France lifts transit visa

Indian passport holders no longer need an airport transit visa to change planes in metropolitan France, as long as they stay airside and fly on to a non-Schengen destination. (in.diplomatie.gouv.fr) The French Embassy in India said the change took effect on April 10, 2026, and applies to Indian nationals with ordinary passports passing through the international zone of French airports. The updated rule has also been posted on the official France-Visas platform. (in.diplomatie.gouv.fr) (france-visas.gouv.fr) The exemption is narrow. It covers only passengers who remain in the international transit area during a layover in France and continue to a third country outside the Schengen Area. (in.diplomatie.gouv.fr) (hindustantimes.com) It does not let travelers leave the airport, enter France, or take a connecting flight into the Schengen zone without the visa normally required for entry. France-Visas says anyone who wants to leave the international zone must hold a valid short-stay visa for the territory concerned. (france-visas.gouv.fr) (news18.com) For Indian travelers, the practical change is at hubs such as Paris Charles de Gaulle, where a same-terminal connection to the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, or another non-Schengen destination no longer needs a separate French transit visa. Before this change, Indian nationals were among the passport holders required to apply for an “A” airport transit visa for France. (france-visas.gouv.fr) (ndtv.com) The timing tracks a political commitment made during French President Emmanuel Macron’s February 2026 visit to India. India’s Ministry of External Affairs said the removal of the transit visa requirement had been agreed during Macron’s meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Mumbai. (hindustantimes.com) (timesnownews.com) French officials said the rule change was formalized in a decree published in the Journal officiel on April 9 and became effective the next day, April 10. The embassy announced the operational change publicly on April 23. (hindustantimes.com) (in.diplomatie.gouv.fr) France’s airport transit visa list still includes nationals of countries such as Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nigeria and Sri Lanka, but India no longer appears on that list on the official visa site. For travelers, that means the rule has shifted from a country-specific paperwork requirement to a simpler test: stay in the international zone, and keep flying onward. (france-visas.gouv.fr)