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Reader question: Can unvaccinated children travel to France?

Travel to France for countries on the red or orange lists - which includes the UK and USA - is generally only possible for fully vaccinated travellers, but what is the situation for families whose children are not yet double-dosed?

Published: 14 January 2022 11:49 CET
Updated: 17 January 2022 13:52 CET
Reader question: Can unvaccinated children travel to France?
Family holidays in France may depend on vaccination. Photo: Laurent Dard/AFP

Question: I was thrilled to learn that France is again allowing travel from the UK. My husband and I are both fully vaccinated but our daughters – 13 and 15 – have only had a single vaccine dose, are they allowed to enter France?

For any country on the orange or red list for travel to France – which includes the UK, USA and Canada – there are different rules for vaccinated and unvaccinated travellers. While vaccinated people can travel for any reason including holidays, unvaccinated travellers must provide proof that their trip is essential.

But what about children?

Under 12s

France’s rules on vaccination and testing refer only to children aged 12 and over. Under 12s do not need to take a Covid test or provide proof of vaccination when entering France.

Over 12s

Children aged 12 and over are required to present a negative Covid test at the border (taken within 24 or 48 hours depending on where you are travelling from).

They are also required to complete paperwork including declarations of health and must be fully vaccinated.

The definition of ‘fully vaccinated’ is the same as for adults – seven days after receiving two doses of AstraZeneca, Pfizer or Moderna or 28 days after a single dose of Janssen. A single dose of AstraZeneca, Pfizer or Moderna is not sufficient and these people will be counted as unvaccinated.

However, there is an exception for unvaccinated children over 12 who are travelling with fully vaccinated parents/guardians.

In this case, says the French Interior Ministry: “The measures applied to vaccinated adults are extended under the same conditions to accompanying minors, whether they are vaccinated or not.”

So in other words, if the parents are fully vaccinated, the children can travel with them under the same rules and do not need to provide proof that their trip is essential.

They will, however, still need a negative Covid test and a health declaration.

Any under-18s travelling on their own will need to provide proof of either full vaccination or an essential reason in order to enter France.

Health pass

However, once you are in France, you will need a health pass to take part in many everyday activities and those are required for all children aged 12 years and two months or older.

The health pass required either proof of vaccination, proof of recent recovery from Covid or a negative Covid test taken within the previous 24 hours.

The health pass is shortly – exact date is still to be confirmed by January 21st is seen as likely – to become a vaccine pass. Once this change goes through, only proof of vaccination will be accepted.

However the vaccine pass is required only for people aged 16 and over. Children aged between 12 and 15 can continue to use the health pass, which also accepts a recent negative Covid test.

The definition of ‘fully vaccinated’ again requires two shots of the double-dose vaccine, a single dose of AstraZeneca, Pfizer or Moderna is not sufficient. Over 18s may also need a booster shot in order to be considered fully vaccinated.

Over 12s who cannot prove they are fully vaccinated will need to either take a Covid test every 24 hours – at the cost of €22 for an antigen test or €44 for a PCR test for non residents, home-test kits and Lateral Flow Test kits are not accepted for the health pass – or avoid health pass venues.

These venues include cafés, restaurants, gyms, leisure centres, cinemas, theatres, tourist sites, museums, ski lifts and long-distance trains.

READ ALSO What will change when France’s health pass becomes a vaccine pass?

Member comments

  1. Does that mean that when France moves to a vaccine pass, 12-15 years old that are not doubly vaccinated w/2 weeks to make this valid, will not be able to get on lifts as it happens now in Italy? That will affect a lot the half term families trying to go to France, as many had only one shot of the vaccine!

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TRAVEL NEWS

ID, pets and smoking: 7 things French train ticket inspectors can fine you for

From sitting in the wrong seat to not having your ID on you, here are a few of the rules you need to know in order to avoid fines from France's ticket inspectors.

Published: 13 March 2024 15:44 CET
ID, pets and smoking: 7 things French train ticket inspectors can fine you for

SNCF inspectors on trains in France have something of a ‘jobsworth’ reputation – a recent article in a French newspaper referred to them as ‘les cow-boys‘ and accused them of ‘avoir le sang chaud‘ – ie being hot-blooded or over-enthusiastic.

While it’s true that a minority of railway conductors can seem a little overzealous at times, in most cases they are merely doing their jobs in what can often be difficult circumstances. Anyway, they’re nothing like as bad as the Paris Metro ticket inspectors.

SNCF regulations sometimes leave travellers stunned to find themselves fined, often expensively. Here are a few pointers to help you sort out the obligations on board a train and in a station.

Carry ID when you travel

Conductors rarely ask for identity papers, and usually just scan the ticket, but not being able to show an official document on demand means you could be fined the same amount as if you didn’t have a ticket. 

This is because rail tickets, whether they’re for TGV, Intercités or TER services, are in a person’s name. In the event of an inspection, you may be required to show proof of ID – a photocopy or photo on your mobile phone is not acceptable. 

The same applies to holders of a discount or season ticket, such as the Navigo pass. 

If you’re taking a cross-border train you should have your passport or ID card with you. Although document checks within the Schengen zone are not common, they do happen and you will need a valid travel documents – this includes a passport or national ID card, but does not include a driver’s licence or carte de séjour.

Don’t use someone else’s ticket

Linked to the above, don’t swap tickets with someone else, even if they can’t travel – just in case you need to show some form of ID.

If you don’t have a ticket in your name then you in effect are travelling without a ticket.

Your ticket must be valid for the train you’re using

Don’t try to sneak on an earlier train with a ticket for a later one. In France, a ticket is valid only for the date and time of the train listed on it. If you arrive at the station in time to catch an earlier train, you need to exchange your ticket for the earlier service, or cancel your ticket, get a refund and buy one for the correct service. The same is true if you miss your train, whether it’s your fault or not.

In most regions, TER tickets can be refunded free of charge up to the day before departure, but cannot be exchanged, while a €19 fee applies to TGV ticket exchanges made within six days of departure.

Sit in your assigned a seat

If you are on a train with an assigned seat, use it. One SNCF user took to social media after he was fined €270 for swapping his standard class seat with another user, who had a first class ticket, but wanted to sit with someone who did not. 

Similar to air travel, in theory, everyone must be seated in their assigned seat on a train in France. You may ask a conductor if you can swap seats, but they are not obliged to say yes.

Smoking is banned on trains and station platforms

It seems like a lot of French train passengers have missed this memo, but smoking is outlawed in “a vehicle or area used for public transport of passengers by rail or guided vehicles”.

That includes the train platform and the station (although in reality you’ll often see people hopping off the train for a quick smoke on the platform while a train is in the station).

You can be fined €68 for smoking on a train, or €30 on the platform. Don’t spit on the platform, either – you could cop a €150 fine.

You need a ticket for your pet 

Dogs are allowed on all French trains (apart from the Eurostar), but unless they are registered assistance dogs they will need their own ticket, which costs €7.

Depending on their size they may need to wear a muzzle. Other pets such as cats can also travel, but need to be in a secure carrier – full details here. If you have a pet snail (and who doesn’t?) then it will also need a ticket in order to travel.

And maybe your bike

You can take your bike with you on most types of train, but you may need to reserve a space in advance at a cost of €10. This varies depending on the type of train, with local TER and suburban rail services generally free to take bikes on, while high-speed TGV services may require a reservation. Full details here.

Please note that this is not an exhaustive list of rules, merely some of the most common reasons that people get fined while travelling on a French train.

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