Germany allows visa-free airport transit for Indians: How the move will help
Germany now offers visa-free transit for Indian passport holders at its airports, simplifying international travel. Indian travellers on layovers will no longer need a separate Schengen transit visa when passing through German hubs like Frankfurt. Announced by Chancellor Merz, this move streamlines journeys, reduces paperwork, and strengthens India-Germany ties, but a full visa is still required to enter Germany.
New Delhi: Germany has rolled out a visa-free transit facility for Indian passport holders passing through its airports.
This means Indian travellers would no longer need a transit visa at German airports. The move is set to make international travel easier for Indian nationals. It will also go a long way in boosting people-to-people ties between the two nations.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced the decision in the India–Germany joint statement released on Monday. Merz is on an official two-day visit to India from January 12 to 13. It's Merz’s first visit to India as well as his first visit to Asia since he assumed office as Federal Chancellor.
What is a transit visa?
A transit visa is a short-term permit that lets travellers stop over briefly in a country during a layover while heading to their final destination. To get a transit visa, an individual needs to provide proof of onward travel. The documents should reflect the person's intention that his stay in the country would not be lengthy.
The visa-free transit facility means that Indians passing through German airports en route to another country will not have to apply for a separate transit visa.
How will the facility help?
The facility will make journeys smoother, quicker and require less paperwork. Besides this, the move will intensify people-to-people links. It must be noted that strong people-to-people ties constitute a vital pillar of the Strategic Partnership between New Delhi and Berlin.
Earlier, Indian passport holders required a Schengen transit visa even if they were just changing flights at German airports and staying inside the international transit area such as Frankfurt, Munich or Berlin, without actually entering Germany or the Schengen region.
With the new rule, Indian travellers can now pass through German airports for international layovers without needing a transit visa. This will make the process faster and less paperwork-heavy.
However, this applies only to airport transit. In the event of Indian travellers wanting to leave the airport or enter Germany or any other Schengen country, they will still need the relevant tourist, business, or student visa.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi showed his appreciation to Chancellor Merz for the announcement on the visa-free transit facility.
India and Germany hailed the growing exchange of students, researchers, skilled professionals, artists and tourists. Both sides recognised the "valuable contribution of the Indian community to Germany’s economy, innovation and cultural life”. They also underlined the need to boost cooperation in education, research, skill training, culture, and youth exchanges to build better mutual understanding.