New Delhi, April 23 — India has welcomed France’s move to allow visa-free airport transit for Indian nationals, a measure agreed during talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron earlier this year.
At the Ministry of External Affairs weekly briefing, spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said France has operationalised the decision: Indian nationals transiting through mainland France by air will not need a transit visa effective April 10, 2026.
A press release from the French Embassy in India noted that a decree amending the May 10, 2010 regulation on documents and visas was published in the Official Gazette on April 9, 2026. As a result, holders of ordinary Indian passports are exempt from holding an airport transit visa when they remain in the international transit area of French airports while en route to a third country.
The embassy highlighted the change on social media following President Macron’s visit to India in February. The visa-free transit arrangement was reflected in the Joint Statement issued during that visit, which emphasised efforts to expand mutually beneficial skills and talent mobility.
The leaders cited the India‑France Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement (MMPA) and the Young Professional Scheme (YPS), and welcomed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in skill development, vocational education and training to strengthen youth and professional mobility and people-to-people ties.
The Joint Statement also says the airport transit exemption will be monitored and reviewed after a six-month pilot period. (ANI)
