Airport Transit visa (A): Nigerian citizen → Greece
You need an Airport Transit visa (A) — even staying airside
Nigeria is on the EU's common airport-transit list: an ATV is required for connecting through ANY Schengen airport, even without entering the area.
The bottom line
- Exemptions: holders of a valid visa or residence permit for an EU single market country, Canada, Japan or the USA; diplomatic passports; airline crew.
- If you'll pass border control (collect bags, change airports, stay overnight landside), you need a full short-stay C visa instead.
- Apply at Greece's consulate or visa application centre in Nigeria — the state whose airport you transit.
When to start
Start 30 days–6 months before your travel date.
Apply to the member state whose airport you'll transit — for this plan, Greece.
Passport, photos, travel medical insurance (€30,000 minimum — mandatory), itinerary and financial evidence plus your onward ticket. Consulate-specific checklists are on Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Complete the application via Ministry of Foreign Affairs, then book the appointment. Global Visa Center World (GVCW) in many countries — Greece's distinctive provider — plus VFS Global in others (e.g. Turkey). Pay the €90 fee (+ the centre's service fee). Appointment scarcity, not processing, is usually the bottleneck — book early.
Submit documents and give fingerprints and a photo. Fingerprints stay valid in the VIS for 59 months, so repeat applicants within 5 years can often apply without appearing in person.
Standard processing is 15 days, extendable to 45 for a detailed examination. Track via the centre; don't book non-refundable travel yet.
Check dates, number of entries and the territorial validity line the moment you collect the passport. 'ETATS SCHENGEN' means the whole area; a country code list means limited validity. Report errors before travelling.
What you'll need
- Passport — Valid for at least 3 months beyond your planned departure from the area, issued within the last 10 years, with 2 blank pages.
- Photo — Recent passport photo meeting ICAO rules (35×45mm) — centres can usually take one for a fee.
- Travel medical insurance — Minimum €30,000 coverage, valid in the whole Schengen area for the full stay — mandatory for every C visa.
- Financial evidence — Recent bank statements or payslips showing you can fund the trip; per-day reference amounts vary by destination.
Good to know
- If you leave the international transit zone (e.g. to collect baggage or change airports), you need a full C visa instead.
- Holders of valid visas/residence permits for the EU single market, Canada, Japan or the USA are exempt.
Where you'll apply
Where you'll apply in Nigeria
Apply in your districtWho runs the centre: Typically Global Visa Center World (GVCW) in many countries — Greece's distinctive provider — plus VFS Global in others (e.g. Turkey)
Greece consulates have territorial jurisdiction: apply to the mission covering your area of legal residence in Nigeria. Start on the official portal below — it directs you to the visa centre/operator for your area; you generally cannot pick another city for a faster slot.
Getting a slot — book early · community-reported, checked 2026-06-13
- Slots are released in batches with no fixed public schedule — most often early morning local time, on Monday mornings, and around the 1st of the month.
- For popular consulates (e.g. France, Italy and Spain in big cities), a fresh batch can be gone within minutes — be registered and logged in before you look.
- Cancellations free up slots throughout the day, so check daily even when it shows ‘no availability’.
- Because of this, apply as early as you are allowed — up to 6 months before travel. Waiting until 1–2 months out often means no slots are left at all.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs — official portal (find your centre) →
Continue on the official site →