Germany visa regulations - can't get a straight answer

MrChips

Not sure if anyone here will be able to assist with this rather technical query - but I've got myself so confused trying to research this on various other websites I thought it was worth a shot!

My Russian mother-in-law will be visiting us later this year and has already arranged a UK tourist visa. We have already purchased her flight to London and are trying to arrange her return journey. Unfortunately the airline with which we booked the outward leg does not yet have tickets on sale for the dates when she is going home and we don't want to risk delaying the purchase for too long in case prices shoot up.

Air Berlin have very competitive tickets from London Stansted to Moscow via Dusseldorf. However I can't get a straight answer from either Air Berlin, the German Embassy in London or the German Foreign Office as to whether she will need any sort of German visa for the brief period (45 minutes) in Dusseldorf airport while she transits from one plane to the other (arriving in terminal B and leaving from terminal C).

So far I have had the following different opinions:
- She will be ok so long as she doesn't leave the "international transit area" and if Air Berlin notify the border authorities in advance
- All Russian citizens are fine to transit without a visa
- This is possible in some German aiports but not Dusseldorf
- She will be ok because she will have a valid UK tourist visa
- It depends...

Very frustrating! Is there anyone out there who knows anything about this, or can direct me to where I can get a definitive answer?

Thanks!

richardw

If you had to pay for a Transit Visa for her to transit in Germany would that make the AB flight uncompetitive?

dzug1

http://www.continental.com/web/en-US/apps/travel/passport/default.aspx -which is what that airline would use when deciding whether to allow her to board - suggests that transit through Dusseldorf for a Russian citizen without visa is allowed.

MrChips

richardw wrote: »

If you had to pay for a Transit Visa for her to transit in Germany would that make the AB flight uncompetitive?

Perhaps - but actually visa cost is not the issue. She lives in a city in Siberia and it is a 24 hour train journey to the nearest city with a German consulate. Therefore, the cost of the visa, the cost of the train ticket, the hassle of the journey and the cost in lost wages make it an inefficient approach!

richardw

If there is any doubt that she may need a visa of any kind, it is likely that the airline will not allow travel because they won't risk being fined, perhaps just wait a bit for the price of the direct flight.

MrChips

dzug1 wrote: »

http://www.continental.com/web/en-US/apps/travel/passport/default.aspx -which is what that airline would use when deciding whether to allow her to board - suggests that transit through Dusseldorf for a Russian citizen without visa is allowed.

That's very helpful, thank you.

Generally consistent with the IATA website ( http://www.iatatravelcentre.com/passport-visa-health-travel-document-requirements.htm ), although that one says:

Visa required.

Passengers transiting only are exempt from holding a visa when:


Holders of onward tickets in transit .

On the same day between 04:30 and 23:30 through Hamburg (HAM).
On the same day between 04:30 and 23:00 through Cologne/Bonn (CGN).
On the same day between 06:00 and 21:00 through Dusseldorf (DUS). Inbound carrier must provide prior notice to authorities in Dusseldorf (DUS) by fax: +49 211 421 20521; tel: +49 211 421 63695 or SITA Telex DUSOVXH.
On the same day between 06:00 and 23:00 through Berlin Tegel (TXL), provided arriving and departing on a flight operated by Air Berlin, with a minimum connection time of 75 minutes. Inbound carrier must provide prior notice to the handling agent at Berlin Tegel (TXL) by fax or SITA Telex. Passenger is not permitted to travel with animals carried in the cargo hold (AVIH). Passenger and hand baggage will be subject to security check.


Certain Visa regulations apply as follows:

Visitors not holding return/onward tickets or evidence of continuing journey by other means of transport, could be refused entry .

MrChips

richardw wrote: »

If there is any doubt that she may need a visa of any kind, it is likely that the airline will not allow travel because they won't risk being fined, perhaps just wait a bit for the price of the direct flight.

Thanks Richard - that is probably sensible advice. But surely Air Berlin should be able to confirm now whether they would accept her with no visa or not? I contacted them by email (the phone number they publish didn't seem to know anything about visa regulations, only about selling tickets!) but they basically said it was our responsibility to get the correct visas...

richardw

MrChips wrote: »

But surely Air Berlin should be able to confirm now whether they would accept her with no visa or not? I contacted them by email (the phone number they publish didn't seem to know anything about visa regulations, only about selling tickets!) but they basically said it was our responsibility to get the correct visas...

They just won't risk being fined and put the onus on the passenger.

MrChips

Right. I guess if we print out the embassy advice, and the IATA data, stating transit through Dusseldorf is ok they can hardly disagree with that!

richardw

MrChips wrote: »

On the same day between 06:00 and 21:00 through Dusseldorf (DUS). Inbound carrier must provide prior notice to authorities in Dusseldorf (DUS) by fax: +49 211 421 20521; tel: +49 211 421 63695 or SITA Telex DUSOVXH.

AB may not have the procedures in place to do this, perhaps get it in writing that AB will do this.

Takecareofthepennies

I don't think there would be a problem if she flew into and out of the same terminal at DUS. Departing and arriving passengers share the same areas (at least in terminals A and B, I am sure), so there would be no need for her to technically "cross the border" into Germany. She could just go from gate B XX to gate B YY.

However, I believe there is no direct access from Terminal B to terminal C in DUS. In other words, you have to go through arrival immigrations in Terminal B and then again through departure immigrations in Terminal C. At this point, a transit visa may be required.

Apart from the above, 45 mins could be a bit tight to get from B to C including passport checks and you would certainly not want any delay on the first leg.