New Delhi, April 23 (ANI): India on Thursday welcomed France’s operationalisation of visa-free transit for Indian nationals transiting via French airports, a move agreed during talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron earlier this year.
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at the weekly press briefing that France has implemented the decision and that, “Indian nationals transiting through mainland France exclusively by air will no longer need a transit visa with effect from April 10, 2026.”
A press release from the French Embassy in India said a decree amending the 10 May 2010 regulation on documents and visas required for entry into French territory was adopted and published in the Official Gazette (Journal Officiel) on April 9, 2026. Consequently, from April 10, 2026, holders of ordinary Indian passports are not required to hold an airport transit visa when passing through the international zone of airports on French territory.
The exemption applies to passengers who remain in the international transit area during a layover in France en route to a third country.
The French Embassy highlighted the announcement on social media following President Macron’s visit to India.
The development was reflected in the Joint Statement during President Macron’s February visit to India, which underlined efforts to expand mutually beneficial skills and talent mobility. The leaders emphasised 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 bolster youth and professional mobility and people-to-people ties.
The Joint Statement noted that the visa-free transit arrangement will be reviewed after a six-month pilot period. (ANI)
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