All you need to know about the type A Schengen Visa aka the Airport Transit Visa

Written by the AXA Schengen Team
Date: 04/24/2025

Let’s continue our tour of the different types of visas which open the doors to the wonders of the Schengen area. After the short, the long, the uniform, the C, the D, one UFV (Unidentified Flying Visa) needs our full attention! That is the ATV (aka Airport Transit Visa) or type A Schengen Visa.

What is this strange creature? Let’s just say, if you thought you had escaped the Schengen visa process, think again! If your journey from Cairo to Sydney, London to Istanbul, Nairobi to Dubai forces you to make a stop in an airport located in a Schengen country, even if it is only for a few hours to fuel up the plane or to allow you to meet a connecting flight, chances are, not only will you be forced to wait several hours in the same place, you will also need to apply for this familiar but not quite so similar Schengen visa.

Buckle up, the AXA team explains everything you need to know about the Schengen ATV, helping you reach your final destination!

• What is the international transit area in an airport?
• What is a Type A Schengen visa (or Airport Transit Visa)?
• Who needs a type A (ATV) Schengen visa?
• Who doesn’t need a type A Schengen visa?
• What are the specificities of the Airport Transit Visa?
• How to apply for a type A Schengen visa?
• Where to apply for a type A Schengen visa?
• What documents must be enclosed with your ATV application?
• How much does a Schengen Airport Transit Visa cost?
• When should you apply and how long does it take to obtain an ATV?
• Is travel insurance compulsory to obtain a type A Schengen visa?

What is the international transit area in an airport?

First things first: why do you need an ATV, what wonders will you discover thanks to it? The answer is simple: the international transit area of… an airport.

In an airport, the international transit area is the zone located between the landing point of the airplane and the border police checkpoints.

This unique and mysterious place is technically in the country where the airplane has landed but since it is located before border control – which officially marks the entry in a state- it is considered an international zone.
Anyone in this area is thus not yet in the country itself and in the case of the EU, not in the Schengen area either.

That is where our ATV comes into play as this visa can nonetheless be required for travellers to be allowed to stay in this special zone.

What is a Type A Schengen visa (or Airport Transit Visa)?

→ The Airport Transit Visa (ATV) grants travellers the right to remain in the international area of an airport while they wait for their connecting flight to their final destination.

→ In the Schengen area_where member-States apply the European Union’s common visa policy_the Airport Transit Visa is called the type A Schengen visa or ATV.

→ Schengen authorities demand that travellers whose initial flight departed from an airport located outside of the Schengen area and whose final destination is also located outside of the area but who, at one point of their journey, are forced to make a few hours stop (a layover) in an airport located in a Schengen Member State, present a specific visa: the ATV or type A Schengen visa.

→It doesn’t allow the ATV holder to enter the country of the layover but only to wait for less than 24 hours, in the international area of the airport.

Bonus info

Depending on their nationality, some travellers may need, and thus apply for, a uniform type C Schengen visa. This short-stay visa grants the right to enter, travel, and stay in all the countries of the Schengen area for a maximum of 90 days within a 180-day period

Who needs a type A Schengen visa?

However, not all travellers making a connection or forced to wait in the international area of a Schengen airport need a type A visa.
There are 2 lists when it comes to determining who needs an ATV: one common to all Schengen countries and another specific to certain Schengen countries.

The common list of nationalities subject to ATV requirement in the Schengen area

The Schengen Member States have established a common list of countries whose citizens must apply for a type A Schengen visa to transit through an airport located in the Schengen area.

The countries whose nationals are required to hold a Schengen Airport Transit Visa are:

Afghanistan

Bangladesh

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Eritrea

Ethiopia

Ghana

Iran

Iraq

Nigeria

Pakistan

Somalia

Sri Lanka

The list of additional nationalities subject to ATV requirement

According to the EU Visa Code, each member of the Schengen area can also choose to add other countries to the common list.
This additional list thus varies from one country to another and can also change over time. We thus recommend that you check the requirements of the Schengen State where you are stopping to find out if you need a type A visa or not.

Caution!

If the location of your layovers differs between your onward journey and your return trip, you might need a type A visa for one layover but not for the other, depending on the requirements of the different Schengen countries where you are stopping.

Who doesn’t need a type A Schengen visa?

• Citizens of Schengen Member States, of the European Union as well as the family members who live with them.
• Nationals of countries with a visa-waiver agreement with the European Union.
• Third-country nationals, holders of:

- A uniform type C Schengen visa

Or

- A type D national long-stay visa

Or

- A valid residence permit granted by a Schengen country.

• Third country nationals, holders of:

- A visa or a valid residence permit listed in Annex V of the Visa Code, issued by Andorra, Canada, Japan, San Marino or the United States;

- A valid residence permit issued by an overseas territory of the Kingdom of the Netherlands;

When they are travelling to the country which issued the visa or any other third-country, or when they are returning there after using their visa.

• Flight crew members, citizens of a country which has signed the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation.

What are the specificities of the Type A Visa (aka ATV)?

As you now know, the need for a Type A Airport Transit Visa applies to passengers travelling from a non-Schengen country to another non-Schengen country but with a layover in a Schengen country. Let’s now have a look at what rights this visa grants or doesn’t.

What is allowed and what is not allowed with a Type A Schengen visa?

→ The type A visa grants its holder the right to transit through the international area of a Schengen airport for a few hours in a day, between two connecting flights or during a flight layover.

→ The holder of a type A Schengen visa must remain in the international area of the airport and is not allowed to enter the country where the layover occurs.

→ In the case of a stopover (one night spent in the Schengen country,for example ), the type A visa is no longer sufficient, and the traveller must apply for a type C Schengen visa.

Important reminder!
As soon as you enter the territory of a Schengen country, you need to have a Schengen visa other than the ATV (depending on your nationality).

What are the different kinds of Type A visas?

There are 3 types of type A visas:

• The one-way ATV: to transit once through a Schengen state.
• The return ATV: for a return trip transiting through 1 or 2 Schengen states.
• The Multiple ATV: to transit several times through one or several Schengen states.
  This visa isn’t issued with a first application and is only granted to travellers who have already obtained one-way or return visas and have used them without incident.

Does the ATV allow you to leave the airport to transfer to another airport within the same Schengen country?

The ATV doesn’t allow its holder to:

• Walk around in an airport. They can only stay in the international area.
• Leave the airport to reach another airport or a train station located in the same country in order to make another connection which will take them outside the Schengen area, even if this only entails crossing a city. In that case, they need to apply for a type C Schengen visa.

How long is an ATV valid for?

The one-way ATV is valid on the day of the scheduled layover

The return ATV is usually valid on the date scheduled for the first layover (outward trip) and 15 days beyond the date scheduled for the return layover.

The Multiple ATV is issued for a period of maximum 6 months.

How to apply for a type A Schengen visa?

To apply for a Schengen ATV, you must follow the same application process as for a type C visa.

Here are the main steps:

1. Find out if you need a visa and determine which type.
2. Fill out the application form.
3. Book an appointment with the appropriate consular services or designated visa centre.
4. During your appointment, hand in your visa application file which must contain: your passport and the required supporting documents.
5. Your biometric data will also be collected
6. You will need to pay the visa fees.
7. Recover your passport and visa if it has been granted.

Where must you apply for a type A Schengen visa?

To obtain a type A Schengen visa, you must submit your application at the local embassy or consulate of the country where you will be transiting.
It is also common for embassies and consulates to outsource the collection of visa applications to private service providers such as TLScontact, VFS Global, Capago…

Your application can be processed directly by the consular services or by a visa centre.

Caution!
If the onward and return layovers are to take place in two different Schengen countries, your visa application must be submitted in the country in which you are stopping first.

What documents must be enclosed with your type A visa application?

Documents required with all visa applications for the Schengen area

• The application form completed, dated and signed.
  Read our tips on how to fill out your Schengen visa form!
• A valid passport: issued less than 10 years ago, valid for more than 3 months after the scheduled date of your layover (the last one if there are several), must include 2 blank pages.
• An ICAO ID picture in compliance with international standards.

Documents specific to Schengen ATV applications

When you apply for a type A Schengen visa, you will also be asked to provide:

● Proof that your journey will continue after the layover in the transit area.

Example: your plane ticket or flight reservation indicating your final destination.

● Documents proving that you do not intend to enter the Schengen area during the layover.

Example: a visa for the country of destination, proof of accommodation booked in the country of your final destination, etc.

Important

When the consular services examine your type A Schengen visa application, they will check:

• the authenticity and integrity of your travel documents,
• The consistency of your planned itinerary, ensuring that the airport transit matches the applicant’s departure and arrival points.

How much does a Schengen Airport Transit Visa cost?

As surprising as it may seem, an Airport Transit Visa (ATV) which doesn’t even allow you to leave the transit area of the airport, costs the same as a type C Schengen visa which grants you the right to visit most of Europe during 90 days!

If you want to find out more, read our article detailing the costs entailed by a Schengen visa application.

Good to know!

● Visa fees depend on the age of the applicant:

• Travellers aged 12 and over: full fee
• Children between ages 6 to 11: reduced fee
• Children younger than 6: free of charge

● Visa and service fees (which must be settled when you submit your application file) are not refundable even if your visa request is denied.

When should you apply and how long does it take to obtain an ATV?

Your ATV application file can be submitted 6 months at the earliest and 15 days at the latest prior to your departure date.

Usual processing time is 15 calendar days. However, it can be longer during the busier times of the year (summer holidays, European public holidays, etc.)

Don’t forget to also consider how difficult it might be to find a convenient and available appointment date to submit your visa application. This can significantly delay the process.

Our AXA tip: We recommend that you submit your visa application at least 6 weeks before your scheduled date of departure.

Is travel insurance compulsory to obtain a type A Schengen visa?

While subscribing to travel insurance is mandatory to obtain a type C Schengen visa, the European Union’s Visa Code does not impose the obligation to provide an insurance certificate when you apply for an Airport Transit Visa (ATV).

However, in certain situations, some European countries can demand it. We thus highly recommend that you check these requirements with the consular authorities of the country or countries of the Schengen area where you are applying for a type A visa.

If need be, AXA Schengen travel insurance meets all the criteria (and then some!) to be accepted by all consulates and embassies with your visa application.

Related Articles

You might find these articles interesting:

• How to avoid Schengen visa refusal?
• Requirements and procedure to obtain a Schengen visa
• Understanding Europe from A to Z

FAQ

What’s the procedure if I need to transit through several Schengen airports?

If you are doing several layovers in different airports located in the Schengen area, your flight is then considered as domestic. In that case, you can’t apply for a type A visa and will need a type C Schengen visa.

When do I need a type C visa to transit through the Schengen area?

If you leave the international area of an airport located in a country of the Schengen area and that you enter the territory of this country, the airport transit visa (ATV) is no longer sufficient. You will need a uniform type C Schengen visa.

Do I still need an ATV even though I already hold a Schengen visa or residence permit?

No. Holders of a valid type C (uniform) Schengen visa, or a long-stay visa, or a valid residence permit issued by a Schengen State do not need to apply for a type A visa to transit through an airport located in the Schengen area.