Don’t be embarrassed at the airport, know these new rules of transit visa before going abroad.

News India Live, Digital Desk: Nowadays it has become very common to travel abroad or go out for studies. Often people book ‘Connecting Flights’ in order to get cheaper flights, where you have to stop at the airport of another country and catch your next flight. But do you know that the rules of the airport of the country where you are staying only for a few hours can also get your travel canceled?

Yes, there have been some recent changes in the rules of Transit Visa which are very important for every Indian traveler to know. If you are traveling through America, Canada, Europe or Gulf countries, now you will have to be even more cautious.

What is transit visa and what has changed?
In simple words, transit visa is the permission that you have to get to pass through the international airport of another country. Earlier in many countries this rule was lax and if you were not going outside the airport, a visa was not required. But now due to reasons of security and increasing immigration, many countries have made it mandatory.

Many times travelers remain confused that if we do not have to go outside the airport, then why do we need a visa? This is a mistake where the airline may deny you a boarding pass or officials of the transit country may stop you there. Especially Britain (UK) and many Schengen countries have now made the rules a little stricter for Indians and other citizens.

What to do before the next trip?
The most important thing is that you check the guidelines on transit visa on the official website or the embassy of the country you are transiting through before booking your flight tickets. Sometimes you may have to apply for a transit visa in advance even if there is only a connecting flight. This may take a few days, so waiting until the last minute can prove costly.

Another important point, different airlines and ticket booking websites do not always highlight these finer rules. It is your responsibility to check your ‘layover’ (time of stay at the airport) and the visa policy of that country. A small carelessness can spoil your ticket worth thousands and lakhs and spoil the fun of your vacation.

So, if you too are planning to go abroad this year, then don’t just focus on the passport and visa of the main destination, give equal importance to the stops in between!