Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK
For members

TRAVEL NEWS

Covid rules: Travelling abroad from France this summer

There's been plenty written on travel rules for people coming to France - but what if you live in France and have plans for international travel over the coming months? We've got you covered.

Published: 23 May 2022 15:05 CEST
Covid rules: Travelling abroad from France this summer
If you're living in France and planning a trip, here is what you need to know. Photo by STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN / AFP

France isn’t currently on the Covid red list for any country, so there is nowhere that is barred to you as a French resident, but different countries still have different entry requirements.

EU/Schengen zone

If you’re travelling to a country that is within the EU or Schengen zone then it’s pretty straightforward.

If you’re fully vaccinated then all you need is proof of vaccination at the border – no need for Covid tests or extra paperwork. Bear in mind, however, that if your second dose was more than nine months ago you will need a booster shot in order to still be considered ‘fully vaccinated’. 

READ ALSO Everything you need to know about travel to France from within the EU

If you were vaccinated in France then you will have a QR code compatible with all EU/Schengen border systems. If you were vaccinated elsewhere, however, your home country’s vaccination certificate will still be accepted.

If you’re not fully vaccinated you will need to show a negative Covid test at the border, check the individual country for requirements on how recent the test needs to be.

Bear in mind also that several EU countries still have mask/health pass rules in place and some countries specify the type of mask required, for example an FFP2 mask rather than the surgical mask more common in France. Check the rules of the country that you are travelling to in advance.

If you’re travelling to a country covered by The Local, you can find all the latest Covid rules in English on the homepages for Austria, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Norway, Spain, Sweden or Switzerland.

UK

The UK has no Covid-related travel rules, so there is no requirement for tests even if you are not vaccinated. The passenger locator form has also been scrapped – full details HERE.

Once there, there are no Covid-related health rules in place. 

If you’re travelling between France and the UK, remember the extra restrictions in place since Brexit.

USA 

Unlike the EU, the USA still has a testing requirement in place, vaccinated or not. You would need to show this prior to departure.

It has, however, lifted the restrictions on non citizens entering, so travel to the USA for tourism and visiting friends/family is once again possible.

For full details on the rules, click HERE.

Once there, most places have lifted Covid-related rules such as mask requirements, but health rules are decided by each State, rather than on a national level, so check in advance with the area you are visiting.

Other non-EU countries

Most non-EU countries have also lifted the majority of their Covid related rules, but in certain countries restrictions remain, such as in New Zealand which is reopening its border in stages and at present only accepts certain groups.

Other countries also have domestic Covid restrictions in place, particularly in China which has recently imposed a strict local lockdown after a spike in cases.

Returning to France

Once your trip is completed you will need to re-enter France and the border rules are the same whether you live here or not.

If you’re fully vaccinated you simply need to show your vaccination certificate (plus obviously passport and residency card/visa if applicable) at the border.

If you’re not vaccinated you will need to get a Covid test before you return and present the negative result at the border – the test must be either a PCR test taken within the previous 72 hours or an antigen test taken within the previous 48 hours. Home-test kits are not accepted.

If you’re returning from an ‘orange list’ country and you’re not vaccinated you will need to provide proof of your ‘essential reasons’ to travel – simply being a resident is classed as an essential reason, so you can show your carte de séjour residency card, visa or EU passport at the border.

Even if the country that you are in is reclassified as red or orange while you are away, you will still be allowed back if you are a French resident. If you’re not a French passport-holder, it’s a good idea to take with you proof of your residency in France, just in case.

Fully vaccinated

France counts as ‘fully vaccinated’ those who:

  • Are vaccinated with an EMA-approved vaccine (Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca or Johnson & Johnson)
  • Are 7 days after their final dose, or 28 days in the case of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccines
  • Have had a booster shot if more than 9 months has passed since the final dose of your vaccine. If you have had a booster shot there is no need for a second one, even if more than 9 months has passed since your booster
  • Mixed dose vaccines (eg one Pfizer and one Moderna) are accepted 

Member comments

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

TRAVEL NEWS

Creaking Paris metro system to face Olympic test

Long the envy of other cities, Paris' creaking underground metro system has become a subject of daily frustration for users just as the French capital gears up to host this year's Olympics.

Published: 14 April 2024 09:32 CEST
Creaking Paris metro system to face Olympic test

“It’s really difficult and we’re not even at the Olympics yet when there’ll be millions of people on it,” Juliette Fayaud, a 26-year-old restaurant worker, told AFP on the platform of the Line 8.

“There aren’t enough trains. Sometimes in rush hour there’s a train every five minutes when you need them every two or three,” she said.

User satisfaction has plunged since the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 when the RATP, which runs the capital’s transport system, cut services as workers stayed home en masse.

Many metro employees were furloughed and never returned to jobs, while the training of new staff to replace them slowed significantly.

“I think it’ll be horrible during the Olympics,” 22-year-old saleswoman Gabrielle Camus, another daily user, told AFP as she waited for a train. “I’m planning to use a bike and avoid the metro as much as possible.”

Around one in five trains ran late on some metro lines in Paris last year, according to public data, with users sometimes facing waits of up to 10 or 15 minutes during the day on the worst-performing lines.

Commuters on the larger overground trains, which run on so-called RER lines, were offered refunds in 2023 for the third consecutive year due to punctuality problems. The service is still not back to pre-Covid levels.

With around seven million visitors expected in Paris during the Olympics from July 26 to August 11, the commuter train system will be under severe scrutiny as one of the main forms of transport for tourists and locals alike.

‘Under-investment’

Major political pressure ahead of the Games — and the appointment of former prime minister Jean Castex as head of the RATP in 2022 — has led to gradual improvements in recent months, according to surveys by the capital’s transport authority.

Castex warned in December that eight out of ten lines were “no longer in a state to provide a quality public service” which he blamed on “40 years of under-investment”.

But thanks in part to a major staff recruitment drive, all lines — with the exception of the 3, the 8 and the RER C — reached the minimum performance standard of 90 percent punctuality in March, according to the latest data.

Workers are also racing to complete key line extensions ahead of the Olympics, notably to connect the southern Orly airport to the line 14 and a new transport node near the Stade de France, which will host athletics, in the north.

“It’s a challenge that we are able to meet,” the head of the greater Paris region, Valerie Pecresse, told reporters as she presented her transport plans for the Olympics in late March.

Some metro or RER lines, particularly those serving the football, tennis or athletics stadiums, will have up to 71 percent more trains than a usual summer’s day.

The challenge is not so much the volume of travellers — overall traffic is expected to be no higher than a normal working day — but it is the peaks in demand as fans enter and leave stadiums.

“You shouldn’t be scared to do a bit of walking,” Pecresse told Parisians. “It’s good for your health.”

‘Key issue’ 

In a city that has been gradually squeezing out cars, Paris is also keen to show off its recent cycling revolution.

Each Olympic sports venue will be accessible on bike, with around 415 kilometres (258 miles) of new cycle lanes built ahead of the Games as well as 20,000 cycle parking spots.

There will be no parking provision for cars at sports venues, however, and traffic jams in the capital are expected to be worse than usual due to road closures.

Chief organiser Tony Estanguet sounded confident last week that the city’s trains, buses, trams and cycle lanes could handle the strain.

“It’s a key issue for the smooth organisation and success of our event. We’re well aware of that,” he told reporters.

Paris’s two main airports – Charles de Gaulle and Orly — are also gearing up for key roles and have installed 15 new baggage inspection lines between them.

“The infrastructure is ready,” the director general of their operating company said recently.

Traffic is expected to be similar to summer averages of 300,000 arrivals per day, but with a major spike in demand in the days after the closing ceremony on August 11.

SHOW COMMENTS