Starting this Saturday, July 29, Cuban citizens will need a transit visa if they must pass through a German airport to continue their trip to a third country outside the European community area (Schengen).
According to information published by theGerman Embassy in Havana, the holder of a transit visa will not be able to leave the transit zone of the German airport.
The official note recommended that potential travelers obtain accurate information in advance about the course of the trip, and seek guidance from the travel office or the airline about whether it is necessary to change terminals.
“If during the trip it becomes necessary to enter to the jurisdiction of the Schengen states, for example, when moving to another terminal building or to stopover for an internal (Schengen) flight, Cuban citizens needa Schengen visa”, specified the information.
The visa fee is 80 euros and will be paid in cash. Children between six and eight years old will pay 40 euros.
The decision on the visa requirement comes after thenumber of cubansasylum seekers in Germany increased eight times during the first half of 2023 compared to the previous year, according to official sources.
The restriction was issued quickly. Faced with the avalanche of Cubans, a spokesman for the German government told thediaryPicture, that "appropriate measures to combat the phenomenon were being examined".
Other countries in the European Union such as Spain, France, the Netherlands and Switzerland They have already established the transit visa for Cubans.
Until July 2, asylum applications by Cubans increased from 73 to 607, according to data from the German Ministry of the Interior. In 2022, a total of 302 Cuban citizens were identified as so-called "transit jumpers."
The route of asylum for Cubans in Germany had become a regular route of entry into European territory.
It happened like this: travelers bought a plane ticket from Havana to a destination for which they did not need a visa, such as Belgrade or Dubai, with a stopover in Frankfurt. Once there, they presented themselves to the police to request asylum.
Recently the Cuban activistRolando Remedios, protagonist of theiconic photo of the protests of July 11, 2021, used that route to reach Germany and request asylum there. Remedios took advantage of the so-called "Dublin Regulation", which is in force in 32 European countries and allows applications for international protection to be processed by applicants arriving in those territories. The German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees is in charge of evaluating each case.
Remedios toldCyberCuba that on their flight stopover, around 20 Cubans surrendered to the authorities in Frankfurt to request asylum.
But starting this Saturday the situation will be different for Cuban travelers, who must reserve appointments exclusively through the digital page of the German embassy in Havana.
“It should be noted that the demand for such shifts is very high. That is why you have to take care of making a reservation in time. The request can be made six months before the planned travel date. In any case, the processing will only be done if an appointment has been previously made,” the information indicated.
The diplomatic headquarters clarified thatThey will not have to apply for an airport transit visa Cuban citizens who meet the following conditions:
- Possess a valid Schengen visa, a national visa for long-term stay or a residence permit issued by one of the member countries.
- Possess a valid visa for Japan, Canada or the United States.
- Possess a stay permit issued by Andorra, Canada, Japan, Monaco, San Marino or the United States, which guarantees the unconditional readmission of the holder.
- Possess a Cuban diplomatic passport.
- Be a family of citizens of the European Union.
- Be a member of aircraft crews who are citizens of a signatory state of the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation.
Other details on general application documents, as well as additional documentation and requirements for travelers under 18 years of age who must travel to the same destination can be consulted on thegerman embassy site.
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