France has reintroduced airport transit visa (ATV) requirement for citizens of certain nationalities including those from Nigeria, travelling to the United Kingdom (UK) from January 1, 2021.
An ATV grants access to a traveller to pass through the international zone of an airport without entering the country’s territory.
This follows a Brexit trade deal by UK with the European Union.
Boris Johnson formally signed the Brexit trade deal with the EU Wednesday afternoon after MPs voted overwhelmingly in favour of the accord, putting the UK on track for an orderly split from Brussels at 11pm tomorrow night.
A statement issued by Air France- KLM said the ATV has become necessary for these citizens to pass through France or the Netherlands following Brexit — which means the UK is no longer part of the European Union.
It also said citizens of the affected countries with British visa, long-stay visa or British residence permit must still have ATV to pass through France or the Netherlands.
-Advertisement-
The affected countries include Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Cameroon, Central Africa Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ivory Coast, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Ghana.
Others include Guinea, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Russia, Senegal, Syria, Palestinians, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, and Sri Lanka.
READ ALSO: Ogun student kills self after being dumped by girlfriend
“As of January 1, 2021, citizens of the following countries who are holders of a British visa, long-stay visa or a residence permit issued by the British authorities will need to be in possession of an airport transit visa (ATV) if they transit through France and or the Netherlands,” the statement read.
However, the airline said citizens of the listed countries holding a visa or residence permit from Canada, Japan, the USA or any other European country, in addition to a UK visa/residence permit are allowed to travel through France or the Netherlands without an ATV.
The official copy of the hard-fought 1,200 page Brexit trade pact was signed by Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, in Brussels this morning before it was flown to London on an RAF jet.
Johnson was then presented with the document in Number 10 as he did the honours and finally brought the curtain down on the Brexit saga which has dominated UK politics since the EU referendum in 2016.
We do everything possible to supply quality news and information to all our valuable readers day in, day out and we are committed to keep doing this.
Your kind donation will help our continuous research efforts.
-Advertisement-
-Want to get the news as it breaks?-
