What is an A-type airport transit visa?
An airport transit visa is a visa valid for transit through the international transit areas of one or more airports of the Member States.
To check if you need to apply for an airport transit visa, please visit the website of the European Commission at https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/schengen-borders-and-visa/visa-policy/who-must-apply-schengen-visa_en. In principle, in case of transit through the international transit areas of airports located in Poland, this will apply to citizens of: Afghanistan, Armenia, Bangladesh, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Iran, Iraq, Cuba, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia and Sri Lanka.
Please bear in mind that an airport transit visa only permits you to stay in the international transit area of an airport while awaiting a flight to your destination country. It does not entitle you to enter into or stay in the Schengen Area.
The consul of which Schengen Area Member State is competent to examine a visa application?
A consul competent to examine a visa application is always the consul of the Schengen Area Member State which is the main travel destination and if such country cannot be identified – it will be the consul from the country where the foreigner plans to stay the longest.
It is not possible to submit a visa application in a Polish consular post, if the planned travel does not cover the territory of the Republic of Poland, unless the Republic of Poland represents another Schengen Area Member State in visa matters.
