Transit Visa Requirements for European Union Travel

Attention foreign nationals traveling from the U.S. via Europe. Foreign students, scholars, faculty, and staff from certain countries, who will be traveling via Europe to other nations, may experience some new requirements related to visas. Effective as of March 19, 2002 some European Union (E.U.) countries began requiring airport transit visas from the nationals of the following countries:

Afghanistan, Albania, Angola, Bangladesh, Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Haiti, India, Iraq, Iran, Liberia, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, and Palestinians holding travel documents for refugee status issued by Egypt, Lebanon or Syria.

Some E.U. countries may list more countries than the above or exempt certain countries, so be sure to check with the specific E.U. countries to which you are traveling to learn their requirements.

International students from the impacted countries (and we assume H, J, L, E, etc. visa holders) will have to apply for a transit visa for the country whose airport they will land in. Please be aware that you may be denied boarding the plane without a transit visa. This regulation is applicable even if they will not set foot outside of the airport, and they will only stay in the transit lounge and change planes.

A good explanation of the requirement and its impact is explained on several Schengen State websites. Schengen States are the European Union countries that signed the Schengen Agreement. As of June 2009, the following European countries are members of the Schengen Agreement: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

If you or your travel agent are still in doubt about whether you need an airport transit visa, do not hesitate to call the consulate of the country from you might need a transit visa.

Transit visa information from some E.U. countries:

• Transit Visa for France (General Consulate of France in Houston)
• Transit Visa for Germany (German Missions in the U.S.)
• Transit Visa for Netherlands (Netherlands Embassy, Washington DC)
• Transit Visa for U.K. (U.K. Border Agency)