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I am traveling from India to US via Paris where I have layover of 9 hours. My US visa is H-1B. What visa requirement do I have in order to visit Eiffel tower. Currently I am in US.

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up vote 6 down vote accepted

As an Indian national with a US Visa transiting a French airport you do not generally require a visa, as you can TWOV (Transit Without Visa). Presuming you are passing through Paris CDG airport, then this is true even if you have to change terminals as there is an air-side bus. (At Paris ORY airport some transfers can not be made airside and will require a visa).

However TWOV will NOT allow you to enter the country, and the Eiffel tower is not even slightly visible from either airport!

Thus to visit the Eiffel Tower - or any other part of Paris - you will require a visa. As you are planning to leave the airport, you are most likely after a Schengen "Short Stay" visa, which will have to be issued by a French embassy due to the only country you're planning to visit being France.

Unfortunately this means that it'll end up being a relatively expensive visit to La Tour Eiffel.

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