If you — If you are a citizen of the Russian Federation and are making a transfer at Paris airport, you may need a transit visa. A visa may be needed even with an organized connection on a single ticket if you are flying to France from a certain country.
For citizens of most countries, transit visanot needed, If:
- you have a single ticket — the connection is provided by the airline (exceptions for citizens of the Russian Federation — see below), OR
- you have a Schengen visa, OR
- you have a visa or residence permit of the USA, Canada, Japan, and in addition overseas countries and territories of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (Aruba, Curacao, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Saba and Sint Eustatius).
However, for Russian citizens, the French airport transit visa type «A» (VTA) maybeneededeven on a single ticket if you are flying to France from one of the following countries:
- Azerbaijan
- Armenia
- Belarus
- Georgia
- Egypt
- Moldova
- Türkiye
- Ukraine
A transit visa may be needed if you are making an independent transfer in Paris — you have separate tickets. In this case, the decision to board a flight to Paris is made by the airline on an individual basis.
If you are going to leave the airport transit area, in particular to collect your luggage and check in for your next flight, you will in any case need a Schengen visa, not an airport transit visa.
An airport transit visa may be needed if you follow the requirements described above throughanyairport in France, not just Paris airport. Transit means that you arrive in France and depart from France to countries outside the Schengen area.
Examples when a transit visa may be needed by citizens of the Russian Federation:
- Minsk — Paris — Mexico City
- Moscow — Istanbul — Paris — Mexico City
A transit visa may not be required:
- Moscow — Paris — Mexico City
- Mexico City — Paris — Moscow
- Mexico City — Paris — Istanbul — Moscow
In the examples presented, it is assumed that you do not have a Schengen, American or Canadian visa. If you have such visas, a French airport visa is not needed anyway, regardless of the departure and arrival airports located outside the Schengen area.
The French airport transit visa has no advantages over the regular Schengen visa, except for one thing: it is easier to obtain for those who may have problems obtaining a Schengen visa.
- Purchase at the French consulate or visa center; Standards for documents, deadlines and tariffs are the same as for a regular visa,
- Gives the right to stay in the transit zone of the airport for no more than 24 hours,
- Does not give the right to leave the transit zone,
- Has the right to be single and double.
If you want to know more about self-guided visa-free transfers at EU airports, check out thismaterial.