India-Canada flight & transit in Frankfurt - visa reqd?

Hi all,

I am trying to get my parents from India (Calcutta) to visit Vancouver, BC Canada, with a transit in Frankfurt or London. They have Indian passports and a single-entry Canadian visa.

The travel operator is continuously trying to sell them flight tickets which have an exchange in London Heathrow or in Frankfurt, Germany. However, we have the doubt that they may need an additional transit visa for passing over UK. The travel operator is not clear about this issue, giving vague answers (like, don%26#39;t worry, it%26#39;s not a problem, nobody will check, etc).

Can anyone please clarify what exactly happens based on their recent experiences (friends or family members in the same situation)? What is the general route taken for Indian passport holders travelling to Canada? Is it through Europe or through SE Asia (Bangkok/Hong Kong / Japan)?

My parents are senior citizens and we would like to avoid any illegal (or even grey/uncertain areas), given all the nightmare stories we here about people dying in immigration jails everywhere. I am not aware of this issue as I moved to Canada recently, but from Europe.

Thanks in advance for all your help,

Anirvan

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Airport Transit in Germany

germany.info/Vertretung/…__Transit__Visa.html

India (please see exception 4)

exception 4:

Indian, Turkish, Nigerian and Ghanaian airport transit travelers who

- are holding a valid visa or other residence permit for the USA (this includes advance paroles, but not approval notices), Canada or Switzerland and travel to the country which issued that visa or residence permit

do not need an airport transit visa.

- - -

I also don%26#39;t think they would need an airport transit visa for London Heathrow.

With the alternative of an exchange in London Heathrow or Frankfurt I would choose Frankfurt from the airport point of view.

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You might also check with the airline you%26#39;re planning to fly, they certainly know transit regulations, because if you aren%26#39;t allowed into a country upon landing they will have to repatriate you to your origin at their expense, and also possibly pay a large fine. Therefore, any transit problems should occur immediately when trying to board your first flight, they simply won%26#39;t let you on it if you need a visa and don%26#39;t have one in your passport.

But find out from the consulate or embassy for the transitted country, whether by their website or an inquiry with them. From talking to people who are not allowed access to countries without a visa, London (UK) appears to be more restrictive than Frankfurt (Germany).

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I would trust www.germany.info - a site run by the German Embassy in Washington and the German Federal Foreign Ministry - more than any advice from an airline employee.

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When I used to have an Indian passport, I transited at various times through both London and Frankfurt. For my London transit I even had to change airports (land in Gatwick and take off from Heathrow) and didn%26#39;t need a visa. Nor did I need a visa in Frankfurt, and in fact during my Frankfurt transit, I even found that I could walk around outside the airport -- we weren%26#39;t copped up in a transit lounge during the break.

If you ask the airlines, their default answer is to say %26quot;yes, you need a visa%26quot;. This is because if there are any problems, they are liable to transfer your parents back to their point of origin. The travel agents are better at the correct answer because they want to make it as convenient for you as possible to keep your business.

However, my experiences were about 5 years ago, so you should double check.

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Having experience transits at London Heathrow and Frankfurt it is my clear view that Frankfurt would be my choice every time by a wide margin.. I would only ever fly to Heathrow if I wanted to go to London. The choice is between controlled chaos and order!

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If your parents are senior citizens, I would definitely have them go via Frankfurt if possible. Heathrow can be a terribly confusing airport with insanely long lines at terminals, between terminals, at shuttle stops etc. Frankfurt is better laid out in that respect.