Germany Removes Airport Transit Visa for Indian Nationals — Effective 3 June 2026

Germany’s Federal Foreign Office has lifted the airport transit visa requirement for Indian nationals. The airport transit visa — a Schengen Type A visa — was previously needed by Indian passport holders even to pass through the international transit area of a German airport without entering the country. The change was announced in the Federal Law Gazette (Bundesgesetzblatt) on 2 June 2026 and took effect on 3 June 2026. It follows talks in January 2026 between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and reflects both governments’ stated aim of deepening German–Indian relations and easing the movement of people.

It is important to separate two different things. Removing the airport transit visa makes connecting through a German airport simpler, but it does not change the rules for actually entering Germany or the wider Schengen area. If your plan is to step out of the airport, take a stopover in a German city, or fly on to a Schengen country, you still need a Schengen visa.

The UAE is home to a very large Indian community, and German hubs are among the most common European connecting points for travel to North America and the United Kingdom. For Indian-passport-holding UAE residents, this change removes a step — and a cost — from those journeys, provided the routing keeps them within the international transit zone and the final destination is outside the Schengen area. Non-Indian UAE residents are not affected by this specific change and should continue to follow the transit rules that apply to their own nationality.

1. 1Confirm you hold an Indian passport — the exemption is nationality-based and applies to Indian nationals.
2. 2Check that your itinerary keeps you within the international transit (airside) zone at the German airport and does not require you to clear immigration into Germany.
3. 3Confirm your onward destination is outside the Schengen area (for example the United Kingdom, the United States or Canada).
4. 4If you intend to leave the airport, take a stopover in Germany, or travel onward to a Schengen country, apply for the appropriate Schengen visa — the transit exemption will not cover you.
5. 5Carry your through-ticket and any visa or entry document required for your final destination, as airlines and authorities may check these before boarding.

This update is based on publicly available information from the Federal Foreign Office of Germany, DD News (Government of India), ThePrint and Business Standard, all verified as of 3 June 2026. The change took effect on 3 June 2026 and was announced in the Federal Law Gazette (Bundesgesetzblatt) on 2 June 2026. It removes the airport transit visa requirement for Indian nationals connecting airside through German airports to non-Schengen destinations; it does not grant entry into Germany or the Schengen area. This analysis is provided for informational purposes to help UAE residents understand the change. It does not constitute legal advice. For the latest official information, always refer to the Federal Foreign Office and the German missions.