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I am an Indian Citizen planning to book my return flight from Oslo to New Delhi. Looking at different options for the connecting flight at Helsinki, there's one connection with a 21 hour layover at Helsinki (arriving at 10PM) and I figured I might take that option and explore the city a bit.

I am planning to apply for a Schengen Short term Visa (C type) with the Norwegian Embassy (where the entirety of my travel is going to be in, except for the return flight when I'm planning to do this).

The application for a Schengen Visa requires that I submit all documents (flight, hotel reservations etc.) and a cover letter detailing my plans. I have everything covered for the Norway trip.

After some Googling, I figured there are a lot of good options to sleep directly in the airport. (https://www.sleepinginairports.net/guides/helsinki-vantaa-airport-guide.htm)

  1. Is this possible? Can I leave the airport while on a long transit stop?
  2. How do I state this plan in the cover letter for my Visa application and indicate that I plan to sleep in the airport (not booking a hotel)?
  3. Is my baggage going to be through-checked during the layover or do I have to collect it and check it again for the last leg?

EDIT:

Technically, I'm having a layover at HEL, but this time, it's a long one. Isn't it like any other layover then?

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  • State it exactly as you are stating here. Provide the address of the airport as your lodging place. Your baggage will be checked through.
    – Augustine of Hippo
    Commented Dec 14, 2018 at 14:15

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Is this possible? Can I leave the airport while on a long transit stop?

Yes, It is possible to leave the airport as long as you have a valid Schengen visa.

How do I state this plan in the cover letter for my Visa application and indicate that I plan to sleep in the airport (not booking a hotel)?

You would definitely need a place to stay (at least for the application). Sleeping at the airport and writing in the cover letter is one option, however, I would suggest you book a hostel or airport hotel and supply that with your application as it is one of the prerequisites:

Documents indicating that the applicant possesses sufficient means of subsistence both for the duration of the intended stay and for the return to his country of origin or residence

You need to fulfil the requirements to get the visa and one of the requirement (as mentioned above) is that you should be able to pay for your entire trip and that includes accommodation.

Is my baggage going to be through-checked during the layover or do I have to collect it and check it again for the last leg?

It will be checked through and you will get it in New Delhi.

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  • Yes, but it's technically a layover on my way back home. Does it make a difference if it's a long layover?
    – Reptilian
    Commented Dec 14, 2018 at 17:00
  • I contest your last point. In 2017, I did Munich–Helsinki–Osaka on Finnair with an approximately 24 hour layover in Helsinki. Check-in staff in Munich refused to check one of my bags all the way through and instead short-checked both to Helsinki so I had to recheck the next day.
    – Jan
    Commented Dec 18, 2018 at 11:09
  • @Jan I did Munich-Helsinki-Delhi on Finnair with 21-hour layover and my bag was sent to Delhi directly. OP asked for the very same connection. Airlines, almost always, offer to keep the checked luggage if the layover is less than 24 hours.
    – Arpit Bajpai
    Commented Dec 18, 2018 at 12:08
  • Interesting. Maybe my problem was that I needed just one of my bags?
    – Jan
    Commented Dec 18, 2018 at 12:11
  • Definitely, depends pretty much on the airline policy.
    – Arpit Bajpai
    Commented Dec 18, 2018 at 12:34

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