Indian travelers will not need a transit visa for a stopover at any German airport starting June 3.
Germany has announced that Indian citizens will no longer need a transit visa when traveling to another country with a stopover at a German airport. The new rule goes into effect on June 3.
“This implements the outcome of Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s trip to India in January this year. It confirms the federal government’s commitment to deepening German-Indian relations, facilitating the movement of people, and further strengthening economic ties,” the German embassy said in a statement.
What is a transit visa? What does this mean for Indian travellers?
When you fly from country A to country B and stop in country C in between, you may only need a visa to land in country C for the stopover.
This is called a transit visa. If a person has a valid visa for the United States, Canada, Schengen, EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland, Andorra, Japan or San Marino, he or she was exempted earlier as well.Before Germany, France abolished the transit visa requirement for India. It came into effect on April 10, 2026. France became the first country in the Schengen Area to completely abolish transit visas for Indian citizens, although Germany was the first to announce this in January.
France announced this decision after President Emmanuel Macron’s state visit to India in February. During Macron’s visit, France announced a six-month pilot scheme allowing Indian passport holders to pass through French airports without a four-wheel drive vehicle.
The pilot was effective immediately. The pilot ran successfully. Airlines have updated their boarding systems, Paris CDG has reported no compliance issues, and transit bookings by Indian passengers through French airports have increased significantly. In April, France removed the transit visa requirement.
Lifting a transit visa does not mean entry without a visa
Lifting the transit visa does not mean that travelers can enter the country. They are only allowed to stay in the transit area. They cannot leave the airport.
