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I currently reside in Columbia, Missouri (USA). I am in the United States on an F-2 visa, as my husband is pursuing his PhD at the University of Missouri. I am planning to travel to Pakistan with my two children, and I urgently require clarification regarding my transit at Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP).

I am scheduled to travel on 8 December 2025, and my itinerary is as follows:

Ticket 1 (United / Lufthansa – one ticket):

St. Louis → New York/Newark (United Airlines)

New York/Newark → Milan Malpensa (Lufthansa, operated by United Airlines)

Ticket 2 (Kuwait Airways – separate ticket):

Milan Malpensa → Kuwait → Islamabad (Kuwait Airways)

These flights were booked through BudgetAir under a “self-transfer” option. At the time of booking, I was not aware of the specific rules regarding self-transfer, nor the potential requirement for a Schengen visa. Since my tickets are non-refundable, it is very important for me to confirm whether I can complete my transfer without entering Italy.

I will be traveling only with hand baggage, with no checked luggage, and I will be accompanied by my two children. We are all Pakistani passport holders with valid U.S. F-2 visas, valid I-20 forms, I-94 records, and proof of lawful residence in the United States.

Both my arriving flight (Lufthansa/United) and my departing flight (Kuwait Airways) are scheduled to operate from Terminal 1 at Milan Malpensa.

To ensure that my transit is smooth and fully compliant with immigration regulations, I kindly request clarification on the following:

Schengen visa requirement in self-transfer case Given that my onward journey from Milan to Islamabad is on a separate ticket (self-transfer), and that I will need to change from a Lufthansa/United flight to a Kuwait Airways flight at Terminal 1, do I require a Schengen (Schengen transit or entry) visa, or can I complete the transfer without a Schengen visa as long as I remain in the international transit area and do not cross the external border into Italy?

Boarding pass and need to pass immigration a. If, before arriving in Milan, I am able to obtain my Kuwait Airways boarding pass on my mobile phone (for example, by checking in via the Kuwait Airways mobile app while I am still in New York), will I still be required to exit the international transit area and go through immigration/passport control at Milan Malpensa, or can I stay airside and proceed directly to my departure gate without a Schengen visa?

b. If, for some reason, I cannot obtain the Kuwait Airways boarding pass before landing in Milan, and instead I obtain it on my mobile phone after arrival (still while staying inside the terminal), will I in that case be required to exit the transit area and pass through immigration, or can I still remain airside and complete the transfer without a Schengen visa, assuming I have only hand luggage?

Because I am traveling alone with two children and our tickets are non-refundable, a clear confirmation from your side is extremely important for us to avoid any problems at the airport.

I would be truly grateful for your prompt response, as my travel date is approaching. For your convenience, I am attaching my ticket details to this email.

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  • Related: travel.stackexchange.com/a/171372/30703 Commented 22 hours ago
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    This question is similar to: Self transfer in Milan without Schengen visa. If you believe it’s different, please edit the question, make it clear how it’s different and/or how the answers on that question are not helpful for your problem. Commented 22 hours ago
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    The main problem is not immigration, but the airline (Lufthansa or United). From their point of view, Milan is your final destination, so they will not let you board the plane in the US unless you have documents allowing you to enter Italy. Commented 22 hours ago
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    @Petr it’s a UA flight sold by LH Commented 22 hours ago
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    Some airlines allow refunds in case of a refused visa. But (if that applies at all with UA/LH), it would only apply if you had the time to apply for a visa and get a refusal, and only for the first ticket. Alternatively, you may try to exchange your tickets (for a fee, probably, but it should remain less expensive than buying brand new tickets) to move the self-transfer to a country which grants you visa-free entry, visa on arrival, or a quick online eVisa process on the basis of your US visa (e.g. Turkey, UAE, Saudi Arabia...). But a self-transfer with kids in tow remains a bad idea. Commented 19 hours ago

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This is an unfortunate situation: by far the best course of action is to get documentation to enter the Schengen area. Anything else is VERY HIGH RISK.

Technically you qualify for an exemption to the Airport Transit Visa requirements for Pakistani citizens (since you have a US visa), but that only helps you if you can stay in the international transit area in MXP. That is likely the case (provided you have the Kuwait boarding pass) since both airlines use the same gate area in the same terminal, but it is not guaranteed.

There is a 95%+ chance that you will get stuck already at check-in in St. Louis. You have booked a flight from STL to MXP and the check-in agent will verify that you have proper documentation to enter your final destination, which is (for them) MXP. What you do once you have arrived in MXP is none of their concern.

The likelihood that a check-in agent in STL can check details of your transfer in MXP, verify your onward ticket, AND is willing to take the risk to allow you to board is very, very low. They are in no way required to accommodate you and there maybe substantial cost to the airline if you get turned around in EWR or MXP.

Best you can do at the moment, is to call United and ask nicely. See what they say.

At the time of booking, I was not aware of the specific rules regarding self-transfer, nor the potential requirement for a Schengen visa.

That is unfortunate, but it is clearly your mistake. Self-connections are complicated and risky.

Because I am traveling alone with two children

This makes it even more difficult. You can still try to fly the itinerary but it is very risky and the chances to get rejected or turned around are high. If you travel with children, the last thing you want is "high risk travel".

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    There’s the added factor of the transfer in EWR, which means another opportunity for an agent to check documentation and refuse boarding if by chance the agents in STL let OP through. Commented 20 hours ago
  • @jcaron: yep. that's why I added both EWR and MXP as potential "turn around" points. Commented 10 hours ago

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