Moscow Airport Transit Regulations

[DoonTheSlope]

I wonder if anyone can confirm to me what the transit regulations are for Moscow Sheremetyevo airport

I was due to fly

Edinburgh - Amsterdam

Amsterdam - Moscow Sheremetyevo 

Moscow Sheremetyevo- Yerevan

Yesterday I was refused entry on to a KLM flight at Edinburgh airport as they said I needed a transit visa for my 3hour 5minute stop in Moscow.

I booked my trip with KLM and it was all on one ticket, although the flights from Amsterdam onwards to Yerevan were operated by Aeroflot. 

I researched all requirements using the Sheremetyevo airport website, the Arroflot website aswell as general travel sites such as Trip Advisor etc and all came back with the same outcome. As long as I didn't leave the airport and stayed airside I would not need a transit visa

I have since been in touch with Russian tour offices and they too are saying what has already been confirmed

I have launched a compensation file against KLM through there website but it says it could take up to two weeks before they get round to my case. Not only am I looking for refunds for my flight but I am also looking for my accommodation to be reimbursed which I had to cancel at full cost

Can anyone confirm whether the above is standard procedure and that I did not need a transit visa and also could someone be kind enough to tell me how easy it is to claim flight refunds and accommodation costs back from KLM or if it's easier just to take legal action 

Thanks

Edited November 22, 2016 by DoonTheSlope

[SteveMcD]

Was living in China a couple of years back, and for a couple of private trips had flown in and out of Sheremetyevo with Aeroflot.

eg  Shanghai => Sheremetyevo => Warsaw

      Hanover => Sheremetyevo => Shanghai

      Shanghai => Sheremetyevo => London => Sheremetyevo => Shanghai

Aeroflot (Skyteam) use the 3 South terminals (D-E-F), amd never had an issue in going between those 3 Terminals. Never had a transit visa for any of these trips.

As mentioned was 2-4 years ago. Things may have changed since then.

[deecie]

I also got a knock back when trying to fly to Yerevan. 

[DoonTheSlope]

6 minutes ago, deecie said:

I also got a knock back when trying to fly to Yerevan. 

Who with and what was your route?

[joe545]

It's probably because you had a non-protected transfer between KLM and Aeroflot. KLM would be fined by the Russian authorities if they let you on the flight without a visa of some kind. KLM would have to check a number of things to confirm that you would not require to clear passport control, that: 

• your onward booking was real
• your transit time between flights would be lower than the transit visa limit - big problem there if you miss the onward flight
• you had no checked-in luggage
• the terminal you arrive at and depart from have airside transfer capabilities
• ability to check-in online or airside for your onward flight

In short, a lot of risk and hassle for KLM that they can avoid by requiring a visa.

[deecie]

On 22/11/2016 at 6:14 PM, DoonTheSlope said:

Who with and what was your route?

flyDubai.

Dubai-Yerevan.

A little drop of diplomacy and I was on though.

[euan2020]

On flip side - i have seen me getting into Angola without having to show my Visa to Airline

I had an Aberdeen to  Cape Flight with 2 week "stopover" in Amsterdam

I had a Amsterdam - Luanda return flight 

so effectively got inside Amsterdam Airport, cos they dint link i was going to Angola, and guess Angola Flight thought i had already been checked at check in which is what normally occurred in Aberdeen once they seen i had LUANDA flights

I guess it depends if you had to recheckin so had to go landside which required visa

Our guys flying from Algeria to Aberdeen had to avoid Paris CDG cos they needed Schengen Visa's cos had to go airside to check in, between initial chartered flight and then Air France flight