Germany has introduced a visa-free airport transit facility for Indian passport holders, a move that is expected to make international travel easier and faster for Indian travellers.

Indians transiting through German airports on their way to another country will no longer need a separate transit visa, reducing paperwork and travel delays.

The announcement was made in the India–Germany joint statement released on January 12, 2026, following German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s official visit to India from January 12–13.

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This visit marked Chancellor Merz’s first trip to India and his first visit to Asia since assuming office.

 Indian passengers who are changing flights at German airports without entering Germany will now be able to transit without applying for a transit visa.

This change will make journeys smoother, quicker, and far less paperwork-intensive, especially for long-haul international routes that commonly pass through Europe.

The move is being widely welcomed as a traveller-friendly decision that removes a long-standing hurdle faced by Indian passport holders flying via Germany.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked Chancellor Merz for this important step, highlighting its role in strengthening people-to-people connections, which both leaders described as a core pillar of the India–Germany Strategic Partnership.

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According to the joint statement, the visa-free transit facility will not only ease travel but also further deepen ties between citizens of both nations.

Both countries acknowledged the growing exchange of students, researchers, skilled professionals, artists, and tourists, and recognised the significant contribution of the Indian community to Germany’s economy, innovation ecosystem, and cultural life.

Education and skills cooperation featured prominently during the discussions. Leaders from both sides noted the rising number of Indian students in Germany and the expansion of joint and dual degree programmes between Indian and German universities.

They welcomed initiatives aimed at helping Indian students and graduates integrate into the German job market, as well as stronger institutional ties between Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and leading German technical universities.

To take this collaboration further, India and Germany agreed to develop an Indo-German Comprehensive Roadmap on Higher Education.

Prime Minister Modi also invited top German universities to establish campuses in India under the New Education Policy, signalling deeper academic cooperation in the years ahead.