As of this Saturday, July 29, Cuban citizens will need a transit visa if they must go through a German airport to continue their trip to a third country outside the European community area (Schengen).
According to information published by the Embassy of Germany in Havanathe holder of a transit visa will not be able to leave the transit area of the German airport.
The official note recommended potential travelers to find out in advance exactly 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 need a Schengen visa”, specified the information.
The decision on the visa requirement is made after the number of Cuban asylum 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 German government spokesman told the daily Bild, that “appropriate measures to combat the phenomenon were being considered”.
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 asylum route for Cubans in Germany had become a regular path to enter 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 activist Rolando Remediosprotagonist of the iconic photo of the protests of July 11, 2021, used this route to reach Germany and seek asylum there. Remedios accepted the so-called “Dublin Regulation”, which is in force in 32 European countries and allows applicants arriving in those territories to process requests for international protection. The German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees is in charge of evaluating each case.
Remedies told CyberCuba that during the stopover of his flight, around 20 Cubans turned themselves in to the authorities in Frankfurt to request asylum.
But as of 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 as early as six months before the planned travel date. In any case, the processing will only be done if a shift has previously been taken, ”the information indicated.
The diplomatic headquarters clarified that they 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 stay title issued by one of the member countries.
- Possess a valid visa for Japan, Canada or the United States.
- Possess a residence permit issued by Andorra, Canada, Japan, Monaco, San Marino or the United States, which guarantees the holder’s unconditional readmission.
- Possess a Cuban diplomatic passport.
- Be a family of citizens of the European Union.
- Being a member of aircraft crews that are citizens of a state signatory to 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 found on the German embassy website.
