Airport Transit in Germany
Airport Visa Needed?
Entry clearance requirements are dependent on the citizenship and the resident status of the applicant. Due to its location at the heart of Europe, Germany is an important transit country. The vast majority of travelers do not need a visa when airtransiting through Germany. However, citizens of some countries do need an airport transit visa.
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.
Important Note concerning Airport Transit
Only five airports in Germany have an International Transit Area
1. Cologne/ Bonn (transit only possible between 4:30 am and 11:00 pm)
2. Düsseldorf (transit only possible between 06:00 am and 09:00 pm and only if the airline has arranged the transit with airport security – please check with your airline)
3. Frankfurt/Main
4. Hamburg (limited time frame only 04:30 am to 11:30 pm)
5. Munich (München)
Please note:
Airport transit privilege does not apply and you will need a visitor visa:
1. if you have to pick up your baggage and/or have to check-in again (please verify with your airline).
2. if you are transiting through two or more airports in the Schengen Countries (for example: Miami-Frankfurt-Paris-India)
3. if you hold an open ticket
4. if your stay in the international transit area exceeds 12 hours
Transit Visa Country List
Nationals of the following countries are required to be in possession of an airport transit visa when passing through the international transit area of airports in Germany:
AFGHANISTAN, BANGLADESH, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO, ERITREA, ETHIOPIA, GHANA, INDIA, IRAN, IRAQ, JORDAN ** (please see below), LEBANON, MYANMAR, NIGERIA, PAKISTAN, SOMALIA, SRI LANKA, SUDAN, SYRIA, TURKEY
** In addition, Jordanian 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. Jordanian citizens are also exempt if they, after a legal stay in one of the above mentioned countries, are travelling back to Jordan and are in possession of a valid boarding pass or ticket to Jordan. The connecting flight must be leaving within 12 hours after arriving in Germany from the same airport in whose transit section the traveller has been waiting.
Exceptions: Nationals from the above list are entitled to transit through the international transit zones without an airport transit visa:
1. If they hold a valid visa for the United States of America
2. If they return from the USA after having used the visa (however,
the return has to occur within latest four days after expiration
of the validity of the visa)
3. If they hold one of the following residence permits:
* Form I-551 permanent resident card (valid for 2 to 10 years),
* Form I-551 Alien registration receipt card (valid for 2 to 10 years),
* Form I-551 Alien registration receipt card (no expiry date),
* Form I-327 Re-entry document (valid for two years — issued to
holders of a I-551),
* Resident alien card (valid for 2 or 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),
* 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),
* Valid temporary residence stamp in a valid passport (valid for one
year from the date of issue).
Please note that the advance parole and the approval notice (I-797) are not valid documents for visa free airport transit!
Where and how to apply?
German consular services are available through its Embassy in Washington and Consulates in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York and San Francisco.
Except for rare instances, you have to submit your application in person. Click below to find out where to submit your application and to learn about any specific application procedures. Due to local particularities handling and processing may vary slightly among the German missions involved.
Consulate Finder
Required Documents
fully completed application form (only German and English versions accepted) and required declaration
- two passport photographs (strict requirements, see details)
- valid national passport and one copy thereof (Please note these important regulations concerning your travel document/passport:
(a) its validity has to extend the duration of the visa you are applying for by at least 3 months
(b) it has to contain at least two blank pages;
(c) it must have been issued within the previous 10 years. If it has been issued before that, your passport can not be accepted. That even even applies in cases where the validity has been extended by the authorities of your home country.
- original of valid US alien registration card or valid US visa (type A, B, E, F, G, H, I, J, L, O, R) and one copy.
- confirmed airline ticket to final destination and one copy
- visa for your final destination (if required) and one copy
- your driver's license and/or utility bill in your name as proof of residence in the consular district where you plan to apply
- Visa fee.
Please note: In individual cases, you may be required to provide additional documents.
Please Note: Although the information on this website has been prepared with utmost care, we can not accept any responsibility for inaccuracies contained herein.
