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LATEST: France set to reopen borders to American tourists from June 9th

French president Emmanuel Macron has laid out full details of France's reopening plan, including the relaxing of border restrictions for visitors from outside the EU.

Published: 29 April 2021 15:19 CEST
LATEST: France set to reopen borders to American tourists from June 9th
Photo: Ian Langsdon/AFP

Macron on Thursday set out the detailed timetable for reopening the country, including reopening bars and cafés and lifting the curfew.

And there was one date particularly important to Americans, who have largely been barred from France since March 2020. France had already eased the rules of entry for visitors from the UK, New Zealand and Australia.

The second stage of the reopening on Wednesday, June 9th includes the reopening of France’s borders to all non-EU visitors for all types of travel – including family visits, tourism and visits from second-home owners.

However, there are two important caveats:

Firstly, phase two only happens if Covid numbers are still under control after phase 1 of the reopening, which begins on May 3rd.

Secondly, all travel will be allowed only with a pass sanitaire, the president detailed.

This is a health passport, the same as France will also be introducing on June 9th to access things like concerts and large events.

The full details of what the pass sanitaire will involve have not yet been published, but a prototype that France is currently testing has options for travellers to either upload a vaccine certificate or a recent negative Covid test.

In March the French government announced it was lifting the requirement that meant only those people with “essential reasons” to travel to the UK were permitted to make the trip. Restrictions were also eased for travel to or from six other countries including Australia and New Zealand.

Anyone travelling in to France currently needs to present a negative PCR Covid test taken within the previous 72 hours and fill in a declaration stating that they have no Covid symptoms.

There is no compulsory quarantine for arrivals in France from the US, UK, Australia or New Zealand, but people coming from a non-EU country are asked to self-isolate for 7 days on arrival. This can be done at an address of their choice.

Travellers from India and Brazil however face 10-day compulsory quarantine on arrival in France and could be subject to steep fines if they flout the rules.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about travel rules between France and UK

Member comments

  1. Ironic that France is welcoming vaccinated Australians after the EU went to so much trouble to stop them getting the vaccines they’d paid for.

  3. I know there is a lot to learn about all this in the days and weeks ahead. I’m an American with a second home in Provence. My husband and I are both 1 month+ past our second vaccine dose. It wasn’t clear from the article… if we were to come to France after June 9, would we still have to quarantine for seven days?

    1. Kathy, you won’t need to quarantine if you’ve been vaccinated. We also have a second home in the Luberon and are excited to return in July.

  4. This is Roger.

    We have a second home in the Dordogne which haven’t been able to visit since January 2020.

    Unfortunately, we live in South Africa.

    If my wife and I manage to obtain a full vaccination (J&J) in the next few weeks, will we be able to visit our home. Self isolation is not a problem…… I’m sure there are plenty of maintenance jobs waiting for me.

  5. This is Roger.

    We have a second home in the Dordogne which haven’t been able to visit since January 2020.

    Unfortunately, we live in South Africa.

    If my wife and I manage to obtain a full vaccination (J&J) in the next few weeks, will we be able to visit our home?
    Self-isolation is not a problem…… I’m sure there are plenty of maintenance jobs waiting for me.

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For members

TRAVEL NEWS

Which airports will be worst affected by France’s ‘enormous’ strike?

Sixty percent of flights will be cancelled during this week's 'enormous' strike of French air traffic controllers - here's a look at which airports will be worst affected.

Published: 23 April 2024 21:38 CEST
Which airports will be worst affected by France's 'enormous' strike?

On Thursday, April 25th, the largest union representing French air traffic controllers has called a one-day strike in a protest over changes to working conditions and a new navigation system.

The SNCTA union, which represents over 60 percent of air traffic controllers in France, told the French press on Monday that they expected “record turnout” – and has threatened another strike over the holiday weekend of May 9th, 10th and 11th. 

Another union, UNSA-UTCAC, had also filed a strike notice for Thursday, increasing the likelihood of disruption.

The strike is going to be “very strongly supported”, said Pascal de Izaguirre, the head of FNAM, an umbrella group of French aviation industry unions.

“The impact will be enormous,” he said.

So where will the impact be the worst?

Individual staff members had until Tuesday to inform bosses of their intention to strike – staffing numbers are then used by the French civil aviation authority the DGAC to work out how many flights can safely take off and land from each airport.

Airports are then given a percentage of how many flights they must cancel – precisely which flights are cancelled is up to airlines to decide. Airlines usually try to prioritise long-haul flights to minimise disruption.

Anyone scheduled to fly in and out – or over – France on Thursday should check with their airline before travelling to the airport.

The DGAC has announced that up to 60 percent of flights will be cancelled on Thursday. A full list of disruptions will be released soon, but French TV station BFM reports that;

  • Paris Orly airport – 75 percent of flights cancelled
  • Paris Charles de Gaulle – 65 percent of flights cancelled
  • Toulouse Blagnac – 60 percent of flights cancelled
  • Nice – 70 percent of flights cancelled

The strike itself as a 24-hour one, but it’s likely that there will be knock-on effects into Friday.

Compensation

Some airlines offer free cancellation or rescheduling of flights on days that strikes are called – individual terms are down to the airline (eg whether travellers get money back or vouchers to use at a later date).

If your flight is delayed or disrupted by strike action you may be entitled to compensation, depending on whether your airline in based in, or took off from, an EU country.

READ ALSO What are my rights if my flight is disrupted?

Overflights 

Because the strike is by air traffic controllers, it will also affect flights that pass through French airspace on their way to another country, known as overflights.

These make up a significant percentage of the flights handled by French air traffic controllers on a daily basis – in the case of overflights they are more likely to be delayed or diverted as airlines seek alternatives routes that go around France, rather than over it, but there may be some cancellations.

Travellers should check with their airline.

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