Turkish Residents Will Be Required a Visa to Transit the Netherlands

Starting with 1st of December 2022, Turkish residents will be required a visa to transit through Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport.

Most Turkish nationals needing to transit through Amsterdam Airport Schiphol to reach their destination country outside of the European Union or Schengen Area must obtain a Transit Schengen visa prior to departure. This is effective from December 1, 2022.

This announcement was made by the Dutch government in a statement SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.

“If you have Turkish nationality and will be transferring at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport after December 1, 2022, new rules apply. You will need an airport transport visa unless one of the exemptions applies to you,” the Dutch government has noted, without revealing why such a decision is being taken.

Transit Schengen visas are issued to nationals of certain countries by the embassy or consulates of Schengen Area member states to allow them to transit an EU airport to reach their non-EU/Schengen destination. In this instance, they will be issued by the Dutch authorities to Turkiye.

At the moment, Turkish citizens are able to transit to the international airport area of Schiphol airport without requiring a Schengen or transit visa. This will change starting the first of next month. Turkish citizens will not be allowed to board any plane that stops at Schiphol airport unless they have obtained a Dutch transit visa.

However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. These include those with a valid Schengen visa, or a long-term visa issued in the EU or Schengen Area countries, Canada, the United States, and Japan.

Turkish citizens with a valid residence permit from a country within the Schengen region, Andorra, or the US are exempted from the requirement.

There are also exempt categories:

• Turkish passport holders
• Family members of a member of the EU, EEA, or Switzerland
• Crew members of an airline registered in a country that is a party to the Convention on International Civil Aviation

The Dutch authorities have stated that anyone who needs to leave the international transit area upon their arrival at Schiphol airport will not require a transit visa, but instead a Schengen visa. For those who arrive at other airports in the Netherlands than Schiphol, a Schengen visa is required.

“This applies even if you bought your ticket before December 1, 2022,” the government points out.

The following countries require a transit visa to enter the Netherlands if they have a stopover: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Cuba, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Nepal, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Türkiye and Yemen.

 

Source: schengenvisainfo.com