Germany scraps airport-transit visa for Indian travellers, effective 3 June 2026
Cabin-crew union warns of summer staffing crunch at Lufthansa, risking flight disruptions
EU tells Germany to phase out prolonged Schengen border checks
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Germany scraps airport-transit visa for Indian nationals from 3 June 2026
From 3 June 2026, Indian citizens transiting through German airports will no longer need an Airport Transit Visa. The move, published in the Federal Law Gazette on 2 June, reduces costs and paperwork for some 340,000 travellers a year and is expected to redirect traffic to German hubs. Corporate mobility teams can remove the ATV step from travel-approval processes for Indian employees.
EU reaches political deal on Return Regulation—Germany prepares for faster deportation procedures
EU institutions reached a political agreement on 1 June 2026 to create a unified Return Regulation; the Commission publicised the deal on 2 June. The law will allow Germany to recognise other Member States’ deportation orders and standardise return procedures, potentially accelerating removals of migrants without legal stay. Employers must tighten compliance on residence-permit expiries to avoid exposure under the forthcoming rules.