India welcomes France decision to roll out visa-free airport transit for Indians, easing travel rules

India has welcomed France’s decision to operationalise visa-free airport transit for Indian nationals, with the facility coming into effect from April 10, 2026, the Ministry of External Affairs said.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the move follows an agreement reached between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron during their meeting in Mumbai earlier this year.

“We welcome the announcement on the operationalisation of visa-free transit for Indian nationals transiting through French airports. As you may recall, the removal of the requirement of transit visas for Indian passport holders was agreed between Prime Minister and President Macron during their meeting in Mumbai in February this year," he said.


"The government of France has now operationalized this agreement, and Indian nationals transiting through mainland France exclusively by air will no longer need a transit visa with effect from 10th April 2026,” Jaiswal added.

Relief for transit passengers

Under the new rule, Indian passport holders travelling through French airports will no longer need an Airport Transit Visa, provided they remain within the international transit zone and do not enter the country.

Earlier, Indian travellers were required to obtain a transit visa even for short layovers while connecting to other international destinations.

Part of wider India-France mobility push

The move is part of broader efforts by India and France to ease travel and improve connectivity, especially for students and professionals. The visa-free transit measure was announced during Macron’s visit to India in February as part of initiatives to strengthen mobility between the two countries.

The operational rollout is expected to simplify travel, reduce costs and ease planning for Indian passengers using French airports as transit hubs.