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Under the new facility, Indian travellers passing through German airports en route to another country will no longer need a separate transit visa.
The decision was announced in a joint statement following German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s official visit to India.
Germany on Monday announced a visa-free transit facility for Indian passport holders travelling through its airports. The decision was announced in a joint statement following German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s official visit to India.
The German Chancellor is on a two-day visit to India from January 12–13. This marks Merz’s first visit to India and his first trip to Asia as Federal Chancellor.
Under the new facility, Indian travellers passing through German airports en route to another country will no longer need a separate transit visa. However, they must remain inside the airport and cannot enter any German city without a visa.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Chancellor Merz, Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked him for the announcement, describing it as a step that would further strengthen people-to-people relations.
“The comprehensive roadmap on higher education that we have developed today will give a new direction to our partnership in the field of education. I invite German universities to open their campuses in India. I express my gratitude to Chancellor Merz for announcing visa-free transit for Indian citizens,” Modi said.
Chancellor Merz’s visit coincides with the 75th anniversary of India-Germany diplomatic relations and the 25th anniversary of the India-Germany Strategic Partnership.
On the first of Merz’s visit, the leaders discussed ways to deepen cooperation across key sectors, including education, and addressed pressing global issues such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the situation in Gaza.
Merz’s visit is expected to build on ongoing high-level political engagement and reaffirm the shared vision of India and Germany for a forward-looking partnership benefiting both nations and the wider global community.
(With inputs from agencies)
January 12, 2026, 19:55 IST
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