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I live in Russia (and have only Russian citizenship) and I'm going to Canada in June. I have exactly one layover on the way there and back: in Paris and in Amsterdam. So, my trip is Moscow - Paris (3h layover) - Toronto and Toronto - Amsterdam (12h layover) - Moscow. I don't have any Schengen visas. In Amsterdam, I want to go out of airport and walk while waiting for the filght.

My plan was the following: apply for type B - transit visa in France and use it in both countries. This site points that I can stay with B visa for maximum 5 days, but I cannot figure out whether I can use it twice. I'm not sure, can I use it in France, then leave Schengen zone, and then show it again in Netherlands later?

Overall, is it a preferred way to solve my problem? I've heard that it is easier to get visa in France, so I want to apply there. And yes, I know that in fact I do not need visa in France at all if I'm not leaving the airport -- and this is likely scenario since layover is 3hr long. However, I still would like to have the opportunity to go out.

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  • That site is unfortunately obsolete. It's better to stick to the official sites, though it's not immediately obvious that that site isn't official.
    – phoog
    May 29, 2016 at 22:33

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Schengen type B visas were abolished in 2010 when the Visa Code went into force.

The site you link to (which is a commercial site and not official government information) simply hasn't been updated. Given that it cheerfully reproduces information that has been out of date for six years now, you should probably not trust anything it says.

These days, if you want or need to leave an airport during a layover and you're not visa-free, you need to apply for an ordinary type C short-stay visa from the first Schengen country you plan to enter.

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  • Oh, shame on me, thank you. And If I need two short transits in different countries, should I apply for C visa separately in each of them or just ask multiple entry in the first country (France)? I can post this as another question if you think it would be better.
    – ars
    May 29, 2016 at 21:55
  • @ars: Well -- I officially don't know what I'm talking about here, but I would guess that the French consulate would be wary of issuing a visa for entering the country just for a 3-hour layover. You would need to rush like crazy merely to get to stand in a Paris street for a few minutes before catching a train back to the airport, which I imagine would raise a suspicion that your application is a pretext for entering for another purpose. Therefore what I would do in your situation is just apply for a visa for the Amsterdam layover and leave Paris for another time. May 29, 2016 at 21:57

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