What is Schengen transit visa?

The Transit Schengen Visa is a document that has been established by the Schengen Area Member States with the sole purpose of facilitating traveling for non-EU/EEA nationals who have to land at an airport located in the Schengen Area, in order to take a flight to their non-Schengen destination country.



An Airport Transit Visa (ATV), commonly known as a Schengen transit visa, is a specific document that allows travelers from certain non-EU countries to pass through the international transit zone of an airport in a Schengen country without actually entering the Schengen national territory. In 2026, this is primarily required for citizens of countries like Afghanistan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, Sri Lanka, and the DRC. If you have this visa, you can stay in the airport's "airside" area to wait for your connecting flight to a non-Schengen destination. It is important to note that an ATV does not allow you to leave the airport, stay in a hotel outside the transit zone, or clear immigration to collect and re-check luggage. If your connection requires you to change airports (e.g., from Paris Orly to Charles de Gaulle) or if you are staying overnight in a hotel outside the terminal, you must instead apply for a standard "Schengen C-Type" short-stay visa. Always check the specific requirements of the country you are transiting through, as some nations have additional "national" transit visa lists.

People Also Ask

A Schengen Airport Transit visa allows you to stay within the international transit area of a Schengen airport for a maximum of 24 hours. If you plan to leave this area or stay longer than one day, you will be required to apply for a regular Schengen visa instead.

MORE DETAILS

If you have a connection between two airports in the Schengen Area, or if the airport through which you wish to enter the French territory is closed overnight for the duration of the transit, you must hold a valid short-stay Schengen visa.

MORE DETAILS

Note that if your connecting flight is to another Schengen area country, you don't need a transit visa. Instead, you will need a regular short-stay Schengen visa for the Netherlands. This also applies if you need to transit through another airport within the Schengen Area, other than a Dutch one.

MORE DETAILS

You need an Airport Transit Visa for Italy if you are stopping at an Italian airport to catch another flight and continue your travel to a destination outside the Schengen area. However, not everyone needs an Italy Airport Transit Visa.

MORE DETAILS

For example, you may be required to get a transit visa if: You are changing transport in a country to travel to another destination. You are leaving within a short time from your arrival. You are not eligible for an automatic visa or visa waiver based on your nationality.

MORE DETAILS

You might have to go through customs during a layover, especially if your layover is in the Schengen Area (which consists of most countries in the EU). For example, if your final destination is Paris, France, but you have a layover in Madrid, Spain, you will actually go through customs in Spain, not France.

MORE DETAILS

During domestic layovers, you are free to leave the airport. If your domestic layover is longer than one hour, you should expect to receive two boarding permits. If you want to check out local points of interest, make sure you get your second boarding pass and print it out before you leave.

MORE DETAILS

An airport transit visa obliges you to remain in the international zone of the French airport. If you have to change airport or leave the international zone, you must apply for a short-stay visa. For more information on the airport transit visa (VTA), Transit passenger.

MORE DETAILS

If you transit through more than 1 airport in the Schengen area (e.g. Amsterdam and Brussels) before taking your flight to your end destination, you will need to apply for a visa type C, even if you don't leave the airport.

MORE DETAILS