<div>This is the visa you need to transfer through a country. Even if you’re not planning to leave the airport, you may still need a visa. Some reasons include:</div><ol><li>Rechecking your baggage</li><li>Moving between terminals</li><li>Multiple reservation numbers (PNRs) in your booking</li></ol><div>If you need a visa to enter a country, then you should assume (until proven otherwise) that you will need a visa to transit through that country.<br><br></div><div>As the passenger, it is your responsibility to ensure you have the correct visas and travel documents for your trip. Contact the embassy or your foreign ministry for detailed visa information.<br><br>Wikipedia is a good source of quick information for visa requirements. For example, here you can see the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_requirements_for_Indian_citizens">visa requirements for Indian citizens</a>.</div>

An airport transit visa may be required when you have connecting flights in your itinerary.

What is an airport transit visa?

<div>The self-transfer <a href="https://www.kiwi.com/help/search/article/338/">travel hack</a> makes travel cheaper by <strong>combining separate flights, train, or bus tickets</strong> into unique itineraries.&nbsp;</div><blockquote><em>Example: A direct ticket from New York to Prague is more expensive than 2 separate tickets New York → Amsterdam and Amsterdam → Prague, so we book you these separate flights.&nbsp;</em></blockquote><h2>What’s the catch?&nbsp;</h2><div>This isn’t an official itinerary offered by the carriers and they won’t take responsibility for the unofficial connections with self-transfer.</div><ul><li>You might need to <strong>leave the visa-free zone</strong> (the area behind security control, where the gates are) during layover and enter the layover country to recheck your baggage, check in for your next flight, change terminals, or simply because of the airport’s design.</li><li>If there are <strong>delays or disruptions</strong> during travel — like a delayed flight that will cause you to miss your second flight — the carrier who caused the disruption will only help you with flights that are part of their reservation. <strong>They</strong> <strong>won’t help you find a replacement or issue a refund for any other flights you missed</strong>. And the same applies to any extra compensation you might be legally entitled to — only the disrupted carrier reservation will be taken into consideration. <br> <br>💡 <em>To stay covered in situations like this, we recommend adding the </em><a href="https://www.kiwi.com/help/search/article/28"><em>Kiwi.com Guarantee</em></a><em>. With Kiwi.com Guarantee, we’ll cover another flight to your destination for you or give you a full instant refund.<br>Check </em><a href="https://www.kiwi.com/help/search/article/396/"><em>this article</em></a><em> to find out more about your rights when your trip gets canceled, changed, or delayed.


</em></li></ul><h3>Rechecking your baggage between flights</h3><div>If you have checked baggage or if the airline takes your cabin baggage into the cargo hold, you will need to “recheck” it. Here’s how to do it:</div><ul><li>Collect your baggage at the transfer airport. Go to the Baggage claim area and look for the belt with your previous flight number.</li><li>Get out of the visa-free zone and take your baggage to the check-in counter (or baggage drop) for your next flight.</li><li>Go through security and customs to the gate of your next flight — just like you did at your departure airport.<br><br><em>⚠️ If the self-transfer is too short, we </em><a href="https://www.kiwi.com/help/search/article/253/"><em>won’t offer you checked baggage at all</em></a><em> — you would not have enough time to recheck it. You’ll see this before you book your trip.</em></li></ul><h3>Check-in for your next flight</h3><div>We usually offer to <a href="https://www.kiwi.com/help/search/article/108/">check you in online</a> and send you your boarding passes in advance. But if you do not have your boarding pass for your next flight, you will need to go out of the visa-free zone to check in.</div><h3>Going through immigration</h3><div>You might need to leave the visa-free zone even if you don’t have checked baggage and are already checked in for the next flight.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>At some airports, you go through passport control and immigration right after arrival. If you need a visa or documents related to COVID-19 to enter the country, you will also need it for the self-transfer.&nbsp;</div><blockquote><em>ℹ️ You’ll need the same documents as if the transfer country were your final destination. You’ll find more info</em><a href="https://www.kiwi.com/help/search/article/68"><em> here.</em></a></blockquote><h3>Transfer between different airport terminals</h3><div>At some large airports, you might also need to travel to a <strong>different terminal.</strong> The terminals might not be connected.</div>

Book separate tickets instead of more expensive direct flights or carrier connections.

Self-transfer travel hack

<div>Your checked baggage will be <strong>transported in the cargo hold of the aircraft</strong>. That means you have to check it in and then pick it up after landing.</div><blockquote><em>If you have a carrier protected transfer with a single reservation number (PNR), the carrier will transfer your baggage automatically. You can pick it up at the end of such a connection.<br>If you have a </em><a href="https://www.kiwi.com/help/search/article/131"><em>self-transfer</em></a><em>, you’ll need to pick it up at the following airport.</em></blockquote><div>To check your baggage in, you need to take it to the <strong>check-in counter or kiosk</strong> for your airline.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>At some airports, there is also a dedicated <strong>baggage drop </strong>area. If you are already checked in and have your boarding pass, you can skip the line at the check-in desk and leave your baggage at the baggage drop. There's usually a self-service desk where you print out the bag tag and put it on your bag.&nbsp;</div><blockquote><em>Your checked baggage might be opened and searched by the airport security. <br>If you would like to lock your checked baggage, we recommend that you use approved </em><a href="https://www.travelsentry.org/"><em>Travel Sentry</em></a><em> or </em><a href="http://www.safeskieslocks.com/"><em>Safe Skies</em></a><em> locks which can be opened by airport security.&nbsp;</em></blockquote><div>There are some cases when <strong>adding baggage is not allowed</strong>, either because you have a specific type of itinerary or because of technical or carrier limitations. Please review the cases when <a href="https://www.kiwi.com/help/search/article/253/">you can’t add checked baggage</a> before you try adding it on your own. <em><br></em><br></div>

Your checked baggage will be transported in the cargo hold of the aircraft.

Baggage check-in

<div>If you have a <a href="https://www.kiwi.com/help/search/article/131">self-transfer</a> between flights, your connections are not covered by the carriers. It’s likely that you’ll need to leave the transit zone at the transfer airport and go through security and customs again.</div><div><br></div><div>If you have checked baggage, you must<strong> recheck it between flights</strong>:</div><ul><li>Collect your checked baggage at the transfer airport. Go to the baggage claim area and look for the belt with your previous flight number.</li><li>Leave the transit zone and take your baggage to the check-in counter (or baggage drop) for your next flight.</li><li>Go through security and customs to the gate of your next flight.&nbsp;</li></ul>

If you have a self-transfer between flights, the carriers don’t transfer your baggage.