Russians not welcome in Copenhagen?

[james&olya 1,121]

My in-laws just had an unpleasant surprise when they went to check in for their return flight from to Chicago to Moscow. They had come here through Warsaw but their return was booked through Copenhagen. The airline ticket counter clerk told them they could not fly through Copenhagen with their Russian passports unless they had schengen visas! Not even allowed to make connections there! They had to be re-booked through Stockholm for the following day! Anybody hear of this before? The Danes hate Russians?!

[newlyweds2010 208]

would be the same for a layover in the US (it's called C visa). Certain countries require a visa even though you don't exit the airport. Apparently the EU has such requirement for Russian citizens. it's not a matter of hate, it may be reciprocity (i.e., EU citizens having to get a visa for Russia).

[james&olya 1,121]

would be the same for a layover in the US (it's called C visa). Certain countries require a visa even though you don't exit the airport. Apparently the EU has such requirement for Russian citizens. it's not a matter of hate, it may be reciprocity (i.e., EU citizens having to get a visa for Russia).

Not the EU though, Warsaw and Stockholm have no such restriction.

[Brit Abroad 166]

Wikipedia has written it up nicely for you ... here!

[james&olya 1,121]

Wikipedia has written it up nicely for you ... here!

Nothing in that article gives a reason for Copenhagen to treat Russians differently than Stockholm!

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

According to this site the agent is incorrect: http://www.delta.com/planning_reservations/plan_flight/international_travel_information/visa_passport_information/

I plugged in Russian passport and it says.

Denmark (DK)

TWOV (Transit Without Visa):

Visa required, except for Holders of onward tickets transiting

For details, click here on the same calendar day *Note: TWOV is not

possible when arriving from a non-Schengen Member State AND

departing to a Schengen Member State For details, click here

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

My in-laws just had an unpleasant surprise when they went to check in for their return flight from to Chicago to Moscow. They had come here through Warsaw but their return was booked through Copenhagen. The airline ticket counter clerk told them they could not fly through Copenhagen with their Russian passports unless they had schengen visas! Not even allowed to make connections there! They had to be re-booked through Stockholm for the following day! Anybody hear of this before? The Danes hate Russians?!

The only thing I can think of is that the airport in Copenhagen is set up that your in laws would have to leave the International Zone of the airport in order to catch their connecting flight...then a Schengen Visa would be needed. Otherwise it's not needed as long as they don't leave that part of the airport which they couldn't anyways seeing how they would have to go through security first at the gate.

Most all if not all International Airports are set up so that people don't have to leave the International Zone in order to catch their connecting flight. In fact I don't know of any that aren't set up that way.

Edited January 23, 2012 by Why_Me

[AmyWrites 593]

This happens sometimes, but in many/most cases, if they have a ticket that shows they're in transit, they can go through.

This is why it's always good to check up on a country's visa policies, even if you're only transiting. Some countries are much more strict in their policies.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

would be the same for a layover in the US (it's called C visa). Certain countries require a visa even though you don't exit the airport. Apparently the EU has such requirement for Russian citizens. it's not a matter of hate, it may be reciprocity (i.e., EU citizens having to get a visa for Russia).

I do not think he is speaing f a layover, he is speaking of connecting flights. Not leaving the airport. EU generally allows ONE connection through an EU country without any sort of visa and would never require a Shengen visa to my knowledge, only a transit visa.

James have you checked this through another source? Are you sure the airline person is correct?

Our family (UKrainian passports) has changed planes many times through London (including bussing it from Heathrow to Gatwick with NO visa as long as you have a green card) Prague, Munich, Brussels, Budapest, Amsterdam, Frankfurt...never a problem

All the same...9 days until citizenship and the blue passport!

Edited January 23, 2012 by Gary and Alla

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

According to this site the agent is incorrect: http://www.delta.com/planning_reservations/plan_flight/international_travel_information/visa_passport_information/

I plugged in Russian passport and it says.

Denmark (DK)

TWOV (Transit Without Visa):

Visa required, except for Holders of onward tickets transiting

For details, click here on the same calendar day *Note: TWOV is not

possible when arriving from a non-Schengen Member State AND

departing to a Schengen Member State For details, click here

I was afraid of that and is always my intial thought...untrained employees are far more common than travel restrictions for ticketed passengers within airports and they walk among us not knowing they cost people millions of dollars each year.

If this is correct, and I suspect it is, the airline owes you big time James. I hope you got the information to show you were denied boarding.

While I have never had a problem transferring flights in an EU airport, I HAVE had problems with untrained employees on almost every trip, nearly every contact with any government agency from SS to DMV. Unfortunately those of us with families overseas need to e prepared to train the staff of businesses we deal with.

[ONA 133]

I do not think he is speaing f a layover, he is speaking of connecting flights. Not leaving the airport. EU generally allows ONE connection through an EU country without any sort of visa and would never require a Shengen visa to my knowledge, only a transit visa.

James have you checked this through another source? Are you sure the airline person is correct?

Our family (UKrainian passports) has changed planes many times through London (including bussing it from Heathrow to Gatwick with NO visa as long as you have a green card) Prague, Munich, Brussels, Budapest, Amsterdam, Frankfurt...never a problem

Yes, yes, yes, Gary is right. It has nothing to do with the EU rules. In fact, London lets you leave the transit zone if your layover is shorter than 24 hrs (or something like that). I traveled through Paris, Amsterdam and Vienna - never had ANY problem.

They should educate airport agents better.

[slim 1,514]

Perhaps their layover was for more time than they could've stayed in the terminal? (Overnight, for instance?)

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

Perhaps their layover was for more time than they could've stayed in the terminal? (Overnight, for instance?)

I had a 23 hour layover in Frankfurt a few years back and it was one of the longest nights in my life. I didn't realize the airport bar there closed so early and I spent half the night trying to sleep on those plastic chairs while the janitors were going back and forth with some kind of floor cleaning machine that looked like a small Zamboni. I was trying to save a few bucks on the hotel room.

[ONA 133]

Perhaps their layover was for more time than they could've stayed in the terminal? (Overnight, for instance?)

My longest layover was about 12 hours. You can stay in the terminal for DAYS as long as you don't leave the transit zone (I know a girl, who got stuck in Rome for 2 or 3 days, because she'd lost her ticket - that was about 5-6 years ago, when e-tickets weren't that common yet).

[slim 1,514]

I had a 23 hour layover in Frankfurt a few years back and it was one of the longest nights in my life. I didn't realize the airport bar there closed so early and I spent half the night trying to sleep on those plastic chairs while the janitors were going back and forth with some kind of floor cleaning machine that looked like a small Zamboni. I was trying to save a few bucks on the hotel room.

I had a layover there a few years back and found a "cheap" room for something like 60 Euros. I had planned on going to the club or at least the red light district but after getting hit with that fee for the room, I didn't have enough leftover for anything but some grub.

Euro softcore and free lotion, FTW!

My longest layover was about 12 hours. You can stay in the terminal for DAYS as long as you don't leave the transit zone (I know a girl, who got stuck in Rome for 2 or 3 days, because she'd lost her ticket - that was about 5-6 years ago, when e-tickets weren't that common yet).

Krakozhia!