German Airport Transit Visa

Germany's central position in Europe means that it has become a hub for international airport transfers. While most travellers will not require a visa for transitional visits, some nationals will, namely:Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Mali, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, South Sudan, Sri-Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Turkey.

Exceptions

If you:

• have a complete visa for the UK, Ireland, Japan, Canada, USA, Romania, Bulgaria, Cyprus or Lichtenstein
• are the child/partner (by marriage, common-law or civil partnership) of an EEA/EU/EFTA national and own a British “Residence Card of a Family Member of an EEA National”
• hold a Diplomatic Passport
• are the holders of a valid visa for a member state of the EU, Canada, Japan or the United States of America, or returning from one of these with a used visa,

then no visa is required.It is important to note that those with a transit visa are not permitted to stay overnight, leave the airport or make a prolonged stop. You should check your itinerary with the travel company or airline to ensure compliance with the visa.Five airports (Colgne/Bonn, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt/Main, Hamburg and Munich) allow travellers to stay at the transit area without a visa.

Important Note

If you:

• have to pick up baggage/check-in
• have to transition between two or more airports within the Schengen countries
• have an open ticket
• will be staying for more than 12 hours

then a visitor visa will be required.

Documents

If you need a transit visa, the following will be required:

• Application form completed in German/English with signed declarations
• 2 approved passport photos
• Valid passport
• A4 sized copy of your passport's data page
• Approved airline ticket to final destination with one copy
• If applicable, a copy of the valid visa/residence permit for your ultimate destination
• Driver's license and/or utility bill with your name as residence proof for the consular where you will be applying.

Payment and photocopies of the documents will also be needed for the German Transit Airport Visa.