PM Modi Merz Meeting: The visa-free transit facility means that Indian travellers passing through German airports while travelling to other countries will no longer need to apply for a separate transit visa.
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Visa Free Transit: Germany has announced visa-free transit for Indian passport holders traveling through its airports. It is hoped that this move will significantly ease international travel for Indian citizens and strengthen people-to-people ties between the two countries. The decision was announced in an India-Germany joint statement issued on Monday, following German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s visit to India on January 12-13. This was Merz’s first visit to India and his first trip to Asia as Federal Chancellor.
In simple terms, visa-free transit means that Indian travelers transiting through German airports on their way to another country will no longer need to apply for a separate transit visa, making travel easier, faster, and less paperwork-intensive.
The joint statement said that this move “will not only facilitate travel for Indian citizens but will also further strengthen people-to-people ties.” The two leaders reiterated that “strong bilateral relations are an important pillar of the strategic partnership.”
Es war mir eine große Freude, Bundeskanzler Friedrich Merz in Ahmedabad begrüßen zu dürfen. Sein Besuch hat den Beziehungen zwischen Indien und Deutschland neue Impulse verliehen, gerade jetzt, wo wir das 25-jährige Jubiläum unserer strategischen Partnerschaft und 75 Jahre… pic.twitter.com/lIwe1wfpaJ
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 12, 2026
The need for enhanced cooperation in youth exchanges was also emphasized.
Both sides welcomed the growing exchange of students, researchers, skilled professionals, artists, and tourists, and commended the “valuable contribution of the Indian community to Germany’s economy, innovation, and cultural life.” They also emphasized the need to enhance cooperation in education, research, vocational training, culture, and youth exchanges to deepen mutual understanding.
Education and skills were particularly discussed.
Education and skills were particularly discussed during the talks. The leaders noted the increasing number of Indian students in Germany, the expansion of joint and dual degree programs, and close cooperation between higher education institutions.
Both sides agreed to develop an Indo-German comprehensive roadmap on higher education.
They welcomed initiatives aimed at integrating Indian students and graduates into the German job market, as well as institutional ties between Indian Institutes of Technology and German technical universities. Both sides agreed to create an Indo-German Comprehensive Roadmap on Higher Education, and PM Modi invited leading German universities to open campuses in India under the new education policy.
