What might you wander into
on a layover in Istanbul?

Visa rules are tied to your passport, not where you live. An Indian passport holder in Canada still needs a transit visa for some countries that a Canadian passport holder can enter freely — and vice versa. Layovr accounts for this precisely.

Airside means you stay within the secure terminal — no passport control, but limited to the airport. Landside means you exit the airport, pass immigration, and can explore the city. Layovr tells you which applies to your situation and what documents you need.

Layovr uses AI trained on current visa and transit data and is designed for general guidance. Visa rules change — always verify with the official embassy or IATA before travel, especially for complex itineraries. Never board based solely on any third-party tool.

As a rule of thumb: allow 45–60 minutes to exit immigration, 30–90 minutes transport each way, and 2 hours back at the airport before your gate. That means you need at least 5–6 hours to make any city exploration worthwhile. Layovr builds this buffer into every itinerary.

Yes, completely free. No ads, no sign-up, no hidden costs. Layovr is a passion project built to genuinely help travellers make the most of their time between flights.

Layovr uses Claude AI (Anthropic) trained on publicly available travel and immigration data, including IATA Travel Centre guidelines, official government immigration portals, and embassy documentation. Passport strength ordering follows the Henley Passport Index 2025. All results are for general guidance — always verify with the official embassy or consulate of the transit country before travel.

The best layover cities combine easy visa access, fast transport to the centre, and genuine things to see. Istanbul (IST) is exceptional — visa-free for most passports, 45 minutes to the old city, and Turkish Airlines offers free tours and hotel stays for eligible passengers. Doha (DOH) offers visa-free access for most nationalities with Qatar Airways' Discover Qatar program. Dubai (DXB) is world-class if you've pre-arranged a transit visa. Singapore (SIN) is the gold standard for airport experience. Helsinki (HEL) is criminally underrated — Finnair offers free stopovers up to 5 days.

Yes — several airlines run formal stopover programs worth knowing about. Turkish Airlines offers free city tours and hotel stays in Istanbul for eligible long-layover passengers. Qatar Airways has the Discover Qatar program with discounted or complimentary hotels in Doha. Iberia runs "Hola Madrid" — free hotel and city tours for up to 9 nights. Finnair offers a free stopover program in Helsinki for up to 5 days. Emirates and flydubai offer special stopover hotel rates in Dubai. Ethiopian Airlines provides complimentary accommodation for long layover passengers in Addis Ababa.

It depends on the airport and whether you hold any qualifying visas. Indian passport holders can typically exit the airport at Dubai (DXB), Istanbul (IST), Hong Kong (HKG), Kuala Lumpur (KUL), Bangkok (BKK), and Qatar (DOH) without a separate transit visa. Singapore allows exit only if you hold a valid US, UK, Canadian, Australian, or certain other visas under the VFTF scheme. At UK airports you need a Direct Airside Transit Visa (DATV) unless you hold a qualifying US or Schengen visa. At US airports, all passengers must clear immigration regardless — there is no airside transit zone in the United States.

Indian passport holders can exit Singapore Changi Airport only under the Visa Free Transit Facility (VFTF), which requires a valid US, UK, Canadian, Australian, German, Japanese, or New Zealand visa and an onward ticket to an eligible country. Without a qualifying visa, you must remain in the transit zone and cannot proceed through immigration. Always verify your eligibility at ica.gov.sg before travel as conditions apply.

Yes — Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, and Nigerian passport holders need a Direct Airside Transit Visa (DATV) even to remain airside at London Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, and Manchester airports. You are exempt from the DATV if you hold a valid US, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand, or Schengen visa. To exit the airport and enter the UK, you need a standard UK visitor visa plus an ETA (£10).

As of April 2026, Indian passport holders no longer need an Airport Transit Visa to remain airside at CDG or Orly. However, to exit the airport into Paris you still need a full Schengen Type C short-stay visa. Holding a US, UK, Canadian, or Australian visa does not exempt you from this requirement — only a Schengen visa allows exit.