Make sure you’re familiar with the passport control and immigration procedures at Charles de Gaulle Airport.
Always carry a valid passport or ID card when traveling by air. Don’t forget to check if you need any other documents, like a visa.
When to go through border control ?
■ On departure and arrival of a non-Schengen flight
■ In transit, if entering or leaving the Schengen area
Schengen area countries : France + Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland.
Entry requirements & Visa
French Border Police officer will ask to see your passport or identity card and any supporting documentation necessary for your visit.
Have your boarding pass and travel documents ready open at the photo page and proceed in the appropriate line :
- EU/EEE/CH passports
- Other passports
- Automated border control (e-Gates)
- Fast Lane (by invitation only) | Access No. 1 | Sky Priority | Families with children -12
EU/EEA/CH Nationals
Non-EU Nationals
Please click below for details
List of countries whose nationals need a Schengen visa
NATIONALS OF COUNTRIES LISTED BELOW
NEED A VISA TO ENTER FRANCE & THE SCHENGEN AREA :
A
Afghanistan
Algeria
Angola
Armenia
Azerbaijan
B
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Belarus
Belize
Benin
Bhutan
Bolivia
Botswana
Burkina Faso
Burma/Myanmar
Burundi
C
Cambodia
Cameroon
Cape Verde
Central African Republic
Chad
China
Congo
Cote d’Ivoire
Cuba
D
Democratic republic of Congo
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic
E-F
Ecuador
Egypt
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Fiji
G-H
Gabon
Gambia
Georgia
Ghana
Grenada
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Guyana
Haiti
I-J
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Jamaica
Jordan
K-L
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kiribati
Kosovo
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
M
Madagascar
Malawi
Maldives
Mali
Marshall Islands
Mauritania
Micronesia
Moldova
Mongolia
Morocco
Mozambique
N-O
Namibia
Nauru
Nepal
Niger
Nigeria
North Korea
Oman
P-Q
Pakistan
Palau
Palestinian authority
Papua New Guinea
Philippines
Qatar
R-S
Russia
Rwanda
Samoa
São Tomé and Principe
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Sierra Leone
Solomon Islands
Somalia
South Africa
Sri Lanka
St Lucia
St Vincent and the Grenadines
Sudan
Surinam
Swaziland
Syria
T
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Thailand
The Comoros
Timor-Leste
Togo
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Tunisia
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Tuvalu
U-V-Y-Z
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Vietnam
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Do you need a visa for connecting flights at Paris-CDG ?
TRANSFERRING/ENTERING TO FRANCE & SCHENGEN AREA FROM NON-SCHENGEN COUNTRIES
Non-EU nationals may need a visa, depending on their nationality (see list of countries above) and on the rules in the country where they wish to travel to.
TRANSFERRING WITHIN NON-SCHENGEN COUNTRIES
Passengers with no need to check-in or pick-up bags at Paris-CDG do not need a visa for connecting flights.
Please note, if you need to leave the transit area to pick up baggage and check-in, you must clear a border control, please ensure that you comply with entry & visa requirements.
Which countries are in the Schengen area ?
France + Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland.
What is Schengen ?
The Schengen Agreement (takes its name from the town of Schengen in Luxembourg, where the original agreement was signed) is a treaty which led to the creation of Europe’s Schengen Area.
The Schengen area includes 26 European countries which have decided to remove all internal border controls, which means that travellers can move freely within the area without having to show their passports.
How to apply for a Schengen visa ?
A Schengen visa must always be applied at the Embassy of the country of your main destination.
If you do not have a main destination and if you are visiting several countries within the trip, you should apply at the Embassy of the country of your first destination.
ENTRY CONDITIONS TO THE SCHENGEN AREA
- You must be able to explain why you want to enter the Schengen area and to prove the conditions of your stay.
- You must be able to show that you have sufficient financial means for the duration of the stay and for your return.
- You must not be considered to be a threat to public policy, internal security, public health,…
- You must not have an alert issued in the Schengen Information System for the purposes of refusing entry.
With a Schengen visa you can travel to any or all of the 26 Schengen area countries for the period of validity of your visa.
You do not have to show your passport when crossing borders between countries within the Schengen area.
France Visas Information
e-Gates PARAFE
PARAFE (Automated Fast Track Passport Control) is a self-service system that lets eligible travelers speed through immigration using e-Gates – no need to wait in the regular passport control line.
You can use the e-Gates if your passport has a biometric symbol on the cover and you are at least 18 years old (or 12+ when accompanied by an adult).
Countries that can use e-Gates
The system is available to citizens of EU/EEE countries and some other eligible countries (e.g., nationals of Australia, Canada, Iceland, Israel, Japan, Liechtenstein, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, South Korea, Switzerland, Singapore, or the United Kingdom, United States).
Arriving France
You can use the Parafe e-Gates if you are a national of one of the following countries
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Belgium
Bulgaria
Canada
Chile
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Japan
Latvia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Mexico
Monaco
Netherlands
New Zealand
Norway
Peru
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Korea
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
United Kingdom
United States
Departing France
You can use the Parafe e-Gates if you are a national of one of the following countries
Albania
Algeria
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Barbados
Belgium
Benin
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Brazil
Bulgaria
Cameroon
Canada
Chile
China
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Ecuador
Estonia
Finland
France
Georgia
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Ivory Coast (Côte d’Ivoire)
Japan
Kazakhstan
Kuwait
Latvia
Lebanon
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malaysia
Maldives
Malta
Mexico
Moldova
Monaco
Montenegro
Morocco
Nepal
Netherlands
New Zealand
North Macedonia
Norway
Oman
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Romania
Russia
Rwanda
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Serbia
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Korea
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Thailand
Timor-Leste (East Timor)
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States
Uruguay
Vatican City
Zimbabwe
How to use e-Gates
- Take your passport out of any cover and open it to the photo page.
- Place your passport face down on the scanner (photo page down). It will take a few seconds to read.
- Remove anything covering your face, such as glasses, hats, or scarves.
- Stand on the footprints and look directly at the camera. Stay still.
- If everything is correct, the doors will open and you may continue your journey.
If the e-Gate does not work, a border control officer will manually check your passport.