New Delhi: 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 earlier this week, 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.
The visa-free transit facility implies 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.
The move will further intensify people-to-people links," the joint statement noted. Both leaders reiterated that “strong people-to-people ties constitute a vital pillar of the Strategic Partnership.”
The two sides welcomed the growing exchange of students, researchers, skilled professionals, artists and tourists, and recognized the “valuable contribution of the Indian community to Germany’s economy, innovation and cultural life.”
