Paris CDG transit for Indian passport holders

Before you book a connection through Paris CDG

1. 1Open the French Embassy in India’s news page and check that visa-free airport transit is still in force for the date you fly.
2. 2Make sure your connection stays at Charles de Gaulle; a flight that leaves from Orly is a separate airport and an entry into France.
3. 3Book both legs on one Air France or partner reservation so your baggage goes through to the final airport.
4. 4Confirm the onward flight leaves the Schengen area; a flight from CDG to Rome or Madrid makes Paris your Schengen entry point.
5. 5Hold the visa for the country at the end of the journey before you fly.

How France ended its airport transit visa for Indians

France had required Indian nationals to hold an airport transit visa since 27 April 2021, as the Embassy of India in Paris told travellers at the time. The India–France joint statement of 17 February 2026 announced visa-free airport transit for Indians, and a decree amending the decree of 10 May 2010 was published in the Journal Officiel on 9 April 2026. The rule took effect on 10 April.

The French Embassy in India’s notice, published on 23 April 2026, says Indian nationals with an ordinary passport no longer need an airport transit visa when passing through the international zone of airports on French territory. It covers passengers who “remain in the international zone during a layover … en route to a third country”. The European Commission’s mid-2026 Annex 7B no longer marks France for India.

The six-month pilot and what to check

The February 2026 joint statement said the arrangement would be reviewed after a six-month pilot. Counted from 10 April, that review fell due around 10 October 2026. When this page was checked on 22 October 2026, no official notice had been found extending, changing or ending the arrangement.

Nothing found suggests it has ended, but a rule under review is not one to assume. Before you buy a ticket or submit an itinerary routed through Paris, read the latest notices on the French Embassy in India’s website, and ask your airline to check Timatic, the IATA database that check-in staff use. If France were to reinstate the requirement, a CDG connection would again need an airport transit visa unless you were exempt.

Some travel sites add that the transit must last under 24 hours and end outside Schengen. The second condition follows from the rule itself, since a Schengen destination means entering at Paris. The 24-hour limit does not appear in the embassy notice and could not be confirmed.

Terminals, Orly and separate tickets

Charles de Gaulle is spread across several terminals. Whether every transfer between them can be made without passing passport control could not be confirmed for this page, so ask Air France or your airline how your specific connection works.

Orly is a different airport. A plan that lands at CDG and leaves from Orly means passing French border control, crossing Paris by road and checking in again, and that needs a Schengen visa. The same is true of any connection on two separate tickets where you collect your bags at CDG.

Building a flight reservation through Paris

A flight reservation is an airline booking held without payment. For a route through Charles de Gaulle, show both flights on one Air France or partner booking, with a connection time Air France would actually sell and an onward destination that matches the visa you are applying for.

Typical uses are applications for Canadian or US visas, or trips to Latin America or Africa, where Paris is only the connecting point. A routing through CDG to a third country is credible only while visa-free transit stays in force. If the pilot’s status is unclear when you apply, choose a hub whose rule is settled, such as Frankfurt or Amsterdam, or keep Paris as your Schengen entry point.

Each airline decides how long it holds a reservation, so it varies. Order it for the day you submit.

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