SHARE
COPY LINK
For members

TRAVEL NEWS

France to require 24-hour test for UK and some EU countries over delta variant fears

France has announced stricter restrictions on unvaccinated travellers from several countries that have reported high numbers of Covid cases linked to the delta variant of the virus - the UK, Spain, Portugal, Cyprus, the Netherlands and Greece.

France to require 24-hour test for UK and some EU countries over delta variant fears
Photo: Ian Langsdon/AFP

In a live TV appearance on Monday, French president Emmanuel Macron announced a package of measures aimed at controlling a delta-driven fourth wave of Covid in France.

On the subject of travel restrictions he said: “From this week, controls at our borders will be strengthened for those coming from high-risk countries, with strict isolation for unvaccinated travellers” – but offered no further details.

However, some clarification was later published by France’s Europe minister Clément Beaune on Twitter.

It appears that France is keeping in place its traffic light system, but imposing extra restrictions on three countries.

READ ALSO How France’s traffic light travel system works

He announced a “reinforced regime” for travellers from the UK who are not fully vaccinated – a negative Covid test taken within 24 hours of travel, in addition to having compelling reasons for travel. This is a change from the existing regime which requires a test taken within 72 hours of travel.

Either PCR or antigen tests are accepted, but not home-test kits.

Existing traffic light restrictions remain in place.

This means the new rules from the UK are;

Fully vaccinated travellers – can travel to France for any reason, do not have to quarantine on arrival but do need a negative Covid test taken within 72 hours of travel. Travellers from the UK who had AstraZeneca’s Covishield vaccine do not count as ‘fully vaccinated’ under French rules.

Unvaccinated travellers – can only travel to France for essential reasons (which includes French citizens and residents returning home), must quarantine for seven days on arrival and need a negative Covid test taken within 24 hours of travel. Find the full list of accepted reasons for travel HERE.

READ ALSO Can families with unvaccinated children travel to France?

Spain, Portugal and the rest of the EU and Schengen zone are on France’s green list, but testing has also been tightened up for non-vaccinated travellers who now require a negative test taken within 24 hours of travel, not 72 hours as previously.

On Saturday, the government also tightened entry requiremenets for Cyprus, the Netherlands and Greece.

This means the new rules for Spain, Portugal, Cyprus, the Netherlands and Greece are;

Fully vaccinated travellers – can travel for any reason, do not need to quarantine or present a negative Covid test.

Unvaccinated travellers – can travel for any reason and do not need to quarantine, but must show a negative Covid test taken within 24 hours of travel.

Tests are required for all travellers aged over 11.

All entrants to France need to present a declaration that they are in good health – you can find the declaration HERE.

In travel terms, fully vaccinated is defined as someone who has received a vaccine approved by the EMA – Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca (but not Covishield) or Johnson & Johnson – and is two weeks after their second dose, or four weeks after the injection if they received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson injection (which is known in France as Janssen).

These rules are in place from Saturday, July 17th.

Member comments

  1. Are they checking the batches of the NHS app vaccinated people? I have one Covishield, under Vaxzveria name but the batch is one of these infamous ones. And the 24 hours test then is for antigen tests only, as the PCR test would never come that soon.

  2. Like Martina I need to know if the test within 24 hours is a PCR one or if an Antigen Test is acceptable; I had ordered, paid for and have, just this morning, received an Antigen test. Thanks

    1. Both are acceptable from July 15th as it says if they are within 24hrs. I travel on Sunday via tunnel to France. Luckily we are testing at 2:30pm on Saturday and travelling at 9:30
      On Sunday. Just by luck

      1. And July 17th sorry as that’s when they say things are getting stricter.

        My wife has the Astra Zeneca one which was from the batch made in India but is not called Covishield it’s called Vacivera

        1. VAXZEVRIA sorry

          Who knows. The batch number is one we saw listed as not recognised by EMA but now they are saying this named vaccination???

          We will just fry our best on Sunday morning

      2. Thanks for that info, we are going on Sunday 1st August at 21.00 so we will have to be smart about our testing! Good luck to you and your wife….have a good trip!

  3. Has there been any change to British residents in France returning to the uk, i.e. do we have to isolate for 2 weeks when entering the uk.
    What is the situation on our return to France, we are fully vaccinated in French Pfizer vaccine

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.
For members

TRAVEL NEWS

Which flights will be affected by Spain’s airport strikes over Easter?

If you've got a flight booked to or from Valencia or Madrid-Barajas airport over Easter, industrial action by staff could delay your journey or even lead to it being cancelled.

Which flights will be affected by Spain's airport strikes over Easter?

Airport staff in Valencia and Madrid are going on strike over key Easter dates, meaning that as many as a thousand flights could be delayed or cancelled during one of the busiest travel periods of the year.

Semana Santa celebrations have already been disrupted by rain this year, causing the cancellation of processions across the country, but travel during the busy Easter period is also set to be affected by strike action at two of Spain’s major airports.

At Valencia Manises airport, one of the busiest airports in Spain which welcomed almost 10 million passengers in 2023, flights could be affected over the entire Easter weekend (Thursday March 28th-Monday April 1st inclusive) because workers will walk out between 11am-13am on each day.

At Madrid-Barajas airport, the UGT union has called a strike for Wednesday 27th and Friday 29th March between 7am-12pm.

READ ALSO: Spain’s Valencia set for airport strike over Easter holidays

The walkout at Valencia begins today, March 28th. According to the live departures board provided by Aena, Spain’s national airport operator, which you can follow here, as of 9.30am flights are leaving the airport with minor delays of up to 40 minutes, though this is before the strike officially begins at 11am.

Aena live departures for Madrid-Barajas show that some flights have left with delays of up to 45 minutes this morning, though it is worth noting that staff are not officially on strike there today (walkouts in Madrid are Wednesday 27th and Friday 29th March between 7am-12pm) which could suggest a knock-on effect from yesterday’s strike action.

The industrial action comes during not only during Easter celebrations but operación salida, an intensely busy travel period during which millions of Spaniards travel home or go on holiday for Semana Santa.

READ ALSO: Strike action at Spanish airports set to disrupt Easter travel

Staff at Madrid-Barajas are striking for better pay and a new collective bargaining agreement, arguing their salaries have declined in real terms due to inflation, and employees at Valencia Manises are protesting against long working hours and a lack of staff, plus a dispute with regards to overtime pay.

Spanish media reports suggest that up to 1000 flights could be cancelled as a result of the walkouts. On Wednesday 27th, there was also ‘chaos’ at Palma de Mallorca airport, according to Spanish media, with long queues at security controls meaning it took many passengers an hour to get to their departure gate.

Which flights will be affected by Spain’s airport strikes over Easter?

Knowing exactly which flights could be affected, however, isn’t entirely clear. There seems to be certain airlines and routes more likely to be affected than others.

Madrid-Barajas

It is still unclear exactly which flights could be affected at Madrid-Barajas, so it is advisable to check with your airline. You can check the airport schedule on the Aena website here.

On Wednesday 27th March, the day the strike began in Madrid, both short and long-haul flights were delayed or cancelled.

Departure records from Flight Stats show that long-haul flights to the United States were cancelled throughout the day, and short-haul flights around Europe and to other Spanish cities were running with delays of up to 2 hours. Many also arrived on schedule, however.

Valencia Manises

As the strike action begins in Valencia on Thursday morning, reports suggest that several dozen flights could be cancelled, delayed or rescheduled. If you are uncertain about your flight, check with your airline.

On Thursday 28th, flights that could be affected by the stoppage include:

  • Ryanair flights connecting Valencia with Rome, Milan Bologna, Breslavia and Sofia 
  • United and Lufthansa flights connecting Valencia with Frankfurt and Munich
  • Easyjet and British Airways flights between Valencia and London
  • Turkish Airlines flights between Valencia and Istanbul
  • Air Europa flights between Valencia and Palma de Mallorca
  • Swiss flights connecting Valencia to Zurich
  • Volotea flights between Valencia and A Coruña
  • Eurowings’ Valencia-Stuttgart flights

On Friday 29th, flights that could be cancelled are:

  • Ryanair to Milan, Treviso, Trieste, Dublin, Marrakech and Palma de Mallorca
  • SAP and Tap Portugal flights between Valencia and Lisbon
  • United to Frankfurt
  • Lufthansa to Frankfurt, Munich
  • Austrian to Vienna
  • Air Nostrum to Ibiza
  • Delta to París Charles de Gaulle
  • Air France to París Charles de Gaulle
  • Air Europa to Palma de Mallorca
  • Easyjet to London
  • British Airways to London
  • Brussels Airlines to Brussels
  • Iberia to Tenerife North
  • Tap Portugal to Lisbon
  • Turkish Airlines to Istanbul
  • Swiss to Zúrich
  • Volotea to A Coruña, San Sebastián
  • Vueling to Tenerife North
  • Eurowings to Stuttgart

There is no further information yet about which flights could be affected on Saturday 30th, Sunday 31st and Monday April 1st.

SHOW COMMENTS