A traveler flying Mumbai → Toronto with a 1-hour layover in Frankfurt and a 2-hour layover in Amsterdam (all same day) asked whether a transit visa was required.
What the group said (with some disagreement — verify before booking):- Staying inside the airport for a layover doesn't automatically mean no visa is needed — some European airports require an airside transit visa even if you never leave the airport, and this varies by airport and nationality.
- Two separate European stops (multi-leg transit) can trigger transit visa requirements where a single-stop transit might not — one member specifically noted that connecting through two different Schengen-area airports (versus one) can be treated differently.
- The safest advice: call the airline directly to confirm requirements for your specific passport and routing, since transit visa rules depend on nationality, airport, and number of connections — don't rely solely on general assumptions.
Takeaway: multi-stop layovers through Europe are exactly the kind of routing where transit visa rules get complicated — confirm with the airline or the relevant country's immigration authority before finalizing your itinerary, especially with more than one European stop.