France has lifted the airport transit visa requirement for Indian nationals, effective April 10, the French Embassy in India announced on Thursday.
Indian passport holders with ordinary passports no longer need an airport transit visa when passing through the international zone of airports in 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 France. The decree was adopted and published in the French Official Gazette (Journal Officiel) on April 9, 2026.
The Ministry of External Affairs welcomed the move.
“We welcome the announcement on the operationalisation of visa-free transit for Indian nationals transiting through French airports,” said Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for India’s Ministry of External Affairs.
He noted that the removal of the transit visa requirement had been 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.
The measure applies to Indian nationals transiting through mainland France exclusively by air, provided they remain in the international airport zone without entering French territory.
President Macron had announced during his visit to India in February that steps would be taken to ease travel for Indian nationals transiting via France.
The updated procedures have now been reflected on the France-Visas platform.
