I will be travelling to Freiburg (Germany) for study purposes. I recently obtained a German national Visa (type D) and considering to fly to the EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg which is the closest airport to Freiburg. Since, this will be first use of my Visa, am I allowed to enter France first so that I can book a bus and travel to Freiburg?
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Yes. You can land in any Schengen airport with a German national visa.
Many thanks to ave for a link to an FAQ page of the visa office of the German foreign ministry, which I will quote in full except for the list of Schengen countries. The emphasis in the last paragraph is mine:
My visa was issued by a German mission abroad. Can I use it to travel to other countries in Europe?
Do I have to enter and leave via Germany or can I do so elsewhere?
Yes, you can. Holders of
a Schengen visa (text on the visa reads “valid for Schengen states”)
a residence permit of a member state or
a national visa (D-visa)
can stay in the entire Schengen area for up to 90 days in any period of 180 days. The Schengen area consists of the following countries:
[List of Schengen member states omitted]
The Schengen visa has to be applied for at the foreign mission of the country which is the main destination. The country of entry and departure is not the determining factor. The entry into and departure from the Schengen area can thus occur at any border crossing.
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