If your route includes more than one Schengen country, you enter the Schengen area.
Travelling to a Schengen country through another Schengen country
If you are travelling to your Schengen destination country via another Schengen country, you need to fulfil the visa regulations of both the country through which you enter the Schengen area and the destination country. Although both countries are Schengen member states, the regulations and the accepted documents may not be the same for both countries.
- For example, if you are travelling from Shanghai to Frankfurt via Helsinki, your travel documents must be valid for entry via Finland (fulfil the requirements of Finland) and they must be valid for onward travel to Germany.
Transferring via one Schengen country
If you only transit via one Schengen country and your destination is outside the Schengen area, you don’t enter the Schengen area, and a visa is not required.
- For example, if you are travelling from New Delhi to New York via Helsinki, your travel documents must be valid for the USA.
Transferring via more than one Schengen country
If you transit via two or more Schengen countries although your destination is outside the Schengen area, you need to enter the Schengen area, and a visa is required.
- For example, if you are travelling from New Delhi to Montreal via Helsinki and Paris, your travel documents need to be valid for the Schengen area (fulfil the requirements of Finland) and for Canada.