CoPR and Travel Question

[canuser]

Hello,

I have a silly question: my husband will be travelling to Vancouver via Frankfurt, Germany.

His passport is a non-EU non exempt passport.

Does he need some sort of transit visa if its just a 4 hour stopover? I know the CoPR is “not valid for travel” so I was worried that he wouldn’t be able to get through the transit country?

Also... any tips for landing at YVR?! I won’t be with him, so it would be amazing to share some of your experinces with him.

Thanks so much for your help!

 

[Hurlabrick]

Hello,

I have a silly question: my husband will be travelling to Vancouver via Frankfurt, Germany.

His passport is a non-EU non exempt passport.

Does he need some sort of transit visa if its just a 4 hour stopover? I know the CoPR is “not valid for travel” so I was worried that he wouldn’t be able to get through the transit country?

Also... any tips for landing at YVR?! I won’t be with him, so it would be amazing to share some of your experinces with him.

Thanks so much for your help!

Ignore the 'not valid for travel' on the CoPR, all that means is that you must have a passport, you cannot travel on the CoPR alone (doh!). As for transit visa, not idea, sorry. As for experience of landing in YVR, see here:

http://britishexpats.com/forum/immigration-citizenship-canada-33/our-landing-experience-vancouver-yvr-26th-feb-2013-a-789108/

 

[canuser]

Ignore the 'not valid for travel' on the CoPR, all that means is that you must have a passport, you cannot travel on the CoPR alone (doh!). As for transit visa, not idea, sorry. As for experience of landing in YVR, see here:

http://britishexpats.com/forum/immigration-citizenship-canada-33/our-landing-experience-vancouver-yvr-26th-feb-2013-a-789108/

@Hurlabrick you are awesome! Thank you kindly for sharing the link. Will read up on it right now

 

[JulianaAndrew]

If your husband is Turkish, then yes, he needs a visa to enter Germany. Same way I, as a Colombian, need a visa to fly to the United States, even if it's just for a connecting flight. That's why I can't take any flights to Canada that go through the US. This link tells you that you do need a visa if you are Turkish:
http://www.germany-visa.org/do-i-need-a-visa/

 

[canuser]

@JulianaAndrew on the link you sent it mentions an “airport transit visa” which contradicts your first post:

Germany Airport Transit Visa
Germany is at the heart of Europe and thus a very frequented transit country. The vast majority of travelers do not need a visa when in transit through German airports. Airport Transit Visas for Germany are required by nationals of the following countries:

Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Mali, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, South Sudan, Sri-Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Turkey.

GENERAL EXCEPTIONS:
Nationals of the above mentioned countries Do NOT require an airport transit visa if:

• have a valid visa for the UK, Ireland, Japan, Canada, USA, Romania, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Lichtenstein
• they are a partner (married, common-law or same sex) or child of an EU/EEA/EFTA national and hold a British “Residence Card of a Family Member of an EEA National”
• they are holders of Diplomatic Passports
• have a valid visa for a Member State of the EU, Canada, Japan or the United States of America, or when they return from these countries after having used the visa

Read more at http://www.germany-visa.org/airport-transit-visa/#9dom7tT6ssPxFaG3.99

So the question is: is the CoPR a valid visa to travel to Canada?! @JulianaAndrew because if so, then he doesnt need a visa to Germany!

 

[JulianaAndrew]

Hi @JulianaAndrew oh wow! Ok... this is news to us. Because there is no direct flight from Istanbul to Vancouver - they all have a stopover....

I find it odd that you would need a visa for a stopover on a flight!

Should he land in Toronto? There is a Istanbul-Toronto-Vancouver flight...

That could work, but the layover should be bigger since he'd be doing the landing in Toronto. I also have the option to go Bogota-Toronto-Vancouver, but I think I'll go with Bogota-Mexico-Vancouver. If I want to go through the US (which would be a bit cheaper) I would have to get a transit visa (they are quite easy to get). Unfortunately, your husband would need one of those, at least. Look at this link also: http://www.germany-visa.org/airport-transit-visa/

 

[JulianaAndrew]

@JulianaAndrew on the link you sent it mentions an “airport transit visa” which contradicts your first post:

How does it contradict my first post? Your husband needs a visa to go through Germany, whether it's a transit visa or a visitor's visa. The COPR is not a replacement of your passport, that is what it means when it says it's not a travel document. The COPR is only for landing in Canada, nothing more, nothing less. The COPR has nothing to do with visas from Canada or any other country.

 

[JulianaAndrew]

So the question is: is the CoPR a valid visa to travel to Canada?! @JulianaAndrew because if so, then he doesnt need a visa to Germany!

The COPR is not a visa, if you only had a COPR, you wouldn't even be allowed to board a flight to Canada. Again, your husband needs a visa. I doubt they would let him board the plane to Frankfurt without the visa, even though he'd have the COPR and the visa to fly to Canada.

 

[JulianaAndrew]

Ok - so what I misunderstood is that the CoPR was a visa - if it isn’t then yes he certainly needs a visa for transit.

Ugh. This sucks.

Yeah, it's not a visa. That is why your husband will get a permanent resident visa attached to his passport, along with the COPR. Think about it, your husband is in the same situation as me, except the problematic country for him is Germany, and mine is the US. Fortunately for me, I can easily go through Mexico. I wouldn't even be allowed to board a flight to the US without a transit visa or a visitor's visa. You need to plan the future keeping it in mind. Either get a flight that goes directly to Canada or get a visa to do a layover. I'm glad you asked first, because there's been some people who get these kind of flights and then they are not let in on the planes and it's just a big headache.

 

[canadian2002]

Ok - so what I misunderstood is that the CoPR was a visa - if it isn’t then yes he certainly needs a visa for transit.

Ugh. This sucks.

Hi @canuser it looks like he doesn't need the airport transit visa from the information you quoted above. Can he contact a local travel agency and inquire? Or maybe you can call the airline info number with which you plan on booking with ticket? I read the info above and at the link below as = he does not need an airport transit visa SINCE he has a visa for Canada, but would need on if he was staying overnight.
http://www.germany-visa.org/airport-transit-visa/#SEAvgG7mbxZOCYQk.99

I do remember when I emigrated with my family to Canada ages ago we didn't need an airport transit visa because we had the one for Canada. Not Turkish but the same rules applied for our home country back then. I'd just call an airline or travel agency to be 100% sure best of luck with your husbands settlement in Canada and congrats on such a quick process!

 

[JulianaAndrew]

Oh my god. Can you imagine him being stuck at an airport! Yes, thank you so much for your help... honestly. This is so stressful. Im glad you are sharing this with us... thank you @JulianaAndrew

I think our ONLY choice is flying to Toronto... unless London is an easier route, and I doubt that. Lol.

The link has this interesting information:

In these five airports in Germany you can stay at the International Transit Area without a visa:

1. Cologne/Bonn
2. Düsseldorf
3. Frankfurt/Main
4. Hamburg
5. Munich

Also it does mention that if you have a Canadian visa, you don't need the transit visa. I hadn't read that part. It does look like your husband is okay without a visa

 

[JulianaAndrew]

Oh my god. Can you imagine him being stuck at an airport! Yes, thank you so much for your help... honestly. This is so stressful. Im glad you are sharing this with us... thank you @JulianaAndrew

I think our ONLY choice is flying to Toronto... unless London is an easier route, and I doubt that. Lol.

Also this:

Nationals of the above mentioned countries Do NOT require an airport transit visa if:

• have a valid visa for the UK, Ireland, Japan, Canada, USA, Romania, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Lichtenstein

You should call an airline just to make sure, but it looks like you are okay!

 

[JulianaAndrew]

This is very important though:

KEEP IN MIND
Airport transit privilege does not apply in the following cases and you will need to get a visitor visa if:

1. You have to pick up your baggage and/or have to check-in again
2. You are transiting through two or more airports in the Schengen Countries
3. You have an open ticket
4. Your stay in the international transit area more than 12 hours

Often you need to pick up your luggage when you have a connecting flight, specially if you're using different airlines. So you'll need to sort that out first.

 

[JulianaAndrew]

Ugh... I nearly had a mini panic attack... this is stressful as it is.

Awww I'm sorry. I didn't read it all the way so that was my bad, I apologize.

You know what, he was going to bring our cat with him... but now I think thats impossible because you need to go through other security checkpoints. Perhaps we will leave him behind for our next trip out. Ahhhhh I just want this all to be over.

I want it to be over too, I am really exhausted. The cat could be an issue if your husband needs to check it in again, because he would have to leave the international area, and probably picking the cat up would count as picking luggage up, which would mean that he'd need the visa after all. Try to stay calm, you're almost there. Just have to figure out a few things now, and soon you will be with your hubby. I know how anxious one can get (I've already packed even though my passport isn't in my hands yet) but the reality is that very soon we will be reunited with our spouses. I am very grateful we don't need an appeal, because those take years. Still, it feels like ages, but I am happy it's going to be over really soon.

 

[canuser]

Thank you @JulianaAndrew I think many of us on this forum are extremely anxious... and it causes panic with the slightest detail... Im so happy for you as well. As far as I read you had a pretty rough time to get to the happy point. My best wishes to you and your wife... almost there!