What is a Transit Visa? Which Countries Apply Transit Visa?

If you have a transfer for international travel, especially on long flights, the visa applications of the transferring countries are different from each other. In terms of going to Chile via France and to Sri Lanka via Dubai, transit visa applications are also different due to the application differences of the transfer countries. What is a transit visa, how to get it, which countries require a transit visa, what are the visa fees, what to do in connecting flights and the documents required for a transit visa, etc.

What is a Transit Visa for Connecting Flights?

Transit visa is the type of visa requested by the country to which the transfer will be made during the connecting flight, with a very simple description. While some countries do not require a visa for transit, some countries require a transit visa from the citizens of the Republic of Turkey. There are countries that limit the transit visa to the duration, there are countries that give the right to travel in the country with a transit visa, and there are those that do not allow to leave the transit section of the airport. Therefore, if there is a transfer situation on your flight (applications may vary depending on whether it is the same airline or a different airline), the first thing you should do is to research the transit visa applications of the country you will be transferring to as soon as you buy your ticket.

In some countries, short-term visas are also called transit visas. For example, in United Arab Emirates, there is a 96-hour transit visa in Dubai, a normal visa is 100usd while a transit visa is 75usd. While we were going to Sri Lanka, we had a long wait in Dubai, so we took advantage of this visa to take advantage of the opportunity to visit the city. Dubai visa details are here.

Which Countries Require Transit Visa?

If you are a citizen of the Republic of Turkey and have a classic burgundy passport; Many countries do not require a transit visa, provided that they stay in the transit area for up to 24 hours. You can see the list of countries that we are subject to transit visa application below.

• Germany
• England
• Çek Cumhuriyeti
• İsviçre
• Yunanistan
• Canada

If you already have a Schengen visa, you can transit to European countries (Germany, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Greece) without the need for a transit visa.

If you need to take a connecting flight to Europe, France and the Netherlands are important ports and they do not require transit visas, so it may be more practical to give priority to these countries when buying a flight ticket, unless you have a Schengen visa, of course.

If you do not have a Schengen visa, Advice for Schengen visa applicants take a look at my post.

In the countries listed below, you can see the exceptional situations where you can pass without a transit visa.

Germany Transit Visa Application Exceptions

Germany requires a transit visa from citizens of the Republic of Turkey, but there are some exceptions. If you want to transit through Germany without a transit visa;

• If you hold a valid UK, Ireland, Japan, Canada, USA, Romania, Bulgaria, Cyprus or Liechtenstein visa,
• You are married to a European citizen,
• If you have a Green, Service or Diplomatic passport, you do not need a transit visa.

Switzerland Transit Visa Application Exceptions

There are exceptions from countries that require a transit visa in Switzerland, but here too:

• If you have a valid Schengen, Bulgaria, Republic of Cyprus, Croatia, UK, Ireland, Romania, Japan, Canada or USA visa or residence permit,
• You are married to a European citizen,
• If you have a Green, Service or Diplomatic passport, you do not need a transit visa.

Czech Republic Transit Visa Application Exceptions

The Czech Republic is from countries that require a transit visa, but there are exceptions here too:

• If you have a valid Schengen, European Union member states, Japan, Canada or America visa or residence permit,
• You are married to a European citizen,
• If you have a Green, Service or Diplomatic passport, you do not need a transit visa.

UK (United Kingdom) Visa Application Exceptions

If we look at the situations that do not require a visa for the UK;

• Canada, New Zealand, Australia or the USA visa or residence permit,
• Residence permit issued by the European Union or Switzerland,
• Residence permit issued by Canada after 28 June 2002,
• Type D visa issued by the European Union or Switzerland,
• If you have an Irish biometric visa ('BC' or 'BC BIVS'), you do not need a visa.

How to Get a Transit Visa? Documents Required for Transit Visa

Although there are differences for each country, the documents required for almost all visa applications are also valid for transit visas. Therefore, below I am writing the general list of documents required for transit visa:

• Visa application form filled in by the traveler
• Petition for transit visa application
• Flight tickets and hotel reservations
• Passport with at least 6 months validity
• 2 biometric photos
• Travel health insurance
• For the destination, if a visa is required, the visa
• Visa fee for countries requiring visa fees

Things to Consider About Transit Visa

If you have a connecting flight, I wanted to write down the points you need to check especially about transit visa, item by item.

• If you have purchased a connecting flight ticket, be sure to check the visa and transit visa application of your transit country.
• Depending on whether your connecting flight is connected or from a different airline, what will happen to you may differ. In countries that do not require a transit visa, there is a prerequisite such as staying in the transit area, but some airports have more than one terminal and if you need to pass between terminals, you have to go through passport control, in this case the transit visa will not save you and you will be subject to the visa application of that country. You should also check if there are airline or terminal differences when purchasing your flight tickets.
• If you are flying with different airlines and those airlines do not have a luggage agreement, you can travel with your hand luggage to avoid dealing with a transit visa, as you will still have to check out and check out. However, while I was flying to Chile via Paris, I was told that I had to deliver my luggage in Paris, although I was able to take my backpack as hand luggage from Istanbul. Keep in mind that in such cases you will be taking this risk.
• Some airports (especially small airports) close after flights are over, so you won't have a chance to wait in the transit area. In this case, you must have a visa, as you will have to leave the airport.
• Countries that do not require a transit visa have a 24-hour limit, if your transit time exceeds 24 hours, you will definitely need a visa.

If you have any questions that I did not write but that you have in mind about transit visa, if you add them as a comment, I can add them to the article.