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LATEST: France in lockdown: What are the rules and what is banned?

Since president Emmanuel Macron outlined the drastic measures France is taking to halt the spread of coronavirus, the rules have been tightened. Here is what daily life in France now looks like.

Published: 16 March 2020 21:46 CET
Updated: 24 March 2020 11:27 CET
LATEST: France in lockdown: What are the rules and what is banned?
French police will be controlling those leaving their homes. Photo: AFP

The French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe addressed the country in a televised speech on Monday evening, announcing new and firmer rules on the lockdown that entered into effect a week ago to try and halt the spread of the virus and prevent health services from being overwhelmed.

 

The new rules were compiled in a decree signed by the PM that entered into force on Tuesday, March 24th – one week after the lockdown started.

Here is the latest information on what is and is not allowed.

French PM Edouard Philippe said the rules on leaving one's home during lockdown would be tightened in a televised speech on Monday. Photo: AFP

Stay home and avoid contact

This is the big one. Everyone in France has been ordered to stay inside their homes, venturing out only for essential reasons. The restrictions started at 12 noon on Tuesday, March 17th.

At present the lockdown is for 15 days, but health chiefs say this is highly likely to be extended.

People can only go out for the following reasons

  • To travel to and from work IF your work is essential and cannot be done from home
  • To buy food and essentials
  • To attend medical appointments – IF they cannot be postponed or done from afar (online sessions)
  • For vital family reasons 
  • For individual physical exercise, but this must be done alone and follow specific rules. For more on the types of exercise allowed, click here.
  • To attend a legal summation by French police, justice or official administration 

Anyone stepping out of their homes will need to present a certificate, available to download from the government's website, stating their reason for being out (although a hand written version will be accepted for those people who do not have printers).

People breaking these restrictions will face a fine of €135. On Sunday, authorities reported that police had issued move than 90,000 fines since the beginning of the lockdown.

France's Interior Minister Christophe Castaner has previously said the fine could rise to €375 if people continue to flout the rules.

According to the new decree, a second breach registered in the 15 days following the first breach will be punished with a €1,500 fine. Anyone who breaks the rules four times risk a €3,700 fine and up to six months in prison.

READ ALSO Lockdown permission form – how it works and where to find it

 

One hundred thousand police and gendarmes have been mobilised to effectuate controls. Roadblocks have been set up on both major and secondary routes to control cars driving by.

Social distancing

When people are out they need to practice social distancing – keeping at least 1m apart from the nearest person – including when waiting in a queue.

French authorities have urged people to continue to practice the health advice that was issued at the beginning of the outbreak

  • Cough or sneeze into your elbow
  • Use disposable tissues and throw them away
  • Wash your hands regularly, especially after being outside and before you eat
  • Do not shake hands, even from a distance of 1m away.

Remote working

All businesses are required to organise for their employees to work from home if at all possible, and adapt their business practices if necessary. Employees whose work genuinely cannot be done remotely are still permitted to travel to work, but will need to fill out both the travel form and a form outlining why their work is essential – available here.

Photo: AFP

Army deployed

Military personnel have been deployed to help health services in the Alsace region in north east France. The Grand Est is the worst affected area of the country with hospitals and medical services already overstretched.

Contrary to rumours, France has not been not put under martial law and soldiers will not for the moment be enforcing curfew measures. 

Travel ban

The European Union closed all external borders for 30 days from Tuesday at noon to curb the outbreak, though citizens of EU countries are allowed to return.

For the moment, the UK is exempt from this ban, although France's Prime Minister Edouard Philippe says the country 'may find it difficult' to accept people from the UK if the country does not tighten its own controls. 

Travel around France is only permitted for essential reasons, although tourists are permitted to travel to a port or airport in order to get home.

Financial help

France had already announced a package of financial measures for both businesses and employees hit by the crisis, but these have now been stepped up further with the creation of a €450m fund for businesses – many of which face weeks of zero profits as they are not able to open.

In addition to the already announced tax breaks, businesses can also suspend payments on rent, gas and electricity.

READ ALSO What financial aid are France's small businesses and self-employed entitled to?

The 'partial unemployment' scheme has also been greatly enlarged so that anyone not able to work because of the crisis can claim benefits, while still having their job held open for them when things return to normal. Employers are barred from firing employees during this period.

Elections postponed

The second round of voting in France's municipal elections – due to take place on Sunday, March 22nd – has been postponed. 

Suspension of pension reform

In what he probably felt as a personal blow, Macron on Monday agreed to halt his pet project of reform of the French pension system, the highly divisive bill currently making its way through the French parliament (and the cause of the weeks of strike action in December and January). 

Member comments

  1. Why is the UK exempt? Does that mean hoards of germ infected British arriving for Easter. I do hope not.

  3. @Chez Moi No. Just being sensible. If want to come across real xenophobe, read the comments in the Daily Mail to see what they say about us French.

  4. The UK may not be exempt for long, the French Prime Minister has stated that they will not be allowed to enter France soon if the UK government does not take measures to restrict movement to the degree that countries in Continental Europe have. Time will tell if they follow through on that.

  6. Boggy. Over here in the grand est we are far more pissed off was th trainloads of Parisians arriving. My medicinn traitant is already knackered and we’ll just imagine the rest.

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LIVING IN FRANCE

Why washing your car in France can lead to a €450 fine

France has strict regulations about washing your car, and failure to abide by these can lead to hefty fines.

Published: 31 May 2024 14:59 CEST
Why washing your car in France can lead to a €450 fine

For many car owners, warm weather means time to finally give the vehicle a good wash.

But motorists in France should know that washing your car, motorcycle or other vehicle at home can actually be against the law in France – with some regulation even covering activities in your own driveway or garden.

Failing to respect the rules can lead to hefty fines. 

What does the law say?

There are two levels of regulation that affect car-washing – the Environmental Code and local regulations, but both of them are concerned about the same thing; the environmental impact of the runoff from your car washing.

During summer you also need to check if there are any drought restrictions in place, as some of these also ban any type of car-washing. 

In 1979, Paris became one of the first cities in France to pass legislation restricting where you can wash your car. The original Paris law states “Car washing is prohibited on the public highway, riverbanks, harbours and quays, as well as in public parks and gardens”. 

READ MORE: ‘Drive like a woman’: France targets male drivers in new road safety campaign

Since then, most départements across France have adopted similar decrees, which cover car-washing on public land – roads, pavements, parks or similar.

In order to find the rules in your area, contact your local préfecture (or ask the mayor), but most areas now have a ban on car-washing on the public highway, with a penalty of a third-class fine of €450. 

However there is also the Environmental Code, which operates on a national level, and that can cover even your own private property such as a driveway, garage or garden.

The Code states that “direct or indirect discharge of harmful substances into surface or groundwater is prohibited”.

This can affect wastewater from washing a vehicle as certain chemicals in car wash detergents, as well as any runoff motor oil, can have negative effects on local flora and fauna. Runoff can happen from both public and private land, which is why the Environmental Code has a wider scope.

Violating the rules on discharging harmful substances into water carries a maximum penalty of a two-year prison sentence or a fine of €75,000. Judges can also order defendants to carry out restoration of the environment that they contaminated.

The penalties are even harsher if you live in a coastal area where the runoff would go directly into the sea or ocean, or if you live next to a conservation zone. In this case, fines can go up to €100,000.

We should point out that these maximum penalties are more likely to be applied to companies which have been found to be polluting the local watercourse, rather than motorists washing their car, but the fines do have a large range.

So where can I wash my car?

First, you can go to a car wash (une station de lavage). Not only do car wash stations use less water than you would washing the vehicle at home (50 to 60 litres per vehicle instead of 200-300 litres at home), they also treat the wastewater. 

As a result, car washes do not risk polluting the waterways.

They are very common in France and include automatic car-washes, staffed car-washes where someone else does the hard work or the more common self-service type (usually coin operated) where you wash the car yourself use their pressure hoses and soap. These are often found in supermarket car-parks or at out-of-town shopping centre car parks.

Second, you can look for a designated car washing area. These would allow you to wash your own vehicle manually. They have special steps in place to treat the runoff water in compliance with environmental regulations. You can ask your mairie where these are located.

And finally, an alternative is to clean your car without using any water at all. To do this, you can purchase special wipes. There are also special dry-cleaning options, including sprays that you put onto your car, leave for a few seconds so that the dirt is absorbed, and then wipe off using a microfibre cloth.

Drought

During periods of drought, local authorities have the power to restrict non-essential water usage, including things like watering your garden or filling your swimming pool.

These regulations apply to any type of car-washing – on public or private space, or at a car-wash – and take precedence over any other local rules. 

You can check to see if your area is under water restrictions by going to the French government website vigieau.gouv.fr and typing in your home or rental address. The website will inform you of what (if any) restrictions are in place, the penalties of failing to respect them, as well as offering government advice for how to decrease your water usage.

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