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Do I need an airport transit visa through Switzerland if I have no Schengen visa? Am traveling from Cairo to Moscow via Swiss Air

Vince
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Max Kal
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    For the change of planes, is it the same airport on the same day? And what's your nationality? (It can sometimes affect the rules for if you're allowed to transit without a visa or not) – Gagravarr Jul 24 '13 at 08:25
  • am syrian, and will change planes within 4 hours – Max Kal Jul 24 '13 at 13:12
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    There is still the question of what "transit" means here, no? I suppose Geneva and Zurich airport have an international area, and you only need a visa if you leave this area (i.e. if you change airport). – Vince Jul 24 '13 at 13:47
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    @Vince "you only need a visa if you leave this area": nationals of some countries need a visa even if they're not going to leave the international area; there is a specific type of visa for this called an "airport transit visa" (as noted at the bottom of your answer, but the information deserves to be featured more prominently). – phoog Nov 24 '22 at 13:30

2 Answers2

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Assuming that you hold an Egyptian passport (as you did not specify that in the message), you do not need a visa provided you are either: 1) transiting in Geneva airport on the same calendar day or 2) transiting in Zurich and will be there for less than 48 hours.

Source: http://www.staralliance.com/en/services/visa-and-health/

Also, read these posts on this topic for more information:

Is there any online resource that can tell me what visa rules are for passport holders of a specific country? How to quickly find out the entry requirements to country X for a citizen of country Y?

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Paul Raftery
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In Schengen area, in most airports (as far as I know, all airports one might transit through), there are distinct Schengen airport zone and international zone.

As a general rule, you cross the border in/out of Schengen only if needed. If your origin and destination are both out of Schengen area, if you stay in the airport international zone, you do not need to cross the border and therefore do not need a visa.

If you want to go to the city for a tourism break in your journey, you should check the country's exact policy regarding transit visa. Several offer such an option. The answer given by @Paul Raftery gives you the details for Switzerland.

If your final destination is in Schengen area, you should cross the border into Schengen at the first airport you fly in.

NOTE: Answer moved from Transit through Stockholm (Schengen) from Beijing to Ukraine? to have a generic Schengen transit answer.

EDIT : Citizens of a few countries need an airport transit visa, look at this other answer for details about German transit visa.

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Vince
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