The day following the New Year celebrations, parts of Europe including the Netherlands, woke up to travel chaos caused by heavy snowfalls and freezing temperatures. A thick blanket of snow brought operations to a standstill at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, a popular transit hub in Europe for flights from USA to India and beyond. Hundreds of flights to and from AMS Schiphol Airport have been grounded leaving travelers stranded in and out of Europe.
KLM Dutch Airlines alone cancelled 300 flights on Monday, 5 January, with the harsh winter weather being anticipated to continue in the coming days. Amsterdam Schiphol Airport’s international transit area fell short of accommodation for travelers returning to North America from India and other countries after a holiday break. Among the stranded passengers, Indians could neither exit the airport nor the airside transit area to seek better facilities, as it usually requires a visa.
Do Indians need a Visa to leave Schiphol Airport during a layover?
Yes, Indians require a visa to enter the Schengen zone outside Amsterdam International Airport in the Netherlands. It is a regular Schengen Visa. Even a valid US visa or Green Card (LPR) is not considered a substitute for this mandatory requirement. Non-US citizens are mostly under the wrong impression that they can exit the Schiphol Airport terminal during a long layover or delayed connection, just because they have a US/Canadian PR or visa.
If Indians, among the affected passengers of Air France-KLM flights, had a short-stay Schengen Visa, they could have managed decent accommodation outside the airport while in transit.
Do Indians need an Airport Transit Visa for Amsterdam Schiphol?
Usually, Indian Passport holders do not need an Airport Transit Visa (ATV) for airside connection or transfer at Schiphol AMS Airport. However, they may need a transit visa for the Netherlands in specific events listed below:
- US-India flight itineraries involving a change of airports in the Netherlands, or two Schengen layovers like Paris and Amsterdam, demand a transit visa. In such events, Indian nationals are required to clear passport control during transit.
- If your bags are not checked through to the destination, to say from departure in the US to arrival in India or vice versa, you have to claim the checked baggage and recheck it for the connecting flight at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. A Netherlands Airport Transit Visa can save you in situations like this.
- Generally, low-cost or regional airlines do not manage checked baggage transfer between two connecting flights, though at the same airport. If your multi-city trip from USA to India via the Netherlands involves a low-cost airline, especially in transit, you may need an Airport Transit Visa to collect and recheck your baggage.
- If your itinerary requires you to switch terminals through passport control at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, you need an Airport Transit Visa to exit the airside transit area.
Do US citizens need a Schengen Visa to exit Amsterdam Airport during a layover?
The Netherlands allows US citizens to enter the Schengen area without any visa during a layover in Amsterdam. US citizens must have a valid passport with sufficient blank pages (at least 3 months after departure from the Netherlands) to be eligible for visa-free entry to Amsterdam or any part in the Schengen Area. US passport holders can stay in the Schengen Area for up to 90 days over a period of 180 days in a year.
This ‘Amsterdam Schiphol Airport Transit Visa’ guide is brought to you by Indian Eagle, the most trusted travel-booking partner for Indians and Americans. For nearly 20 years, the Indian Eagle team of fare researchers, aviation experts, and travel economists has been making travel from USA to India and beyond affordable with phone-only budget flight deals available at +1800-615-3969 (24×7).
