If you are traveling to the United States in an airline such as Lufthansa, Delta Airlines, etc, there will be a stop in Frankfurt, Germany. (Sometimes also for Air India.)
Please note that an airport transit visa only allows a short stay in the international transit area, neither leaving the airport’s international transit area nor overnight stays are possible.
Airport transit visas are only good for short stopovers while you are waiting a few hours for your onward flight in the airport’s international transit area. However, hotel accommodation is only available outside the transit area. Please apply for a regular tourist visa if you would like to stay at the airport overnight.
Who needs a Transit Visa?
The vast majority of travelers do not need a visa when air transiting through Germany. However, citizens of some countries do need an airport transit visa.
Citizens of the following countries are required to have an airport transit visa when they are passing through the international transit area of airports in Germany:
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Iran, Iraq, Jordan * (see below), Lebanon, Mali, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria and Turkey.
However, the citizens of the above listed countries do not require a transit visa if any of the below are true:
- If they hold a valid, unexpired visa to the USA, Japan, Canada or Schengen visa.
- If they return to their country of citizenship after a legal stay in the U.S., as long as the return occurs within latest four days after expiration of the validity of the visa.
- If they hold one of the following residence permits:
- A Form I-551 permanent resident card (valid for 2 to 10 years),
- A Form I-551 Alien registration receipt card (valid for 2 to 10 years),
- A Form I-551 Alien registration receipt card (no expiry date),
- Form I-327 Re-entry document (valid for two years – issued to holder of a I-551),
- A resident alien card (valid for 2 to 10 years or no expiry date. This document guarantees the holder’s return only if his stay outside the USA has not exceeded one year),
- A permit to re-enter (Valid for two years. This document guarantees the holder’s return only if his stay outside the USA has not exceeded two years),
- A valid temporary residence stamp in a valid passport (valid for one year from the date of issue).
- A specific residence permit allowing unrestricted return for Andorra, Japan, Monaco, Canada or San Marino.
Jordan citizens
Jordan citizens are exempt from an airport transit visa if
- They hold a valid visa for Australia, Israel, or New Zealand and hold a valid boarding pass or ticket for one of these countries.
- After a legal stay in one of the above mentioned countries, they are traveling back to Jordan and are in possession of a valid boarding pass or ticket to Jordan.
In either of the above cases, the connecting flight must be leaving within 12 hours from the time of arrival to Germany from the same airport in whose transit section the traveler has been waiting.
If you are still in doubt whether you need an airport transit visa, do not hesitate to call the German mission which serves your place of residence.
Although this information has been prepared with utmost care, we can not accept any responsibility for inaccuracies contained herein.
Special regulations for official passport holders may apply. Please call the consulate.
If your country is not mentioned, you do not need a transit visa.
Documents and Application
Please refer to the Schengen visa section for the complete details.
