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Do Schengen rules allow the issue of a single-entry visa from Spain with a from/to validity period sufficient for an itinerary Cuba > Frankfurt > Madrid > UK, returning UK > Frankfurt > Cuba (airside transit) approximately 6-8 weeks later, where the traveller would be spending say 3-4 nights in Spain on the outbound journey only?

If the answer is No, how can the itinerary be tweaked to avoid having to apply for a separate airside transit visa from Germany for the return trip?

Note: the traveller already has a UK visitor visa that would be valid until after the return via Frankfurt. In case it makes any difference, the outbound flight would be self-transfer in Frankfurt while the return trip would be connecting flights (one PNR).

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    Your (single entry) Schengen visa will be used (and thus no longer valid). A double or multi would work, but not a single. A UK visa is not on the list of alternative valid visas that would be accepted. Flughafentransitvisum - Auswärtiges Amt - Cuba
    – Mark Johnson
    Commented Apr 12 at 23:18
  • @MarkJohnson This is the answer I think
    – Nicolas Formichella
    Commented Apr 13 at 5:17
  • @MarkJohnson Thank you, would requesting a double entry visa from Spain be seen as credible since on the homeward trip the traveller will not be entering, or even returning via, Spain? It would be a first-time application for a Schengen C visa so I’m not sure if applying for multiple entry would be more likely to be refused. The traveller has a good travel history to UK and currently has a 2 year validity UK visitor visa, but as you say that doesn’t count for Schengen transit.
    – Traveller
    Commented Apr 13 at 14:39
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    @Traveller Since it is truthfull itinerary, it would seen as credible since the return portion requires a second valid Schengen visa.
    – Mark Johnson
    Commented Apr 13 at 15:07
  • The question is a bit confusing, is the transit on the return leg airside or not? Headline question says yes, single stop in the Schengen area suggests it might be but then you mention a “self-transfer”? Does the person also require a visa for airside transit?
    – Relaxed
    Commented Apr 13 at 21:28

2 Answers 2

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The double-entry visa was created exactly for this situation: a trip to the UK – at the time a non-Schengen EU member – in the middle of a trip to the Schengen area. Whereas multiple-entry visas are supposed to be issued to trusted travellers who have demonstrated a need to visit the Schengen area frequently, there is no requirement of that nature in the regulations regarding double-entry visas. The double-entry visa is really a special type of single-entry visa issued for a specific trip and absolutely the right solution in this case.

That said, one tricky thing is to make sure the Spanish consulate understands the person really does need a visa covering the Frankfurt leg of the trip even though it's only airside transit. If the traveller is a Cuban citizen then the consular officer should be able to figure it out as even an airside transit requires a visa in both Germany and Spain so that it's clear that a spent single-entry visa would not be enough. But if the visa is only required because of self-transfer or some other reason, it would be easy to miss. In any case, you may want to spell all that out, e.g. with a cover letter.

Once that is clear, Spain has to choose whether they should issue a visa for the whole trip or not. They can issue whatever they feel like no matter what you checked on the form but there is no single-entry-plus-a-transit visa. If they do want to cover the whole trip, then they should issue a visa for two or more entries. If they don't want to, then they can issue a single-entry visa and force the traveller to apply for a separate German airside transit visa. But in my view they should have no qualms about issuing a double-entry visa.

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  • Thank you, that’s helpful.
    – Traveller
    Commented Apr 14 at 0:19
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No, pretty much by definition you can't have a single-entry visa that's valid for two transits. And while many/most nationalities would not require a visa for an airside transit at Frankfurt, unfortunately Cuban nationals do.

The correct visa for your situation is thus a multiple-entry visa. If you qualify for a single-entry visa, you'll likely qualify for this too.

It would still be much more straightforward to fly Cuba-UK directly and avoid the need for a Schengen visa completely, but looks like the last direct flight between the two has just been axed.

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  • There are no Cuba - UK direct flights.
    – Traveller
    Commented Apr 13 at 6:14
  • @Traveller Looks like TUI is still flying as I type this, but they'll stop for the sunmer in 2 weeks time: travelweekly.co.uk/news/air/…
    – lambshaanxy
    Commented Apr 13 at 6:17
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    Yes, I’m aware of that. TUI to Varadero meant a 15 hour bus trip from the traveller’s home town so we’ve never used that route, preferring the Holguin>Frankfurt>UK route as Holguin is only 2 hours transfer. But Germany withdrew TWOV for Cuban citizens last year, so since an airport transit and a short-stay visa costs more or less the same I am looking at the latter.
    – Traveller
    Commented Apr 13 at 6:28

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