Transit through Germany without Schengen visa

[Lawgic]

Hi there. We are flying London-Dusseldorf-Tbilisi with a 1.5 hours connection in Dusseldorf (Germany).

No transit visa is required as we won’t leave the transit zone. But! What if the 1st leg is delayed?

[meself2]

Then you'd usually have to liaise with your airline to get on another flight. When is the next departure?
Also keep in mind that Dusseldorf has caveats - https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/en/visa ... sit/606710

Only five airports in Germany have an International Transit Area enabling you to transit without formally entering the Schengen area:
[...]
Düsseldorf (6.00 a.m. - 9.00 p.m. only) and if the airline has arranged the transit beforehand with the authorities responsible for cross-border security (the Federal Police)

[Lawgic]

Then you'd usually have to liaise with your airline to get on another flight. When is the next departure?
Also keep in mind that Dusseldorf has caveats - https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/en/visa ... sit/606710

Only five airports in Germany have an International Transit Area enabling you to transit without formally entering the Schengen area:
[...]
Düsseldorf (6.00 a.m. - 9.00 p.m. only) and if the airline has arranged the transit beforehand with the authorities responsible for cross-border security (the Federal Police)

That is the issue - that destination flies once every 2 days so we are wondering what the options are. I called the airline today and the woman was like “i don’t know, call the ministry of foreign affairs or smth”.

I said “your airline will get fined if you allow someone to board without a visa. So what happens if we miss the connection”. She didn’t know.

Was going to call the airport as the email in their contact us section also does not work.

Will we be kicked out to just any other country or what happens? I know the transit area works till 22:00 and so we would be sleeping on the floor with our lil child?

[meself2]

Don't think there's a definitive way to answer your question about "what happens, if...". If you want to be safe, get a Schengen visa.

I called the airline today and the woman was like “i don’t know, call the ministry of foreign affairs or smth”.

Partly, they're right - it's more of a question "will you be let in the country without a visa if your flight is delayed". I assume that if that would be the case, you would have to find an airport representative, explain the situation and ask them to pass that on, so you can be escorted to the gate/other flight is asked to wait slightly longer, if possible.

I said “your airline will get fined if you allow someone to board without a visa.

Not following you here? You don't have a visa for Georgia?

Assuming person you're traveling with is Russian (from previous posts), they can't just go out of transit area without a visa, but I highly doubt airport would wish to keep you inside the transit zone if it's shut down completely.
Your spouse could apply for some sort of exceptional visa due to missed connection or airline might move you around to go through a different airport and catch a flight there if there's a choice - for example, Dusseldorf - Istanbul - Tbilisi or something. See for yourself, what kind of flights you could take, not just from Dusseldorf.

[Lawgic]

Don't think there's a definitive way to answer your question about "what happens, if...". If you want to be safe, get a Schengen visa.

I called the airline today and the woman was like “i don’t know, call the ministry of foreign affairs or smth”.

Partly, they're right - it's more of a question "will you be let in the country without a visa if your flight is delayed". I assume that if that would be the case, you would have to find an airport representative, explain the situation and ask them to pass that on, so you can be escorted to the gate/other flight is asked to wait slightly longer, if possible.

I said “your airline will get fined if you allow someone to board without a visa.

Not following you here? You don't have a visa for Georgia?

Assuming person you're traveling with is Russian (from previous posts), they can't just go out of transit area without a visa, but I highly doubt airport would wish to keep you inside the transit zone if it's shut down completely.
Your spouse could apply for some sort of exceptional visa due to missed connection or airline might move you around to go through a different airport and catch a flight there if there's a choice - for example, Dusseldorf - Istanbul - Tbilisi or something. See for yourself, what kind of flights you could take, not just from Dusseldorf.

Hey, thanks for the ideas! The airline would get fined if they let someone board the plane without a Schengen visa so the check-in crew and the phone rep should know the rules and those little details rather than directing me to the MOFA in Germany. That was the point I was making.

As regards the rest - I will try to call the airport tomorrow cause, surely, this is not the first nor last possible occurrence where one enters the transit zone without a visa (nor do they need one for short connections) but misses the connection and is left in a limbo.

I tried googling similar cases but could not phrase the question nor find an answer.

So we are all guessing now what may happen.

As re getting a Schengen visa - it is a waste of time when we don’t need it for transit, and this visa could be avoided if we had a definitive answer in this case.

Moreover, the embassies now are petty when they see a Russian passport and may drag the decision for a long time when we may need the passport at short notice.

So may end up flying via Turkey or Moldova - those are the alternatives. Dusseldorf was just a convenient arrival time in Tbilisi: 18:00 instead of 02:00-03:00 etc.

[Ticktack]

Don't think there's a definitive way to answer your question about "what happens, if...". If you want to be safe, get a Schengen visa.

I called the airline today and the woman was like “i don’t know, call the ministry of foreign affairs or smth”.

Partly, they're right - it's more of a question "will you be let in the country without a visa if your flight is delayed". I assume that if that would be the case, you would have to find an airport representative, explain the situation and ask them to pass that on, so you can be escorted to the gate/other flight is asked to wait slightly longer, if possible.

I said “your airline will get fined if you allow someone to board without a visa.

Not following you here? You don't have a visa for Georgia?

Assuming person you're traveling with is Russian (from previous posts), they can't just go out of transit area without a visa, but I highly doubt airport would wish to keep you inside the transit zone if it's shut down completely.
Your spouse could apply for some sort of exceptional visa due to missed connection or airline might move you around to go through a different airport and catch a flight there if there's a choice - for example, Dusseldorf - Istanbul - Tbilisi or something. See for yourself, what kind of flights you could take, not just from Dusseldorf.

Hey, thanks for the ideas! The airline would get fined if they let someone board the plane without a Schengen visa so the check-in crew and the phone rep should know the rules and those little details rather than directing me to the MOFA in Germany. That was the point I was making.

As regards the rest - I will try to call the airport tomorrow cause, surely, this is not the first nor last possible occurrence where one enters the transit zone without a visa (nor do they need one for short connections) but misses the connection and is left in a limbo.

I tried googling similar cases but could not phrase the question nor find an answer.

So we are all guessing now what may happen.

As re getting a Schengen visa - it is a waste of time when we don’t need it for transit, and this visa could be avoided if we had a definitive answer in this case.

Moreover, the embassies now are petty when they see a Russian passport and may drag the decision for a long time when we may need the passport at short notice.

So may end up flying via Turkey or Moldova - those are the alternatives. Dusseldorf was just a convenient arrival time in Tbilisi: 18:00 instead of 02:00-03:00 etc.

If you're flying to or from the UK and routing through any Schengen country, you need a transit visa. If your passport isn't visa free to the Schengen area, then you need a visa.
It doesn't matter if you're leaving the airport or not. You need one to even land on the soil of the country.
Pre-Brexit, you didn't need one if your trip starts or end in the UK.

However, if you're travelling to the USA or Canada, thena transit visa isn't required to travel through the Schengen area.

No airline would carry you if you don't have one.

[meself2]

Don't think there's a definitive way to answer your question about "what happens, if...". If you want to be safe, get a Schengen visa.

I called the airline today and the woman was like “i don’t know, call the ministry of foreign affairs or smth”.

Partly, they're right - it's more of a question "will you be let in the country without a visa if your flight is delayed". I assume that if that would be the case, you would have to find an airport representative, explain the situation and ask them to pass that on, so you can be escorted to the gate/other flight is asked to wait slightly longer, if possible.

I said “your airline will get fined if you allow someone to board without a visa.

Not following you here? You don't have a visa for Georgia?

Assuming person you're traveling with is Russian (from previous posts), they can't just go out of transit area without a visa, but I highly doubt airport would wish to keep you inside the transit zone if it's shut down completely.
Your spouse could apply for some sort of exceptional visa due to missed connection or airline might move you around to go through a different airport and catch a flight there if there's a choice - for example, Dusseldorf - Istanbul - Tbilisi or something. See for yourself, what kind of flights you could take, not just from Dusseldorf.

Hey, thanks for the ideas! The airline would get fined if they let someone board the plane without a Schengen visa so the check-in crew and the phone rep should know the rules and those little details rather than directing me to the MOFA in Germany. That was the point I was making.

As regards the rest - I will try to call the airport tomorrow cause, surely, this is not the first nor last possible occurrence where one enters the transit zone without a visa (nor do they need one for short connections) but misses the connection and is left in a limbo.

I tried googling similar cases but could not phrase the question nor find an answer.

So we are all guessing now what may happen.

As re getting a Schengen visa - it is a waste of time when we don’t need it for transit, and this visa could be avoided if we had a definitive answer in this case.

Moreover, the embassies now are petty when they see a Russian passport and may drag the decision for a long time when we may need the passport at short notice.

So may end up flying via Turkey or Moldova - those are the alternatives. Dusseldorf was just a convenient arrival time in Tbilisi: 18:00 instead of 02:00-03:00 etc.

If you're flying to or from the UK and routing through any Schengen country, you need a transit visa. If your passport isn't visa free to the Schengen area, then you need a visa.
It doesn't matter if you're leaving the airport or not. You need one to even land on the soil of the country.
Pre-Brexit, you didn't need one if your trip starts or end in the UK.

However, if you're travelling to the USA or Canada, thena transit visa isn't required to travel through the Schengen area.

No airline would carry you if you don't have one.

I would have to disagree on that one - Germany (as most Schengen states) have provisions for visa free airport transit (https://uk.diplo.de/uk-en/02/visa/airpo ... as/2442170) and OP's wife can avail of that option without applying for a Schengen visa. It just might be challenging to explain the below to airline staff.

The vast majority of other foreign travellers benefit from what is known as “transit privileges”. If during transit through a German airport, you do not leave the International Airport Area and if your destination is not within the Schengen area, you do not need a transit visa.

[Ticktack]

Don't think there's a definitive way to answer your question about "what happens, if...". If you want to be safe, get a Schengen visa.

I called the airline today and the woman was like “i don’t know, call the ministry of foreign affairs or smth”.

Partly, they're right - it's more of a question "will you be let in the country without a visa if your flight is delayed". I assume that if that would be the case, you would have to find an airport representative, explain the situation and ask them to pass that on, so you can be escorted to the gate/other flight is asked to wait slightly longer, if possible.

I said “your airline will get fined if you allow someone to board without a visa.

Not following you here? You don't have a visa for Georgia?

Assuming person you're traveling with is Russian (from previous posts), they can't just go out of transit area without a visa, but I highly doubt airport would wish to keep you inside the transit zone if it's shut down completely.
Your spouse could apply for some sort of exceptional visa due to missed connection or airline might move you around to go through a different airport and catch a flight there if there's a choice - for example, Dusseldorf - Istanbul - Tbilisi or something. See for yourself, what kind of flights you could take, not just from Dusseldorf.

Hey, thanks for the ideas! The airline would get fined if they let someone board the plane without a Schengen visa so the check-in crew and the phone rep should know the rules and those little details rather than directing me to the MOFA in Germany. That was the point I was making.

As regards the rest - I will try to call the airport tomorrow cause, surely, this is not the first nor last possible occurrence where one enters the transit zone without a visa (nor do they need one for short connections) but misses the connection and is left in a limbo.

I tried googling similar cases but could not phrase the question nor find an answer.

So we are all guessing now what may happen.

As re getting a Schengen visa - it is a waste of time when we don’t need it for transit, and this visa could be avoided if we had a definitive answer in this case.

Moreover, the embassies now are petty when they see a Russian passport and may drag the decision for a long time when we may need the passport at short notice.

So may end up flying via Turkey or Moldova - those are the alternatives. Dusseldorf was just a convenient arrival time in Tbilisi: 18:00 instead of 02:00-03:00 etc.

If you're flying to or from the UK and routing through any Schengen country, you need a transit visa. If your passport isn't visa free to the Schengen area, then you need a visa.
It doesn't matter if you're leaving the airport or not. You need one to even land on the soil of the country.
Pre-Brexit, you didn't need one if your trip starts or end in the UK.

However, if you're travelling to the USA or Canada, thena transit visa isn't required to travel through the Schengen area.

No airline would carry you if you don't have one.

I would have to disagree on that one - Germany (as most Schengen states) have provisions for visa free airport transit (https://uk.diplo.de/uk-en/02/visa/airpo ... as/2442170) and OP's wife can avail of that option without applying for a Schengen visa. It just might be challenging to explain the below to airline staff.

The vast majority of other foreign travellers benefit from what is known as “transit privileges”. If during transit through a German airport, you do not leave the International Airport Area and if your destination is not within the Schengen area, you do not need a transit visa.

You're correct. OP's wife is Russian (I guess), that's not on the naughty list. OP just needs to confirm from the German Embassy. It should be fine in my opinion.
Always nice to get an official opinion from Embassies.