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AMERICANS IN FRANCE

LATEST: Everything you need to know about travel between the USA and France

Tests, quarantine, green lists, white lists - travel between France and the USA is a complicated business that depends on where you live and your vaccine status. Here's how it all works.

Published: 10 September 2021 08:45 CEST
Updated: 22 September 2021 09:33 CEST
LATEST: Everything you need to know about travel between the USA and France
Photo: Fred Tanneau/AFP

Travel from the USA to France 

The USA is currently on France’s orange list, having changed from green on September 12th. The orange list differentiates between vaccinated and unvaccinated travellers.

Vaccinated travellers – can travel to France for any reason and do not need a Covid test. Vaccination can be proved at the border with a CDC vaccination certificate, and travellers also need to present a declaration stating that they do not have Covid symptoms and have not been in contact with any Covid patients – you can find that HERE.

Unvaccinated travellers – can only travel if they meet the criteria for ‘essential travel’ – this includes French citizens and residents returning home, students beginning academic studies in France and essential work trips, but does not include tourism, family visits or visits to second homes.

You can read the full list of permitted ‘essential reasons’ HERE.

Unvaccinated travellers who qualify under the essential reasons rules must also present a negative Covid test less than 72 hours old at the border, as well as the declaration mentioned above. They are required to quarantine for seven days on arrival. The quarantine can be done at a private home or a hotel and is not the subject of police checks.

To count as fully vaccinated, travellers must 

  • Have received a vaccine that is approved by the European Medicines Agency – Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca or Johnson & Johnson (known as Janssen in France). The Indian-produced Covishield vaccine is now accepted by France 
  • Be at least two weeks after the second injection for double-dose vaccines or for two weeks after a single dose for those people who had previously had Covid-19
  • Be at least four weeks after the injection for people who had the single dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine

In France

Once in France, a health passport is required for access to venues including bars, cafés, tourist sites and long-distance train travel.

For this the CDC vaccine card is not accepted, so a French QR code is required – here’s how people from the US can access that.

Feedback from readers of The Local suggests that the online procedure to swap an American vaccination certificate for a French-compatible code can take up to two weeks, so we would advise applying for this before you travel.

From France to the USA

After a lopsided summer in which Americans could holiday in France, but French people could not holiday in the USA, the USA has announced that it’s borders will be reopening from the beginning of November – no exact date was given.

The US announced on Monday that it would reopen its borders to fully vaccinated travellers, provided they undergo testing and contact tracing.

Further details are expected in the next few days.

The US government also advises its own citizens against visiting France – this is advice not a ban, but can affect travel insurance, so check your policy before travelling.

Americans living in France

The various changes in French and American rules do not affect US citizens living in France who had planned a trip home to see friends or family.

The US allows its own citizens to enter, and France allows people with permanent residency to enter, even if they are not vaccinated. If you are not vaccinated you will need to present at the French border both a negative Covid test and proof of your residency in France (eg a visa or carte de séjour).

If you are fully vaccinated you can return to France with the presentation only of your proof of vaccination.

Member comments

  2. Yes. You still must get a test to go back. But it is easy. Many pharmacies give the tests and it only takes 15 minutes to get there results. Of course it will be a real hassle and you will have to stay at least another 10 days in France if the test is positive.

    This article says that the CDC card won’t be accepted at restaurants. That had not been my experience. For two weeks, my husband and I have shown our passports and CDC cards and have had no trouble getting into restaurants or museums. Maybe the bar scene is different. But yesterday after about two weeks from applying on online, we got our French certificate with the QR code. We used it last night and it made life easier. So my advice is to apply at least two weeks before you are going to travel. But don’t sweat it if you don’t have it before you travel. We never were asked for a negative test.

  3. I have a family member applying for a French long stay visitor visa. Is proof of vaccination necessary in order to be granted a visa for up to one year? Thanks.

  4. I submitted everything to demarches-simplifiees on 1 Sept, got the email that they’d received it, but haven’t heard anything back after that. The status page said that it usually took 12 days, and then 13, 14… now it’s up to 19. It sounds like using my US vaccine card will work most places, but it would be really nice to get that QR code by the time I leave in 3 days.

    1. 24 Sept – just received the email and downloaded the certificate and code… just in time! Scanned the QR code into TousAntiCovid and all is well. In the app, there are two tabs from which to choose: One will display a code for restos and activities, and the other tab is for the border that also shows your birthdate and vaccination date.

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EU

How would a ‘youth mobility scheme’ between the UK and EU really work?

The EU and the UK could enter into a 'youth mobility' scheme allowing young people to move countries to work, study and live. Here's what we know about the proposal.

Published: 18 April 2024 17:09 CEST
How would a 'youth mobility scheme' between the UK and EU really work?

Across the 27 countries of the EU, people of all ages can move countries to work, study, spend a long visit or chase the possibility of love – and all this is possible thanks to EU freedom of movement.

That freedom no longer extends to the UK. As a result of Brexit, a UK national who wants to move to an EU country, or an EU citizen who wants to move to the UK, will need a visa in order to do so.

However, a new ‘mobility scheme’ could re-create some elements of freedom of movement, if the EU and UK can come to an agreement.

The European Commission on Thursday announced proposals for a ‘youth mobility scheme’.

Who would benefit?

First things first, it’s only for the youngsters, older people will have to continue with the time-consuming and often expensive process of getting a visa for study, work or visiting.

The Commission’s proposal is for a scheme that covers people aged 18 to 30. 

Their reasoning is: “The withdrawal of the UK from the EU has resulted in decreased mobility between the EU and the UK. This situation has particularly affected the opportunities for young people to experience life on the other side of the Channel and to benefit from youth, cultural, educational, research and training exchanges.

“The proposal seeks to address in an innovative way the main barriers to mobility for young people experienced today and create a right for young people to travel from the EU to the UK and vice-versa more easily and for a longer period of time.”

How would it work?

We’re still at an early stage, but the proposal is to allow extended stays – for young people to be able to spend up to four years in the EU or UK – under a special type of visa or residency permit. It does not, therefore, replicate the paperwork-free travel of the pre-Brexit era.

The Commission states that travel should not be ‘purpose bound’ to allow young people to undertake a variety of activities while they are abroad.

Under the visa system, people must travel to a country for a specific purpose which has been arranged before they leave – ie in order to study they need a student visa which requires proof of enrolment on a course, or if they intend to work they need a working visa which often requires sponsorship from an employer.

The proposal would allow young people to spend their time in a variety of ways – perhaps some time working, a period of study and then some time travelling or just relaxing.

It would also not be subject to national or Bloc-wide quotas.

It seems that some kind of visa or residency permit would still be required – but it would be issued for up to four years and could be used for a variety of activities.

Fees for this should not be “excessive” – and the UK’s health surcharge would not apply to people travelling under this scheme.

Are there conditions?

Other than the age qualification, the proposal is that young people would have to meet other criteria, including having comprehensive health insurance, plus financial criteria to ensure that they will be able to support themselves while abroad.

The visa/residency permit could be rejected on the ground of threats to public policy, public security or public health.

Will this happen soon?

Slow down – what’s happened today is that the European Commission has made a recommendation to open negotiations.

This now needs to be discussed in the Council of Europe.

If the Council agrees then, and only then, will the EU open negotiations with the UK on the subject. The scheme could then only become a reality if the EU and UK come to an agreement on the terms of the scheme, and then refine the fine details.

Basically we’re talking years if it happens at all, and there’s plenty of steps along the way that could derail the whole process.

Don’t start packing just yet.

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