Definition
A visa that lets you pass through a country on the way to somewhere else. An airport transit visa covers changing planes without leaving the international zone; a full transit visa lets you clear immigration for a short stop.
Do Indians need a transit visa?
It depends on the airport, the country and whether you leave the transit zone. Changing planes in Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi, Singapore or Istanbul on one ticket usually needs no visa for Indian passport holders, because you stay airside. The cases that catch people out:
- United States: there is no international transit zone. Every passenger clears US immigration, so connecting through New York or Chicago to Canada or Mexico needs a US visa.
- United Kingdom: Indian passport holders generally need a Direct Airside Transit Visa to change planes at Heathrow, unless they hold certain documents such as a valid US visa.
- Some Schengen airports: individual countries have required airport transit visas from Indian nationals at various times. Rules change, so check the specific airport before booking.
Self-transfer means you need entry, not transit
If you book two separate tickets, say one airline to Bangkok and another to Bali, you must collect bags and check in again, which means clearing immigration. That needs a visa or visa-free entry for the transit country. See self-transfer.
Example
A Delhi couple flying to Toronto on a cheap fare via New York needs a US visa as well as the Canadian one, even though they never leave the airport. The same trip via Doha, Abu Dhabi or Dubai needs nothing beyond the Canadian visa. The fare saving through the US often disappears once you count the visa fee and appointment wait.
Practical advice
Check transit rules before you pay for a ticket, for every stop on the route. Airlines in India refuse boarding when transit documents are missing.
Our visa assistance team can check a routing for you.