Ambiguous transit visa rules a bane for travellers

Earlier this week, Bengaluru-based Zui Reddy was headed for London on a Lufthansa flight, with a connection at Frankfurt. At the check-in counter at Kempegowda International Airport, she was told she wouldn’t be allowed to travel as she did not have a German transit visa. 

With Lufthansa refusing to refund her fare, she was forced to postpone her trip to next year. “At no point was the transit visa requirement made clear on the Lufthansa website,” she says.

Zui says she “got a vague email 36 hours before the flight that said something along the lines of ‘you may need a transit visa’”.

Maithreyi Karnoor has a similar story to tell. The Bengaluru writer was due in Wales for a three-month residency as part of a writers’ fellowship in April 2022. “I had booked a return ticket two months in advance on Lufthansa, and had studied the airlines’ website carefully for any caveats,” she says. 

When she tried to check in at the airport, she was told she couldn’t board the flight because she didn’t have a transit visa for Germany. A “shocked” Maithreyi had to quickly book another flight through Doha, which did not require a transit visa. In the process, she lost about Rs 40,000. These are just two cases, among many.

Not just Europe

Zui and Maithreyi believe that it is the airline’s responsibility to inform flyers about transit visa requirements. However, travel agents like Patrick George say passengers should double check visa rules while travelling through multiple countries. “The visa rules changed in 2020, after the Brexit vote. And they keep changing,” reasons Patrick, a travel agent at Prakruthi Holidays.

“If you have a stopover in a European country, you will need a Schengen visa. It is always better to travel through non-European countries,” he says. 

This ambiguity is not just restricted to European countries. Earlier this year, 24-year-old Simran Gupta was headed to Canada to study. It was with Qatar Airways. On the day of her departure, she was informed that she couldn’t proceed. She had a stopover in the USA and she didn’t have a transit visa for the country. 

Eye on terminals

Ranjini Nambiar, who runs Footloose Yatra Consultants, says every airline has a message on its website asking flyers to check transit visa requirements.

Another important step is to check the terminal you are arriving at and the terminal you will be departing from beforehand. If you’re departing from another terminal, technically it will involve stepping out. This is why some countries insist on a transit visa. 

Advocate Indra Danush says airlines are becoming more cautious about visa issues today. “If the passenger does not possess a valid visa to travel, they will be denied boarding. However, the same is not being informed to travellers at the time of booking their tickets and very often, travellers face this issue at the time of boarding,” he explains.

He says he recently took on a case against an international airline network and a well-known intermediary website. His clients found themselves in a similar situation and were denied boarding. He won the case.

YOUR CHECKLIST

When booking tickets involving transit through European countries, here is what you should do. 

*Most non-European countries don’t ask for transit visas, but confirm with your airline or travel agent when you book tickets.

* Apply for a Schengen transit visa at the embassy or consulate of the European country you will transit through.