Help! I am so confused by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Finland website. If I hold a Nepal passport, do I need to get a visa if I am only transiting at Helsinki Airport for 1hour 50minutes?
by SadTopic5920
Help! I am so confused by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Finland website. If I hold a Nepal passport, do I need to get a visa if I am only transiting at Helsinki Airport for 1hour 50minutes?
by SadTopic5920
3 comments
Where from and where to?
https://um.fi/visa-to-visit-finland#Visa%20types
The Schengen category A visa is an airport transit visa which allows its holder to travel through the international transit area of an airport during a stopover or a change of flights. The visa does not permit its holder to leave the international transit area of an airport. The nationals of the following countries need an airport transit visa:
Afghanistan
Bangladesh
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Ghana
Iraq
Iran
Democratic Republic of Congo
Nigeria
Pakistan
Somalia
Sri Lanka
It depends: like most airports in the world, there are 2 zones: domestic and international. Traveling between them, you need a valid visa. Staying in the international area, you generally do not need a visa. (I’m sure there are exceptions. Edit: see u/dathingee for the exceptions)
For Schengen countries (EU, plus Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, minus Ireland), domestic = Schengen.
So, if you arrive from Nepal, and if your next flight is to a Schengen country, then you need a valid Schengen visa. If your next flight is to a non-Schengen country, then you stay in the non-Schengen part of the airport.