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TOURISM

Who can travel to France as the country lifts its lockdown?

As France enters phase one of its reopening plan, tourism is again possible from some countries, with conditions in place. Here's a quick rundown of who can travel.

Published: 3 May 2021 10:43 CEST
Who can travel to France as the country lifts its lockdown?
Photo: Marcel Mochet/AFP

Monday, May 3rd marks phase one of France’s gradual reopening plan, which is a four-step process to loosen restrictions on both domestic life and international travel.

IN DETAIL: France’s calendar for lifting lockdown

The rules on travel into France, however, vary depending on where you are coming from.

EU and Schengen zone countries

Travel into France is allowed for any reason including tourism and family visits. This has in fact been the rule for several months, but since April 3rd the 10km rule has been in place in France. This rule banned any non-essential travel unless it was within a 10km radius of home – in effect ruling out any international tourism.

However, this rule is lifted from Monday May 3rd and travel within France is now allowed for any reason, with no need for a permission form. Travel between regions of France is also allowed for any reason.

Testing – however, if you are coming from an EU country you will still need to present a negative Covid test at the border, as well as a declaration that you are symptom-free and have not been in contact with any Covid cases. There is no quarantine requirement. You can find the relevant forms, and the exempt groups, HERE.

France is also on the ‘red list’ for several EU countries, meaning you may need to test and quarantine on your return, so check your home country’s restrictions carefully before travel.

Restrictions – there are still restrictions in place in France, the main one being the 7pm curfew. Travel by car is not an accepted reason for being out after curfew, but if your train or plane arrives after 7pm, you can continue to your destination after curfew time, although you will need an attestation permission form. Find the form HERE.

Bars, cafés, restaurants, museums and tourist sites remain closed until at least May 19th, and after that there is a phased reopening, if the health situation permits. Masks are compulsory in all indoor public spaces across France, and in the street in most of the larger towns and cities. Failure to wear a mask can net you a €135 fine.

From the UK, Australia, South Korea, Israel, Japan, New Zealand and Singapore

Travel into France from most non-EU countries is still allowed for essential reasons only, but there are seven countries that are exempt from that rule, including the UK.

This exemption has been in place since mid-March, but the recent partial lockdown and 10km limit on travel within France has effectively ruled out travel for tourism, family visits and second-home owners.

However, this rule is lifted from Monday May 3rd and travel within France is now allowed for any reason, with no need for a permission form. Travel between regions of France is also allowed for any reason.

However, some countries on the list, including the UK and Australia, are not currently allowing their citizens to travel abroad for non-essential reasons (although the UK rules do have an exemption for second-home owners), so check first that your home country also allows travel.

Testing – if you are coming from one of these countries you will still need to present a negative Covid test at the border, as well as a declaration that you are symptom-free and have not been in contact with any Covid cases. Arrivals are asked to quarantine for seven days and then take a second Covid test. The quarantine can be done at a location of your choice, and there are no police checks on this. You can find the relevant forms HERE.

You should also check the rules in your home country for returning from France as many countries require a quarantine and extra testing on all arrivals from France, including their own citizens.

READ ALSO Everything you need to know on travel between France and the UK

Restrictions – there are still restrictions in place in France, the main one being the 7pm curfew. Travel by car is not an accepted reason for being out after curfew, but if your train or plane arrives after 7pm, you can continue to your destination after curfew time, although you will need an attestation permission form. Find the form HERE.

Bars, cafés, restaurants, museums and tourist sites remain closed until at least May 19th, and after that there is a phased reopening, if the health situation permits.

Masks are compulsory in all indoor public spaces across France, and in the street in most of the larger towns and cities. Failure to wear a mask can net you a €135 fine.

Non-EU countries

For those non-EU/Schengen zone countries not on the exemption list, travel is still allowed for essential reasons only.

Reopening of non-essential travel from all non-EU countries is scheduled for June 9th, however this could be delayed if the health situation deteriorates.

Americans should also bear in mind that France is currently on the US State Department’s ‘Level 4’ list, of countries where travel is not advised due to the health situation. This is advisory, and not a ban, but travelling to a Level 4 destination can invalidate your health or travel insurance, so check your policy before travelling.

Health passport – when travel from these countries reopens, President Emmanuel Macron announced, it will be possible only with a pass sanitaire, or health passport. The full details of exactly how these will work have not yet been revealed, but it seems that the pass will involve an option for inputting either a vaccination certificate or a recent negative Covid test. Here’s what we know so far about health passports. 

France is also on the ‘red list’ for several non-EU countries, meaning you may need to test and quarantine on your return, so check your home country’s restrictions carefully before travel.

Restrictions – even after June 9th, there will still be some restrictions in place, the main being an 11pm curfew. Travel by car is not an accepted reason for being out after curfew, but if your train or plane arrives after 11pm, you can continue to your destination after curfew time, although you will need an attestation permission form. Find the form HERE.

Bars, cafés, restaurants, museums and tourist sites are scheduled to have reopened by June 9th, but reopening could be delayed in certain areas if Covid cases remain high. Masks are compulsory in all indoor public spaces across France and in the street in most of the larger towns and cities. Failure to wear a mask can net you a €135 fine.

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TRAVEL NEWS

Reader question: What will EES mean for foreigners living in Europe?

The EU's new Entry & Exit System (EES) of enhanced passport controls is due to come into force later this year, but among many questions that remain is the situation for non-EU nationals who live in the EU or Schengen zone.

Published: 27 April 2024 07:59 CEST
Reader question: What will EES mean for foreigners living in Europe?

Currently scheduled to start in autumn 2024 (unless it’s delayed again, which is not unlikely) the EU’s new Entry & Exit System is basically an enhanced passport check at external EU borders, including a facial scan and fingerprinting.

You can find a full explanation of the new system HERE.

Travellers crossing an external EU or Schengen border for the first time will be required to complete EES ‘pre-registration’ formalities including that facial scan and fingerprinting.

There are, however, several groups exempt from EES and one of them is non-EU nationals who have a residency permit or long-stay visa for an EU country.

So if you’re a foreigner living in the EU or Schengen zone, here’s what you need to know.

Exempt

One of the stated aims of EES is to tighten up enforcement of over-staying – IE, people who stay longer than 90 days in every 180 without a visa, or those who overstay the limits of their visa.

Obviously these limits do not apply to non-EU nationals who are resident in the EU or Schengen zone, which is why this group is exempt from EES checks. They will instead be required to show their passport and residency permit/visa when crossing a border, just as they do now.

In its explanations of how EES will work, the European Commission is clear – exempt groups include non-EU residents of the Bloc.

A Commission spokesman told The Local: “Non-EU citizens residing in the EU are not in the scope of the EES and will not be subject to pre-enrollment of data in the EES via self-service systems. The use of automation remains under the responsibility of the Member States and its availability in border crossing points is not mandatory.

“When crossing the borders, holders of EU residence permits should be able to present to the border authorities their valid travel documents and residence permits.”

How this will work

How this will work on the ground, however, is a lot less clear.

Most ports/airports/terminals have two passport queues – EU and non-EU. It remains unclear whether the non-EU queue will have a separate section for those who are exempt from EES.

It does seem clear that exempt groups will not be able to use the automated passport scanners – since those cannot scan additional documents like residency permits – but should instead use manned passport booths. However it is not clear whether these will be available at all airports/ports/terminals or how non-EU residents of the EU will be directed to those services.

There’s also the issue that individual border guards are not always clear on the processes and rules for non-EU residents of the EU – even under the current system it’s relatively commonly for EU residents to have their passports incorrectly stamped or be given incorrect information about passport stamping by border guards.

Brits in particular will remember the immediate post-Brexit period when the processes as described by the EU and national authorities frequently did not match what was happening on the ground.

The Local will continue to try and get answers on these questions. 

READ ALSO What will EES mean for dual nationals

What if I live in the EU but I don’t have a visa/residency permit?

For most non-EU citizens, having either a visa or a residency permit is obligatory in order to be legally resident.

However, there is one exception: UK citizens who were legally resident in the EU prior to the end of the Brexit transition period and who live in one of the “declaratory” countries where getting a post-Brexit residency card was optional, rather than compulsory. Declaratory countries include Germany and Italy.

Although it is legal for people in this situation to live in those countries without a residency permit, authorities already advise people to get one in order to avoid confusion/hassle/delays at the border. Although EES does not change any rules relating to residency or travel, it seems likely that it will be more hassle to travel without a residency card than it is now.

Our advice? Things are going to be chaotic enough, getting a residency permit seems likely to save you a considerable amount of hassle.

Delays 

Although residents of the EU do not need to complete EES formalities, they will be affected if the new system causes long queues or delays at the border.

Several countries have expressed worries about this, with the UK-France border a particular cause for concern.

READ ALSO Travellers could face ’14 hours queues’ at UK-France border

Where does it apply?

EES is about external EU/Schengen borders, so does not apply if you are travelling within the Schengen zone – eg taking the train from France to Germany or flying from Spain to Sweden.

Ireland and Cyprus, despite being in the EU, are not in the Schengen zone so will not be using EES, they will continue to stamp passports manually.

Norway, Switzerland and Iceland – countries that are in the Schengen zone but not in the EU – will be using EES.

The full list of countries using EES is: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

Therefore a journey between any of the countries listed above will not be covered by EES.

However a journey in or out of any of those countries from a country not listed above will be covered by EES.

You can find our full Q&A on EES HERE.

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