Overview
- The announcement appeared in an India–Germany joint statement issued during Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s January 12–13 visit, his first to India and to Asia as Federal Chancellor.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the step, saying it will ease travel for Indians and deepen people-to-people connections.
- India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said the exemption has been approved in principle, with formal rollout pending legal and administrative steps in Germany.
- The facility applies to airside transits at German airports for travelers en route to third countries, and does not permit entry into German cities without a visa.
- Both countries also committed to a Comprehensive Roadmap on Higher Education and cited ongoing migration and mobility cooperation, including German demand for skilled workers such as caregivers and nurses.