VizeL

In another thread I read...

so I'm curious -- will I need a schengen visa/have to get stamped in? I am on 90/180 days already and cannot enter Schengen, but have a flight passing through ATH to IST. (LCA-ATH-IST).

Based off this (https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/transit-schengen-visa/)

I assumed not, but possibly passport control is separate and are only checking that its not stolen, etc.?

I saw here (https://www.aia.gr/traveler/travelle...ssport-control) that I will go through passport control, but not sure if that means stamping in.
Thanks for any help

TWA884

Schengen visa requirements and passport controls are discussed in the Europe forum. Please follow this thread as it moves there.

TWA884
Travel Safety/Security co-moderator

Ditto

If you are only connecting, and not having to go land-side to pick up luggage, then irrespective if the airport/immigration authorities decides to check passports, you do not enter Schengen and you should not have visa issues.

VizeL

Thank you. I won't be going landside.

KLouis

Immediately before immigration there is a passage to the A area (A gates) of the airport from where all non-Schengen flights depart.

:D!

ATH airport underwent some renovation recently, and the last time I transited non-Schengen to non-Schengen was over a year ago, so I'm not sure of the latest situation.

But when I did it, as mentioned by KLouis, there was a passage I turned into before the main immigration area. This contained a desk staffed by a Greek immigration officer followed by a security checkpoint.

I assume this is what NWIFlyer meant by "passport control" in the other thread, though I don't particularly understand the rationale for this desk.

The immigration officer checks your passport but at no point are you actually able to enter the Schengen area this way. I don't know whether non-EEA passports get stamped, but the authorities must be aware that this is a transit route.

Andriyko

Nationals of some countries require visas even to transit through airports in the Schengen area. A person without a valid airside transit visa will not be allowed to board a flight to a Schengen zone airport even if he or she continues to a non-Schengen airport.

KLouis

True, but that can be checked in the Timatic database. It depends, though, neither on where you're coming from nor of you generally being a non-Schengen citizen, but what your specific citizenship is.

Often1

As noted, speculation and generalities make for bad results. Here is a link to TIMATIC, the IATA database which is referred to above. Make certain that each field is correctly completed and you will see the same screen that the check-in agent will see at LCA.

As an aside, it makes sense to always check TIMATIC before considering any international air travel.

https://www.united.com/web/en-US/apps/vendors/default.aspx?i=TIMATIC

Andriyko

It does depend upon where one is coming from. Connecting from within the Schengen zone to a third country airport would not require an airport transit visa. If the OP provides more details (such as their citizenship and routing) a more specific answer can be given. Holders of some third countries' visas are also exempt from the requirement to have an airport transit visa (for example, a national who require a Schengen airport transit visa may transit without one with a U.S. visa on the way to the USA).

dcmike

There is definitely passport control - Aegean has a very handy guide with all the transfer possibilities:

https://en.aegeanair.com/travel-info...ng-passengers/

However, since you're coming from Cyprus, outside of Schengen, and going to Turkey, outside of Schengen, I think you should be fine. If you check the TIMATIC system, it says this for passengers transiting ATH: