United Kingdom holds on his behalf:

  1. a valid visa for entry to Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the United States of America and a valid airline ticket for travel via the United Kingdom as part of a journey from another country or territory to the country for which the visa is held;
  2. a valid visa for entry to Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the United States of America and a valid airline ticket for travel via the United Kingdom as part of a journey from the country for which the visa is held to another country or territory;
  3. a valid airline ticket for travel via the United Kingdom as part of a journey from Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the United States of America to another country or territory, provided that the transit passenger does not seek to transit the United Kingdom on a date more than six months from the date on which they last entered Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the United States of America with a valid visa for entry to that country;
  4. a valid USA I-551 Permanent Resident Card issued on or after 21st April 1998;
  5. a valid Canadian Permanent Resident Card issued on or after 28th June 2002;
  6. a valid common format Category D visa for entry to an EEA State;
  7. a valid common format residence permit issued by an EEA State pursuant to Council Regulation (EC) No. 1030/2002;
  8. a diplomatic or service passport issued by the People’s Republic of China; or
  9. a diplomatic or official passport issued by India; or
  10. A diplomatic or official passport issued by Vietnam.

Direct Airside Transit Visa (DATV) nationals
Nationals of the following countries also need a visa to transit through the UK, known as Direct Airside Transit Visa (DATV).

Afghanistan
Kosovo

Albania

Lebanon

Algeria

Lesotho***

Angola

Liberia

Bangladesh

Macedonia

Belarus

Malawi

Bolivia**

Moldova

Burma

Mongolia

Burundi

Montenegro

Cameroon

Nepal

China, Peoples Republic of

Nigeria

Colombia

Palestinian Authority

Congo

Pakistan

Congo, Democratic Republic of

Rwanda

Cyprus, northern part of

Senegal

Ecuador

Serbia (including documents issued by the United Nations Mission in Kosovo)

Eritrea

Sierra Leone

Ethiopia

South Africa*

Gambia

Sudan

Ghana

Somalia

Guinea

Sri Lanka

Guinea-Bissau

Swaziland***

India

Tanzania

Iran

Turkey

Iraq

Uganda

Ivory Coast

Venezuela**

Jamaica***

Vietnam

Kenya

Zimbabwe

* Since 1 July 2009, nationals of South Africa need a visa to enter or transit through the UK.
** Since 18 May 2009, nationals of Bolivia and Venezuela need a visa to enter or transit through the UK. Venezuelan nationals holding valid biometric passports containing an electronic chip issued since 2007 will be exempt from the visa requirement.

*** Since 1 July 2009, nationals of Lesotho and Swaziland need a visa to enter or transit through the UK.
Passengers exempt from the DATV requirement
Holders of certain documents are, regardless of nationality, exempt from the requirement to hold a Direct Airside Transit Visa when transiting the UK.
A transit passenger is not required to hold a transit visa if he holds, or a person with whom he arrives in the United Kingdom holds on his behalf:

a valid visa for entry to Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the United States of America and a valid airline ticket for travel via the United Kingdom as part of a journey from another country or territory to the country for which the visa is held;
a valid visa for entry to Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the United States of America and a valid airline ticket for travel via the United Kingdom as part of a journey from the country for which the visa is held to another country or territory;
a valid airline ticket for travel via the United Kingdom as part of a journey from Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the United States of America to another country or territory, provided that the transit passenger does not seek to transit the United Kingdom on a date more than six months from the date on which they last entered Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the United States of America with a valid visa for entry to that country;
a valid USA I-551 Permanent Resident Card issued on or after 21st April 1998;
a valid Canadian Permanent Resident Card issued on or after 28th June 2002;
a valid common format Category D visa for entry to an EEA State;
a valid common format residence permit issued by an EEA State pursuant to Council Regulation (EC) No. 1030/2002;
a diplomatic or service passport issued by the People’s Republic of China; or
a diplomatic or official passport issued by India; or
A diplomatic or official passport issued by Vietnam.

Notes:

  1. A valid U.S. immigrant visa packet (form 155A/155B) is a valid visa for DATV exemption purposes.
  2. An expired I-551 Permanent Resident Card issued on or after 21 April 1998 when accompanied by an I-797 letter issued by the Bureau of Citizenship authorising its extension, exempts the holder from the DATV requirement.
  3. Holding either an I-512 Parole letter or an I-797C (Notice of Action) instead of a valid U.S. visa; or a Transportation Letter instead of a valid U.S. Permanent Residence Card issued on or after 21 April 1998; or a U.S Visa Foil endorsed, “NOT A VISA. FOIL PREPARED AT DHS REQUEST” does NOT qualify for exemption from the DAT visa requirement.
  4. Holding a valid travel document with a U.S. ADIT stamp worded – “Processed for I-551. TEMPORARY EVIDENCE OF LAWFUL ADMISSION FOR PERMANENT RESIDENCE VALID UNTIL…. EMPLOYMENT AUTHORIZED” does NOT qualify for exemption from the DAT visa requirement.
  5. Whether holders of non-national (including refugee travel documents) require a DATV depends on their nationality and whether they qualify for one of the exemptions listed above. So, for instance, the holder of a non-national travel document (for example, a refugee travel document) who is a national or a citizen of one of the countries listed on the DATV list (for example, Afghanistan) will require a direct airside transit visa if they are travelling to the UK to transit on to a third country.

Disclaimer

Please Note: Although the information on this website has been prepared with utmost care, we can not accept any responsibility for inaccuracies contained herein.

Please contact the embassy for all other countries and for any updates

http://www.embassy.org/embassies/