Yerevan clarifies why Poland demands transit visas from Armenian citizens

Poland has started applying the transit visa requirement for Armenian citizens as a preventive measure.

“According to the information received from Poland, the Polish side began to apply the requirement for a transit visa as a preventive measure, since in recent months several Armenian citizens who do not have a Schengen visa, going on a transit flight supposedly to third countries, interrupted their travels at Warsaw airport and applied to the competent authorities of Poland with a request to obtain temporary protection, and this is a special procedure intended for citizens of countries outside the EU who were forced to leave their places of residence or were moved from their places of residence and are unable to return,” Caliber.Az reports, citing the Armenian Foreign Ministry.

This special procedure was approved by the European Commission on March 4, 2022, to support Ukrainian citizens leaving the country due to hostilities on the territory of this country, and other persons legally residing in Ukraine until February 24, 2022.

According to the Polish side, over the past few months, applications have similarly been received from several dozen citizens of Armenia, who indeed migrated illegally, with a request for temporary protection.

The preventive measures taken by the EU countries against illegal migration are nothing unseen. Since March 11, 2019, citizens of Armenia have been obliged to have an airport transit visa for crossing international transit zones of airports and on the territory of the Czech Republic.

The mentioned problem is in the focus of attention of the Armenian Foreign Ministry, it was discussed with the Polish side and can be eliminated if the above risks are neutralised or other preventive mechanisms are applied.

On August 1, 2022, Poland introduced a transit visa for Armenian citizens travelling outside the Schengen area on a transit flight through Polish airports.

As the press service of the Polish Embassy in Armenia reported earlier, an airport transit visa allows Armenian citizens to stay in the international transit zone, without the possibility of leaving it. The consular fee for issuing a visa is 80 euros. Close family members of an EU citizen, holders of diplomatic passports, flight crew members and citizens of other categories are exempt from the mandatory receipt of a transit visa.