The German government has announced visa-free airport transit for Indian passport holders travelling to third countries such as the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom via German airports. The decision was announced on Monday, January 12, following bilateral talks between German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Under the earlier regulations, Indian nationals transiting through major German airports such as Frankfurt and Munich were required to obtain a Schengen airport transit visa, even if they remained within the international transit area. The requirement often led to additional costs and delays. With the new decision, the transit visa norm has been withdrawn, offering significant relief to Indian students, professionals, and tourists travelling through Germany.
In principle a decision to exempt Indian nationals from the need of separate transit visa for travel to other countries from Germany, says Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri pic.twitter.com/j8he3xhWr5
— Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) January 12, 2026
The visa-free facility will apply only to passengers staying within the international transit zone of German airports and does not permit entry into German cities. The move coincides with the completion of 25 years of the India–Germany strategic partnership and is aimed at strengthening people-to-people ties between the two nations.
Chancellor Merz’s visit to India marked his first overseas trip. During the meeting in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India and Germany signed 19 agreements covering defence, technology, and green energy sectors. The German leader also expressed interest in welcoming skilled Indian workers to Germany.
Prime Minister Modi welcomed the decision, stating that scrapping the transit visa requirement would ease travel for Indian nationals and further deepen bilateral relations between India and Germany.