2

I am asking this question again as I have not seen any that pertain to Canadian passports. I am a Canadian citizen with a Canadian passport.

I have a flight to a non-Schengen country. However I have two layovers in Schengen countries (Zurich, Vienna). Would I need a visa?

So my flight is Montreal > Zurich (50 minute layover) > Vienna (1 hour layover) > Destination.

Or am I exempt from the visa? I heard from some that I am not exempt, and from some that there is a limit to my time of stay (24/48 hours) I don't know who to believe and I want to book my flight with confidence so I don't lose the offer until tomorrow by calling an embassy.

Thank you!

  • Can't comment on visas, but those layover times are very short. –  Nov 26 '17 at 03:30
  • 1
    The Zurich to Vienna flight is intra-Schengen, so you will be in the Schengen zone from landing in Zurich to takeoff from Vienna. – Patricia Shanahan Nov 26 '17 at 03:36
  • 1
    Correct, but will I be required a visa in order to go from Zurch to Vienna? –  Nov 26 '17 at 03:40

1 Answers1

7

Canadian citizens do not require a visa to visit the Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. You do not need a Schengen visa for your itinerary.

I heard from some that I am not exempt, and from some that there is a limit to my time of stay (24/48 hours)

Neither of those assertions is correct.

phoog
  • 134,313
  • 19
  • 274
  • 446
  • This is what I think. I just heard some rumors, such as in this website:https://vancouver.consulfrance.org/Airport-transit-visa That I would need one. –  Nov 26 '17 at 03:45
  • 1
    @udpcon the airport transit visa is not applicable to your itinerary because you are flying directly from one Schengen airport to another (Zurich to Vienna). ATVs only apply to travelers who will not pass through immigration controls, but you will. On top of that, even fewer nationalities are required to get ATVs than are required to get regular Schengen visas; Canadians need neither. See https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/what-we-do/policies/borders-and-visas/visa-policy/apply_for_a_visa_en. – phoog Nov 26 '17 at 03:51
  • 1
    You can hardly qualify the website of the French Consulate in Vancouver as a rumor website... –  Nov 26 '17 at 03:59
  • @dda Are you saying it is credible? –  Nov 26 '17 at 04:02
  • 1
    What part of "French Consulate" sounds incredible to you? It is the website of the Embassy, ie an official one. –  Nov 26 '17 at 04:05
  • 2
    This French consulate page cited is not talking about Canadian citizens and does not say it is. – DJClayworth Nov 26 '17 at 04:06
  • @djclayworth This is why I am confused. I would need a clear source, or perhaps someone with prior experience. –  Nov 26 '17 at 04:12
  • 2
    This answer is correct. The Consulate page does not contradict it. I have entered France on multiple occasions with a Canadian passport and no visa. To see the list of who does not need a visa, go the the consulate page, select 'Visas' from the menu and click "Do I need a visa". – DJClayworth Nov 26 '17 at 04:14
  • @DJClayworth I know I can enter a Schengen state from a non-Schengen state without a visa because I've done that in the past as well. What tripped me up is this double layover business. My father encountered this situation a couple months ago and an airline customer service rep said he would need a visa regardless of his passport since he's travelling from one Schengen country to another. Maybe she was wrong. He never went through with the itinerary though so I never found out. –  Nov 26 '17 at 04:20
  • 2
    The rep was wrong or your father was mistaken. They are thinking of the case where a person who would be exempt from needing a visa to make a single transit stop needs one if they have two consecutive stops in Schengen. But for people allowed to enter Schengen without a visa that's irrelevant. – DJClayworth Nov 26 '17 at 04:25
  • @udpcon is your father a Canadian citizen? If not, different rules might apply to him. If the customer service rep thought he was a citizen of a visa-required country (whether or not he actually is) then she would say that he needs a visa. – phoog Nov 26 '17 at 04:34
  • @phoog Yes he is a Canadian citizen. I am not sure if he presented his Canadian passport but it seems like she was wrong. I will mark your answer as correct, I just hope to hear from someone with prior experience just to be safe. –  Nov 26 '17 at 04:38
  • 2
    The consulate web site also says, "Holders of valid Canadian residence permits (permanent resident card, study or work permits) are not required to have an airport transit visa, regardless of their citizenship." This is even more true of Canadian nationals. That is, this web page is to assist (say) Indian nationals working/studying in Canada with a long-term visa. – Andrew Lazarus Nov 26 '17 at 05:01
  • @udpcon if it helps at all I've done similar itineraries on a US passport without trouble, and the US and Canada are both "Annex II" countries whose citizens do not require short stay visas. Also see Do I need a visa to transit (or layover) in the Schengen area? for an explanation of the fact that anyone authorized to enter the Schengen area needs no additional authorization for transit. Besides, when you go through passport control in Zurich, the officer doesn't necessarily know that you aren't planning to stay for a week. – phoog Nov 26 '17 at 05:04