Transit visa at ZRH
 

Anyone knows if I will need a transit visa to get through ZRH airport?

My flight is:

Yangon / Bangkok / Zurich (ZRH) / Lisbon

Thanks!

Depends on your citizenship or residency. In all cases, a valid passport is required. Switzerland is not a member of the European Union (EU).

However, Switzerland allows citizens of most "Western" countries to enter without a visa for up to 90 days.

Complete details here (choose the country that issued your passport):
http://tinyurl.com/5rkm7q



The same applies to citizens of other countries who hold valid EU or USA/Canada permanent residency credentials.

Details here (choose the country that issued your permanent residency card):
http://tinyurl.com/6xavry



Note that Switzerland is in the process of becoming a party to the Schengen agreement (which already has eliminated border controls throughout most of Western Europe). Apparently Switzerland will join Schengen around Dec 12 or 13, 2008.

Thanks! Actually, I'm asking this on behalf of my friend who is from Myanmar (Burmese) and will be transiting through Zurich on his way to Lisbon (Portugal).

Previously, transit visa wasn't needed for such his case and nationality, but not sure now.

All these issues are mind-boggling, I tell you. :rolleyes:
And those texts on immigration, transit visas etc is enough to fill an entire ocean.

If your friend is going to Portugal they have a Schengen visa, correct? Although Switzerland is not officially a part of Schengen yet, coming later this year I believe...I was told a Schengen visa is valid for entry into Switzerland even though they are not officially in Schengen. I wont go into the long story of how me and my wife got such and education but that is the info I got from immigration officers as Zurich. I dont think your friend will need a transit visa anyway though.

Thanks a lot! Yeah, that should be it.
He will get this "On-arrival Schengen visa" at Lisbon airport. :)

You are joking, right? Myanmar citizens can not get an "on-arrival Schengen visa". He will most likely not even be allowed on the plane in Bangkok.

Nah, not really. :)

My friend is traveling as seaman status (he'll be joining a tanker vessel in one of the ports in Portugal), and he has an agent over there in Portugal to arrange these "On-arrival Schengen visa" once he reaches Lisbon airport.

As for Bangkok airport and the plane in Bangkok, the agent will give the "Ok to Board" to the airline for his smooth boarding. :)

If there's no "Ok to Board", yes, then as you said, he won't be able to get onboard the plane in Bangkok. :)

Anyway, I wonder why the heck are most airlines so unfair to citizens from certain countries like Myanmar? You need like plenty of documents and proof and all that crap, while people from other richer countries can transit any airport with just a single passport. :rolleyes:

It's not like Myanmar people are terrorists or anything. If it's some suspicious looking guy from the Middle East, I can understand. :cool:

Well, here is the deal. If people from Myanmar could get on a plane and go anyplace they wanted do you think they would ever go back to Myanmar? Plus, the airline gets charged if they allow a person to board a plane to someplace they dont have documentation for so they are just protecting themselves.

I know it is not fun and my wife travels on a Thai passport so trust me I have filled out more visa applications than I care to think about and always scrutiny at check in etc but it does make sense to me.

at Zurich airport, as long as the Schengen agreement is not introduced (the airport facilities have yet to be seperated into Schengen-/Non-Schengen areas, which is scheduled to be done by February/March 2009) your friend can stay in transit and doesn't need a swiss entry nor transit VISA.

With all due respect, what he will receive is not an "on arrival schengen visa" but rather a seaman's exemption. This grants very limited permissions to transit through specific territory (not the entire Schengen area) within a specific time for a specific purpose.

Ah, thanks for the explanation, mcgahat! Now I see why folks from poor countries are required to have more thorough checks on them etc.

And thanks to all for replying! ;)