What countries do I need a tourist visa for as a Canadian?

Tourist visa to brussles on way to canada from India?

• I am an Indian passport holder & hold a Canadian student visa for a 4 year engineering at Ottawa, on my University vacations, while to & from journeys from India to Canada en-route Brussels/Paris/London, for local sight seeing as tourist .Myself Indian studying in Canada & holds Canadian Visa upto 2013.For to and fro journeys to India via Belgium, I wish to see tourist places in Schengen area while in transit, for 2-3 days etc.. Do I need a Schengen tourist Visa. While returning from India to Canada on confirmed connecting airline ticket , in transit, though booked for hotel in Brussels for 2 days to visit the city, my airline did not allow me to halt, informing that I needed tourist visa, which I think is not required for residents of canada/long time visa holders. The Schengen Visa website says if citizens or long term canadaian visa holders do not need Schengen Visa to visit any European countries. If so, what is the correct position? Let someone enlighten me so that in future trips to & fro Canada- India, I may do the needful.

• Answer:

  The visa free travel only applies to Canadian passport holders, not to Canadian residents. http://diplomatie.belgium.be/en/services/travel_to_belgium/visa_for_belgium/visa_needed/ .. Indian citizen need an Airport Transit Visa for certain Schengen countries even if they stay in the international transit zone of an airport. However holder of visa issued by a EU/Schengen country or by Canada, Japan, or the United States are exempt from the Airport Transit Visa requirement. In other words you can transit through ONE Schengen country without a visa in order to get on your next connecting flight to a non-Schengen country, but you cannot leave the airport (pass through immigration). If you plan to pass immigration to actually enter the country and stay for 2 days you will need to get a tourist visa prior to travel. Should your itinerary require you to pass through TWO or more Schengen countries you will need to get a transit visa (type C) for direct transiting. On a flight India - Brussels - Paris - London - Canada you would need to enter the Schengen zone at Brussels in order to catch the Schengen internal flight to Paris which departs from the Schengen/national zone of the airport without immigration controls. You also will not be controlled by immigration officers on arrival in France. The flight between two Schengen countries is like a flight between two states in India. In Paris you would pass exit immigration since you board an international flight to a destination outside of the Schengen zone. The Schengen visa must be applied for at the Embassy/Consulate of the country in which you plan to stay for the longest time (main destination). If no main destination exists it will be the country of first entry to decide about your application. http://www.vfs-be-in.com/ .. http://www.vfs-france.co.in/ .. http://www.diplomatie.be/montreal/ .. http://www.ambafrance-ca.org/spip.php?article472 ..