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I posted Does the spouse of an EU citizen need a transit visa for Cyprus?, where I couldn't travel because I did not have transit visa, but this year I travelled to Pakistan via Abu Dhabi and as I didn't had visa so stayed inside the airport, same with Dubai, as I didn't had visa so stayed in airport but I couldn't board plane for Cyprus (uk-cyprus-saudia). I do not understand what was different with EU that is different than UAE (uk-uae-pak), I have same Pakistani passport and ILR (Indefinite leave to remain)

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1 Answers1

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Each country has their own rules and unfortunately Pakistan is on the most restrictive list for the EU. In principle, Pakistani passport holders require an “Airport Transit Visa” for any transit anywhere in the EU except Ireland. That's why it was different from Abu Dhabi or Dubai, which are a little more open than the EU in this respect.

There are a few exceptions to that general rule based on some other documents you may hold, including for UK Biometric Residence Permit holders. That rule was introduced in June 2024, after you asked your earlier question. It's not clear whether or how this could extend to the new eVisa system.

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