After the restoration of regular foreign flights, Indians who do not have a transit or regular Schengen visa will be denied boarding at the origin in India on European Union (EU) carriers such as Lufthansa, Air France, and KLM who are supposed to go to the United Kingdom via these airlines’ hubs in Frankfurt or Munich, Paris and Amsterdam, respectively.
According to top airline officials, the EU has reportedly decided to “punish” the UK by requiring non-EU citizens to get a transit Schengen visa in order to fly to the UK on transit flights operated by its airlines. However, Switzerland, while not being a member of the EU, is exempt from this rule for its airline Swiss.
On one-stop flights from India to the United Kingdom, passengers can pass through the Gulf and Switzerland without needing a transit visa. Nonstop flights of Air India, Vistara, British Airways, and Virgin Atlantic are the other alternatives.
A Schengen visa is a short-term visa that allows its holder to travel freely throughout the Schengen area, which covers 26 countries or “Schengen States” without border controls between them.
This is an authorisation granted by a Schengen State for the purpose of — a planned stay in the Schengen States for no more than 90 days in any 180-day period (“short-stay visa”) and transit through the Schengen States’ international transit areas (“airport transit visa”).
However, according to airline officials, the latest move took place on January 1 last year.
India had a bubble system for foreign connectivity at the time, with strict rules about which nations could fly on which aircraft and how many one-stops they could make. The bubble system was designed primarily for point-to-point travel between India and other nations, with some conditional connections permitted.
As a result, travel between India and the UK was primarily conducted on direct flights or via destinations such as the Gulf, where airlines did not fully adhere to the no-transit regulation for Indian passengers.
Now that regular flights have returned, many travellers, particularly those without transit Schengen permits who have booked flights from India to the UK with Lufthansa or Air France-KLM, are being caught off guard when denied boarding at the Indian origin airport.
Meanwhile, an EU official said that passengers should be informed of the travel requirements, as refunds are dependent on the terms of the ticket purchased. Some EU carriers, fearful of losing business, are said to have asked foreign governments to raise this issue with the Union.
After India resumes scheduled international flights, foreign airlines will be able to offer one-stop connections between India and the rest of the world. Following the Russia-Ukraine conflict, this one-stop business has increased significantly in the India-US-India sector.
Due to longer routes and higher fuel costs, United Airlines has cut India’s nonstop flights in half; Delta has not resumed India flights that were suspended in March 2020, and the US has only one daily flight (Delhi-New York).
Air India says it won’t be able to add more nonstop flights to the US until its fleet is expanded. As a result, the Gulf and European regions are seeing a surge in business for this route.
Application Process For Schengen Visa
To get a Schengen Visa a passenger should follow a few steps:
– Determine which Schengen visa type you require. There are various Schengen visa types available depending on your reason for travelling from India to Europe.
– Learn where you can apply for a Schengen visa in India. Pay attention to the embassy/consulate/VAC of the country in which you need to apply, as well as the jurisdiction under which you fall.
– Determine when you will apply for a Schengen visa in India. The earliest you can apply for a Schengen visa in India is three months before your planned trip, and the latest you can apply is at least 15 working days before you intend to travel to Europe.
– Gather the necessary Schengen visa documents for Indian citizens
– Make an appointment for an interview at the visa application centre in India. You can make an appointment online, by phone, or in-person, depending on the country
– Attend the interview on the scheduled date and time. Keep in mind that the interview is an important part of your visa application
– You must pay the visa fee. Visa fees in all Schengen countries are fixed and synchronised
– Wait for your visa to be processed. Following the interview, you will have to wait no more than 15 days for a response to your application
Lastly, remember that the documents needed for the visa application include the visa application form, two recently taken photos, a valid Indian passport, evidence of legal residence in India, travel insurance, a cover letter stating the purpose of the visit, reservation details of flights from India to Europe and back, proof of lodging for the entire duration of the intended stay, proof of civil status and documents to prove the sufficient financial resources for the duration of the stay
Transit Schengen Visa
It is a type of visa (Type-A) that allows people to enter a specific airport in the Schengen area for the purpose of transiting through the area on their way to the final destination outside of the Schengen area.
In this case what happens is that if a traveller is passing through a Schengen airport, even if they are not leaving the terminal, they may be required to obtain a Schengen Airport Transit Visa. Their residential status and citizenship determine the requirements for entering a Schengen Airport as a third-country national.
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