Germany waives airport transit visa requirement

PTI

New Delhi

Indian nationals will no longer need a transit visa when travelling to another country with a layover at a German airport, the country’s embassy said here on Tuesday. The decision will come into effect on June 3, 2026.

Every year, a large number of Indians, including students, professionals and tourists, travel through German airports, on way to other destinations.

“Indian nationals will no longer need a transit visa when travelling to another country with a layover at a German airport. The lifting of the so-called airport transit visa requirement for Indian citizens was announced in the Federal Law Gazette on June 2, 2026, and takes effect on June 3, 2026,” the German embassy said in a statement.

“It underlines the Federal Government’s commitment to deepening German-Indian relations, facilitating the movement of people, and further strengthening economic ties,” it said. This comes as a result of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s visit to India in January.

, the embassy said.

In April, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had said that the visa-free transit for Indian nationals transiting through the European territory of France has been operationalised by the French government.

At a media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had said that the decision reflected the enduring partnership between India and France, elevated to the level of a ‘Special Global Strategic Partnership’ during the recent visit of President Emmanuel Macron to India, as also further facilitation of smoother movement of people, and enhancing of people-to-people ties.