Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, Apr 23: Indian nationals travelling to Europe and other international destinations via France will no longer require an airport transit visa, with France implementing visa-free transit for Indian passport holders in line with an announcement made by President Emmanuel Macron during his visit to India earlier this year.
According to the French Embassy in India, the measure came into effect from April 10 and applies to Indian nationals holding ordinary passports transiting through the international zones of airports in French territory.
“Indian nationals possessing an ordinary passport are no longer required to hold an airport transit visa when passing through the international zone of airports located on French territory,” the embassy said in a statement.
The exemption applies to passengers remaining within the airport transit zone during a layover while travelling onward to another international destination.
The move is expected to benefit a large number of Indian travellers, particularly those flying to Europe, North America and other regions through major French hubs such as Paris.
Welcoming the decision, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the move reflected the strength of bilateral ties between the two countries.
“The decision reflects the enduring partnership between India and France, elevated to the level of a special global strategic partnership during the recent visit of President Macron, and further facilitation of smoother movement of people and enhanced people-to-people ties,” he said.
The announcement follows decisions taken during Macron’s February 17-19 visit to India at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, when both nations elevated their relationship to a ‘Special Global Strategic Partnership’.
The India-France joint statement issued during the visit had welcomed the proposed measure and said it would be reviewed after a six-month pilot period.
The two countries have also set an ambitious target to increase the number of Indian students in France to 30,000 by 2030, up from nearly 10,000 at present, signalling deeper cooperation in education and mobility.