Which countries I must get a transit visa in order to board on a second flight?
Upvote:4
As Greg already explained, the rules are sometimes complex and many things can make a difference in practice. But since you provided your citizenship, I think a brief yet useful overview should be possible. Here are some rules I know about:
First, some countries offer visa-free entry to citizens from every (or almost every) other country in the world. You would therefore obviously be allowed to transit there. Unfortunately, the ones I know (e.g. the Maldives or the Seychelles) are well-known tourism destinations but are not established transit hubs.
Save for a few limited programs, Canada works like the US. Airports are not set up to segregate passengers in transit from local travelers and as a citizen of Sri Lanka you would need a visa to transit there.
European countries typically have a multi-tier system. Unlike US airports, major European hubs do offer visa-free transit facilities but not to all travelers. Unfortunately, Sri Lanka is in the most restrictive category both in the UK and in the Schengen area, which means you will generally need a visa to transit there. Same thing for Hong Kong. More details (including potential exemptions) are available in Do I need a visa to transit (or layover) in the Schengen area? and Is there a way to find out if I need a transit visa for a layover in the UK?
Major hubs in the middle east, like Istanbul or Dubai offer visa-free transit to everybody, including citizens of Sri Lanka.
In the last two cases, the transit rules typically only apply for a short transit with a full service airline at a major hub (but those are the ones you are most likely to go to anyway). Smaller airports might close at night and some airlines might be unable to check your luggage through, in which cases you might need to clear immigration and would therefore have to follow the rule about entering the country.
Upvote:5
Every country has different policies on transit visas. It can depend on any or all of:
- The country where the flight stops (obviously)
- The particular airport where the flight stops (some airports have airside transfer and others do not)
- The airline(s) you are flying (some airlines offer airside transfer and others do not)
- The destination country
- Any valid or recently expired visas you may hold, even for countries that are not necessarily the destination
- Time of day (some airports close their transfer lounge during the night)
So, unfortunately it's not a simple answer. It's true that for the USA, all transit passengers must have a visa (or visa waiver), with no exceptions. There are probably other countries for which this is also true, but the full answer depends on many factors.
More post
- 📝 Can I get a transit visa in Taiwan on arrival?
- 📝 What city is this cityscape?
- 📝 Formal Obligation letter photocopy for Germany
- 📝 If I book a Eurostar ticket through SNCB, how can I attach my Eurostar Frequent Traveller details to the booking?
- 📝 Buying local currency in Senegal
- 📝 Wiener Linien Day ticket (5.5 Euro)
- 📝 Apply for a Bulgaria visa in Canada
- 📝 Schengen visa inquiry about "VIS" in remarks field
- 📝 UK Standard Visitor Visa refusal for lack of ties - how to reapply?
- 📝 Which banks in Poland offer cheapest ATM withdrawal fees?
- 📝 Travelling to Oman by Bus from Dubai
- 📝 Which countries suffix their currency and how much is this stuck to?
- 📝 Travel to Mexico with US B-1 visa
- 📝 How long should I stay outside Morocco before I can reenter?
- 📝 Driving brother's Serbian car in UAE?
- 📝 Russian citizen visiting the US
- 📝 Can I fly domestically within the US as a Canadian citizen?
- 📝 Do the Swedish/Danish authorities issue Schengen tourist visas at the Oresund Bridge?
- 📝 What are these parallel lines on my exit stamp?
- 📝 Flying from Washington Dulles to Prague on Austrian Airlines with layover in Vienna; will I have to collect and recheck luggage in Vienna?
- 📝 Returning to Schengen Area Visa Questions
- 📝 I am travelling from India to Kosovo via Turkey - do I need a visa as an Indian citizen?
- 📝 Two tickets, same origin, same destination, same airline, same day, different time. Problem?
- 📝 Netherlands Transportation Card OV-chipkaart
- 📝 Is Transit visa needed for Reykjavik while traveling to India from USA (round trip)
- 📝 Air travel info between Andaman islands
- 📝 Do I risk breaching the rules of VWP if I stay in Mexico with only occasional trips to the US over a 120+ day period?
- 📝 are there shuttles to Canary Island ferry ports
- 📝 Hiring car in Florida under 21 y/o with European license?
- 📝 Fastest road from Berlin to Düsseldorf?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 Which countries I must get a transit visa in order to board on a second flight?
- 📝 Will I be allowed to board a two-legged flight if I do not have the required visa for the second leg of the flight?
- 📝 Can I get to Germany from Norway with a single entry Schengen visa while having a flight transit in UK?
- 📝 Are there Schengen countries through which it's easier to get a visa than others?
- 📝 Which countries require a 24-hour transit visa in China?
- 📝 Which European countries don't require a transit visa for Indian citizens travelling to Cuba?
- 📝 Which European countries require an Airside Transit visa (Chinese citizen)?
- 📝 Can I get a French visa in order to join the French Foreign Legion?
- 📝 Can I get a multi-entry Schengen visa if travelling to two different countries on two separate trips?
- 📝 Missed flight but no visa to get a hotel
- 📝 Which visa should I get if I am going to UK for a job interview?
- 📝 Can I get a refund from the Canadian consulate if my transit visa didn't arrive in time for my trip?
- 📝 Which rules govern what happens when a passenger doesn't board their flight with checked-in luggage?
- 📝 Entering Schengen countries with a valid visa which will expire in 10 days
- 📝 US green card holder: Do I need a transit visa when my journey includes a flight within a Schengen country?
- 📝 A second transit in U.S.A. under the Visa Waiver Program
- 📝 Easy Jet flight Amsterdam to Malaga with a change in London in the middle. Not allowed to board flight because of no UK entry Visa
- 📝 Which countries do you need a visa or permission to visit Antarctica as an Iranian?
- 📝 How can I get boarding card in UK Gatwick airport with Direct Airside Transit Visa (DATV)?
- 📝 Is it possible to get a tentative flight itinerary to apply for Taiwan visa without paying?
- 📝 Can an American get a UK Transit Visa on Arrival?
- 📝 Should I cancel my existing Schengen visa in order to get a new one with a few more days of validity?
- 📝 Which countries can I transit through if I hold a US visitors visa?
- 📝 How many days does it take to get a tourist visa to Spain and a transit visa to the USA
- 📝 Dubai Transit 96-hour Visa for a Return Flight
- 📝 Is a transit visa required in Tehran for only flight transfer?
- 📝 What can I do: UK transit visa not issued or passport returned: my flight is in two days?
- 📝 Is it possible to get a transit visa to Cambodia online or at the border town of Aranyaprathet?
- 📝 Do I need return flight proof in order to board from Madrid to Montevideo with Iberia?
- 📝 Is it illegal to visit the Philippines for a few hours for a visa run? If so, how can I know in which SE Asian countries it would be okay?
