Germany announces visa-free transit for Indian passport holders

Germany has announced a visa-free transit facility for Indian passport holders travelling through its airports, a move expected to significantly ease international travel for Indian nationals and strengthen people-to-people ties between the two countries.

The decision was announced in the India-Germany joint statement issued on Monday following German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s official visit to India from January 12–13. This was Merz’s first visit to India and his first visit to Asia as Federal Chancellor.

In simple terms, the visa-free transit facility means that Indian travellers passing through German airports en route to another country will no longer need to apply for a separate transit visa, making journeys smoother, quicker and less paperwork-intensive.