Do I need a transit visa for Curaçao?

Question

I am Indian passport holder travelling to Port of Spain. Routing is Mumbai to Amsterdam via Abu Dhabi on Etihad. In Amsterdam, my connection time is 20 hours before the KLM flight to Curaçao; from Curaçao to Port of Spain is on Suriname Airways. All together, I have three separate tickets on three airlines.

I don't have a visa for any country. I will get a visa on arrival at Port of Spain (Trinidad).

Q.1 : Will Etihad allow me to board at Mumbai Airport?

Q.2 : Indian passport holders don't need a transit visa at Schiphol Airport, but is 20 hours transit time okay as long as I stay in the airport?

Q.3 : Do I require transit visa for Curaçao? My connecting flight is 6 hours before the flight to Port of Spain.

This will be round trip ...

Yes ....i will have checked bag of 23kg ~ 1pc

Answer 1

If you had a single ticket, you could take this entire journey without visas. If you did not have checked luggage, you might have been able to do it without visas. However...

Because you have checked luggage and separate tickets, you must clear immigration and transfer your luggage yourself at Amsterdam and at Curaçao. This means you will need visas appropriate to enter both of these countries.

First, Schengen countries do not have a separate visa category for landside transit. You will need to obtain a regular short-stay type C Schengen visa to go landside at Amsterdam to claim your luggage. This costs 60 euros (converted to your local currency) plus VFS service fees. You must obtain the Schengen visa in advance; there is no visa on arrival. Learn how to apply for the Schengen visa.

The good news is that having the Schengen visa exempts you from the need for a visa to enter Curaçao to claim your luggage and check in for your next flight there. Schengen visa holders from India may enter Curaçao visa-free for up to 90 days.

The transit and destination rules can be found in Timatic, which the airlines will check to verify your travel documents each time you check-in.

Finally, remember to check visa requirements for your return journey.