This FAQ contains information for foreign nationals wishing to enter France or already in France, who are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
General information on restrictions and recommendations in France and action taken has been centralized on a platform at the following address: https://www.gouvernement.fr/en/coronavirus-covid-19.
During your stay in France, download and activate the #TousAntiCovid application.
Can I enter France? #
If you are vaccinated #
If you are vaccinated, you can travel to France with no restrictions linked to health conditions.
The measures applicable to vaccinated adults also apply to any minors accompanying them, whether they are vaccinated or not. You can therefore travel with your underage children, whether they are vaccinated or not, and they will not need to self-isolate. Unvaccinated children aged 12 and over will need to present a negative test result as described below.
Travel documents if you are vaccinated: #
- proof of vaccination. It will only be valid if it proves that you are fully vaccinated, i.e.:
- Seven days after the second shot for two-shot vaccines (Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca (Vaxevria and Covishield));
- Four weeks after the shot for one-shot vaccines (Johnson & Johnson);
- Seven days after the shot for vaccines administered to people who have already had COVID-19 (only one dose is necessary).
Only vaccines authorized by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) (Pfizer (Comirnaty), Moderna, AstraZeneca (Vaxzevria), Johnson & Johnson (Janssen)), or AstraZeneca (Covishield) will be accepted. - Seven days after a booster ARNm dose (Moderna or Pfizer) after two shots of a vaccine on the WHO’s health emergencies list (Sinovac/Coronavac or Sinopharm/BBIB-PVeroCells)
- a sworn declaration, which you can download from the Interior Ministry’s website stating that
- you have no symptoms of COVID-19 infection;
- to your knowledge, you have not been in contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19 in the 14 days prior to your journey.
If you are not vaccinated #
A list of countries of departure has been drawn up on the basis of the health indicators. The lists of countries can be altered based on changes in the epidemic situation.
Specific rules apply to road hauliers (in French and English).
If you are not vaccinated and you arrive from a “green” country #
Upon boarding, each traveller aged 12 and over must present a negative PCR or antigenic test taken less than 72 hours before the flight. If you are travelling from Romania, your test must be taken less than 24 hours before the flight.
If you have previously contracted COVID-19, instead of a negative test result you may present a certificate of recovery dated more than 11 days and less than 6 months prior to the date of arrival. A certificate of recovery is a document issued to persons who have contracted COVID-19, upon presentation of a positive RT-PCR or antigenic test.
This will not apply to:
- trips by residents of cross-border areas (border within a 30 km radius of your residence, and for a duration of less than 24 hours).
- work-related trips, the urgent or frequent nature of which makes them incompatible with these tests;
- trips by hauliers carrying out their work.
To avail of the exemptions above, you must have a document proving the reasons for your trip.
If you are not vaccinated and you arrive from an “orange” country #
- You can only travel to France if you have pressing grounds for travel. The list of pressing grounds is set out in the certificate of international travel drawn up by the Ministry of the Interior.
- Each traveller aged 12 and over must present a negative PCR test taken less than 72 hours before departure or a negative antigenic test taken less than 48 hours before departure. If you are arriving from the United Kingdom, the PCR or antigenic test must have been taken less than 24 hours before boarding.
If you have previously contracted COVID-19, instead of a negative test result you may present a certificate of recovery dated more than 11 days and less than 6 months prior to the date of arrival. A certificate of recovery is a document issued to persons who have contracted COVID-19, upon presentation of a positive RT-PCR or antigenic test.
- You may be subject to a random test when you arrive in France.
- You must pledge to self-isolate for 7 days.
If you are not vaccinated and you arrive from a “red” country #
- You can only travel to France if you have pressing grounds for travel. The list of pressing grounds is set out in the certificate of international travel drawn up by the Ministry of the Interior.
- Upon boarding, each traveller aged 12 and over must present a negative PCR or antigenic test taken less than 48 hours before the flight.
If you have previously contracted COVID-19, instead of a negative test result you may present a certificate of recovery dated more than 11 days and less than 6 months prior to the date of arrival. A certificate of recovery is a document issued to persons who have contracted COVID-19, upon presentation of a positive RT-PCR or antigenic test. - You will be tested when you arrive in France.
- You will be subject to a mandatory 10-day quarantine supervised by security forces.
Travel documents if you are not vaccinated #
Depending on your circumstances, you must complete and carry some of the following documents in order to board:
- a sworn declaration, which you can download from the Interior Ministry’s website stating that
- you have no symptoms of COVID-19 infection;
- to your knowledge, you have not been in contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19 in the 14 days prior to your journey;
- (if you are aged 12 or over) you agree to submit to a virological RT-PCR test for SARS-CoV-2 upon arrival in France;
- (where applicable) you pledge to self-isolate for seven days;
- (for non-vaccinated travellers arriving from a “red” country) you are aware that you will have to quarantine for 10 days upon arrival in France.
- (for non-vaccinated travellers arriving from “orange” or “red” countries) an exempted international travel certificate for Metropolitan France, which you can download from the Interior Ministry’s website. You must present this certificate to travel companies before using your travel ticket, as well as to border control authorities (for travel by air, sea and land, including by rail);
- (for non-vaccinated travellers arriving from a “red” country) proof of location of self-isolation, and where appropriate, access details for inspectors to carry out checks.
If you fail to produce these documents, you will be denied boarding.
Whatever your place of departure, if you show symptoms of COVID-19 upon arrival in France, you will be quarantined or placed and kept in isolation by the prefect.
Other rules apply to travel to and from French overseas territories (see below).
I am travelling to or from a French overseas territory or Corsica. What are the rules? #
Each overseas territory as well as Corsica, sets its own entry conditions and possible restrictions (curfew, lockdowns, etc.) based on the local epidemiological situation. You are therefore highly advised to visit the website of the prefecture or high commission of your destination before you travel.
Travel between Metropolitan France and some overseas territories is only possible if you have pressing grounds for travel.
You must in that case have a travel certificate for overseas territories and Corsica, available on the Interior Ministry’s website.
The specific conditions for each overseas territory and Corsica are available on the website of the prefecture or high commission of the relevant territory.
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