Kamal Ghorui
Good news for travellers: France scraps transit visa for Indian passport holders
France has lifted the airport transit visa requirement for Indian nationals with effect from April 10, the French Embassy in India announced on Thursday.Indian nationals holding ordinary passports are no longer required to obtain an airport transit visa when passing through the international zone of airports located on French territory during a layover en route to a third country.The change follows a decree amending the 2010 regulations on documents and visas required for the entry of foreigners into French territory. The decree was adopted and published in the French Official Gazette (Journal Officiel) on April 9, 2026.MEA welcomes the moveThe Ministry of External Affairs welcomed the announcement.“We welcome the announcement on the operationalisation of visa-free transit for Indian nationals transiting through French airports,” MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.He recalled that the removal of the transit visa requirement for Indian passport holders was agreed between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron during their meeting in Mumbai in February this year.“The government of France has now operationalized this agreement,” Jaiswal added.Who benefitsThe measure applies to Indian nationals transiting through mainland France exclusively by air, remaining in the international airport zone without entering French territory.President Macron had announced during his visit to India in February that measures would be taken to ease travel for Indian nationals via France.The updated procedures have been reflected on the France-Visas platform.
