It is important to distinguish two situations:

• transit through the international transit area of an airport of a Schengen State (onward journey where you do not leave the international transit area of the airport)
• transit via the territory of aSchengen State albeit limited to an airport (onward journey where you leave the international transit area of the airport).

An airport transit visa (ATV) authorises you to pass through the international transit zone at an airport of the Schengen State and to await a connecting flight to a non-Schengen country. The ATV does not allow you to enter the Schengen territory (to stay at a hotel or to take an onwards flight to another Schengen State, for example).

To find out whether you need an airport transit visa, you can consult the overview on our website, click here. 

Traveling to a Schengen State via another Schengen State airport is not considered an airport transit neither is travelling to a non-Schengen country via two Schengen state airports. All flights between two or more Schengen States are considered to be «domestic» flights. Depending on your nationality, you might need a short stay visa as you enter the Schengen area – even if the stay only lasts a few hours and you remain in the airport (outside the international transit zone).