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LIVING IN FRANCE

Curfew, bars, travel and health passports: What rules are in place in France right now?

Wednesday, June 9th marked the day that France moved into the third phase of lifting lockdown - here's what the new rules say.

Published: 4 June 2021 08:00 CEST
Updated: 13 June 2021 09:12 CEST
Curfew, bars, travel and health passports: What rules are in place in France right now?
With curfew relaxed, nightlife can begin again in France. Photo: Ludovic Marin/AFP

Bars, cafés and restaurants can reopen indoor spaces – previously allowed to open only their terraces, bars and cafés can now reopen indoors as well, with a 50 percent limit on capacity and a maximum of 6 people per table. Anyone drinking or eating inside will have to provide their contact details and cafés are setting up QR codes that customers can scan.

READ ALSO QR codes and sign-ins – how France’s reopened restaurants will keep track of customers

There’s a change to outdoor areas too, as terraces will be able to operate at 100 percent of their normal capacity, albeit still with the 6-person limit on tables.

Bar service will not be allowed either indoors or outdoors.

International travel sees big changes with the introduction of the traffic light system which ends restrictions on vaccinated travellers from many non-EU countries – full details HERE.

Curfew moves back to 11pm from 9pm. Anyone out between 11pm and 6am will still need an attestation justifying their essential reason for being out, but bars etc will be able to stay open until 11pm.

READ ALSO How France’s curfew will work this summer

Health passports come into use for events within France. The French health passport is already up and running on the TousAntiCovid app, which now has a ‘my wallet’ section where you can scan in either vaccination certificates or a recent negative Covid test. From June 9th, this will be required to enter certain large events in France including concerts and sports matches.

READ ALSO When and where do you need a health passport? 

Gyms and swimming pools reopen for the general public, with limits on the total numbers of people allowed and strict health protocols in place.

Events of up to 5,000 people are again allowed, with a health passport. Large events such as concerts and sports matches can start up again, up to a 5,000 person limit. Entry will be via the health passport with proof of either being fully vaccinated or having been recently tested.

Spas reopen for the general public, at full capacity.

Shops, museums, cinemas and tourist sites get an increase in their customer capacity. These reopened on May 19th but had to allow 8 square metres for each person. That limit drops down to 4m sq per person on June 9th, meaning less restrictions on entry numbers. Meanwhile cinemas and theatres can move up to 65 percent of their normal capacity, up to a maximum of 1,000 people, or 5,000 people with a health passport.

Most larger museums, galleries and tourist sites are still operating a policy of advance booking only, so check in advance of your visit and some of the bigger sites have chosen to reopen later in the summer.

IN DETAIL When are France’s tourist sites reopening?

Remote working – government advice for everyone who can to work from home full time comes to an end, but this does not mark a mass ‘back to the office’. The protocol published by the Labour Ministry says only that the 100 percent remote working recommendation ends, but advises a gradual and phased return to the office, with the exact details worked out between employers and employees. 

“This must be the starting point of a move to find the right balance between face-to-face and remote working, and to put in place new practices,” said Labour Minister Elisabeth Borne.

Weddings or civil ceremonies are allowed but the venue must be at no more than 50 percent of its capacity, while funerals have a maximum of 75 attendees.

And what stays the same?

Gatherings of more than 10 people in public places remain advised against, unless health protocols are in place.

Masks are still compulsory in all indoor public spaces, at pain of a €135 fine. While some local authorities have lifted the rule on masks in outdoor private spaces in most of France, including virtually all of the big cities, masks remain compulsory outside as well.

Nightclubs remain closed.

Member comments

  1. Events up to 5000 people allowed, yippy! Yet when you sit outside your 7th friend has to sit at a seperate table! It all makes so much sense!

    2. Just use some common sense, which seems to be lacking in certain sections of today’s society.

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PROPERTY

BBQs, plants and laundry: What are the rules in France around balconies?

If you want to grill some ribs, install heavy plants or even hang up your laundry to dry on your balcony in France, then there is one document you'll want to consult beforehand.

Published: 7 May 2024 10:43 CEST
BBQs, plants and laundry: What are the rules in France around balconies?

If you live in an apartment building in France, then you might be curious whether there are any rules regulating what you are allowed and not allowed to do on your French balcony.

The answer is relatively simple: it depends on your copropriété. In France, a copropriété is a type of building that is split up into several different apartments that are individually owned. It is also the name of the individuals who together make up the co-owners of that shared building, similar to a ‘homeowner’s association’.

READ MORE: PROPERTY: What you need to know about ‘copropriété’ fees in France

Most of the time your building will also hire a syndic, or managing agents for the building.

Every copropriété should have a règlement de copropriété, which is a written document outlining all of the operating rules of the building, as well as the rights and olbigations of the ‘co-owners’ and tenants.

This document governs the common areas of the building and the fees that go into the building’s maintenance (les charges), but it can also regulate the use of private areas under certain circumstances. For example, the règlement might have its own rules about the hours that you can do noisy renovation work, or a list of colours allowed for the shutters on your exterior windows.

So can I barbecue on my balcony?

As you may have guessed from above, the règlement de copropriété may outline the rules for balcony or terrace usage.

This means that the document can dictate anything from whether or not you can hang laundry outside to the weight of plants allowed and the rules on barbecues.

The gist is that the regulations governing balconies and what you can do on them vary widely from one apartment building to another.

Some apartment buildings allow for people to use small electric grills for barbecues, while others might ban grilling and barbecuing altogether.

When asking about your balcony, be sure to find out whether any parts of it are considered ‘shared space’.

Under some circumstances, the règlement may deem balcony railings to be part of the shared space, which would have consequences for the minimum amount of maintenance required by the owner. Though, this would be most likely to occur if the upkeep of your balcony’s railing has a direct impact on the structure of the building or other apartments.

Similarly, the document might consider the actual concrete slab of the balcony to be the responsibility of the copropriété for maintenance and upkeep. In this case, if you had a crack in your balcony then the repair costs would fall on the copropriété and not you individually.

How do I find out about the règlement for my building?

If you have a gardien (doorman) you can start by asking him/her. They would likely have a copy on-hand, or they might just know the answer to your question.

Otherwise, you can reach out to the building’s syndic, or you can even request a copy of the document from the land registration service. The latter option will cost €30, and you would need to file a formal request (you can find the form here).

How are these rules decided?

The règlement for the copropriété is voted on in a general meeting of co-owners, and it can be changed.

To do this, you would need to gather the ‘general assembly’ of co-owners in the building. Then you would need to vote. Depending on the nature of the change, French law can require that the co-owners in the building reach a simple majority (most owners present vote yes) or an absolute majority (out of all owners, including those not present, the majority vote yes).

You can find the voting rules on this government website.

In general, the items outlined in the règlement will be justified somehow. For example, the rules related to furniture and plant height/weight might have to do with concerns about safety and ensuring that the concrete slab of the balcony holds up.

But that does not mean that ‘aesthetic’ concerns are irrelevant – your copropriété might consider something like hanging laundry to dry from your balcony to be an ‘aesthetic harm’ (or hygienic concern) for your building.

The standard for all French copropriétés is that anything that changes the exterior appearance of the building is not allowed, and in order to do so, you must get special permission.

READ MORE: The rules for installing air conditioning in your French home

What about local laws and rules?

In certain situations, there might be additional local laws and rules that regulate activities you might want to do on your balcony.

For example, when it comes to BBQs, some areas – especially if there is a drought – will ban or restrict them to avoid the danger of starting wildfires.

Certain legal clauses might restrict charcoal BBQs and allow gas ones, while others could restrict barbecuing to certain times. Check with your local mairie to see if there are restrictions where you live.

READ MORE: What are the rules of having a BBQ in France?

Departmental health regulations may also contain rules that would apply to balconies and terraces.

For example, in Paris the health regulations prohibit the storing of flammable liquids, seeds, bread crumbs or food of any kind on windows, balconies and outside parts of buildings.

It also stipulates that anything hanging from a balcony or window should be done so in a safe manner so that it does not create a dangerous environment for passers-by or other building occupants.

Overall, you can do what you want with and on your balcony, as long as you comply with the copropriété rules and existing local or departmental health/safety regulations, you do not alter the external appearance of the building or carry out any large-scale, structural work that you’d need a permit for, and as long as whatever you do/install on your balcony does not create a safety risk.

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