1

I’m an Indian passport holder planning to Tavel from Mumbai to Prague (transiting through Qatar) via Qatar Airways. As I’m going to spend more days in France, as per the rules I got the Schengen visa issued by France.

While I’m fully aware that I can enter Prague with this visa and in fact that’s the rule that I get the Schengen visa issued from the Schengen state where I’m planning to stay the most days, what if the airline officials insist on having a visa issued from the country I’m making the first entry?

I’m just reading some incidents of airlines denying for this reason and I’m concerned about this.

For eg

Was I wrongfully denied boarding for having a Schengen visa issued from the second country on my itinerary?

Should I do anyone of the following?

  1. Try getting an email confrontation from a Czech Republic official that I can go there. (I doubt they respond to such emails.)
  2. Keep the prints of the relavant EU laws regarding this. (Will that convince the airline officials if they’re in doubt?)

PS I tried asking Qatar Airways about this and there response was as usual:

  • It’s my responsibility to check the laws through the relavant embassies and they don’t have any say in it.
ABGR
  • 113
  • 5

2 Answers2

2

Except for some less knowledgeable subcontractors at some airports, you are very unlikely to have any issues boarding your flight to the Czech Republic, people do that every day.


what if the airline officials insist on having a visa issued from the country I’m first entry?

Ask for a supervisor while staying cordial

If you have a confirmed flight ticket onward to France this is even better

If you are still wrongfully denied boarding, if you are taking a EU airline (or a Turkish airline), you can expect compensation of upward of €600 (depending on duration of flight)

If you're not taking a EU/Turkish airline, you may then, like in the linked answer, have grounds on filing a legal claim

Nicolas Formichella
  • 28,570
  • 4
  • 57
  • 117
2

Things like this happen. Also see this.

Despite these cases, I do not believe the mistake you have mentioned is a common occurrence.

Anyway here is a short advice: arrive well in advance to your flight. That gives time for asking for explanations, reporting to superiors, calling central offices for confirmation, re-checking regulations.

Quora Feans
  • 4,460
  • 5
  • 28
  • 46