Transit visas can be extremely confusing for travelers, with many even considering them to be a hassle. Until recently, a transit visa was required for Indian travelers flying through France. Now, France has lifted the airport transit visa requirement for Indian nationals. The move comes directly from a promise made by French President Emmanuel Macron during his visit to India earlier this year.
The requirement applied to passengers even if they remained entirely within the airport and did not step out of it, did not collect baggage, or never crossed passport control. All of this will now change. The announcement was made by the Embassy of France in India in a press release issued on April 23, 2026.
What are the exemptions?
The exemption applies strictly to passengers who remain in the international transit area during their layover at a French airport while travelling onwards to a third country. “During his recent visit to India in February 2026, French President Emmanuel Macron had announced that measures would be taken to ease Indian nationals’ travel via France,” the Embassy noted.
As of 10 April 2026, holders of ordinary Indian passports no longer require an Airport Transit Visa (ATV) when transiting through the international zone of any airport in France, as announced by President Macron during his recent India visit. #ChooseFrance pic.twitter.com/mHeCRpEsVL
— French Embassy in India (@FranceinIndia) April 23, 2026
The change is aimed at easing travel for Indian passengers using French airports as transit hubs. The decision was formalised through a decree amending earlier visa rules governing the entry of foreign nationals into France.
The updated provisions were published in the Official Gazette on April 9, a day before the measure came into effect. India welcomed the move, saying it was in line with discussions held between the two sides earlier this year.
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The relaxation removes an additional layer of paperwork for Indian travellers, who previously needed an airport transit visa even for short layovers in France without entering the country.
The embassy said that after President Emmanuel Macron’s announcement, a decree revising the May 10, 2010 rules governing visas and entry documents for France was adopted and officially published in the Journal Officiel on April 9, 2026.
The waiver applies specifically to passengers holding an ordinary Indian passport who are passing through the international zone of French airports while in transit to a third country, and who do not exit into French territory during their layover.
Germany offers visa-free transit to Indian travellers
France is not the only European nation to have eased transit regulations for Indian passport holders. In January 2026, Germany too announced that Indians would no longer need a Schengen Airport Transit Visa, or Type A visa, at its international airports.
Passengers flying to non-Schengen destinations via major German hubs like Frankfurt and Munich are covered under the exemption. The announcement came during German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s first official visit to India on January 12-13, 2026.
Combined, these changes are likely to simplify travel for Indian passengers, lower costs and ease trip planning, while making long-haul journeys through major European transit hubs more seamless.
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