Travel to France: What paperwork do I need now if fully vaccinated?

[Article updated on March 4 at 12:50]

Reader Question: I am going to France for the first time this year. I have had both vaccine doses and my booster. What do I need to show the travel operator?

France has removed almost all travel restrictions for fully vaccinated people coming from all over the world.

A person’s vaccination schedule is deemed to be complete for the purposes of entering the country seven days after your second dose of a European Medicines Agency-approved vaccine (Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca or Novavax) or 28 days after the first and only injection of the Janssen vaccine.

For information on the acceptance of other WHO-approved vaccines see here.
However, it is important to note that adults must also receive their booster within 270 days of their second dose in order to retain their ‘fully vaccinated’ status. However, as you have already had this additional injection, you do not need to worry about this point.

Read more: Covid booster dose requirement extends to all travellers to France

As a vaccinated traveller, the documents you need to show depend on your country of origin.

If you are travelling from a green country, a list of which can be found on the French interior ministry website, you must only:

• Present proof of vaccination to the travel authorities. This could be in the form of the EU’s digital Covid certificate, but France also accepts other national vaccination certificates.

Read more: Covid: 26 more countries added to France’s green list for travel

If you are travelling from an orange-list country – which currently includes the US, UK and Australia – there is one additional criterion to fulfil.

You must:

• Present proof of vaccination. This can generally be shown through your national certification system, such as, for example, the NHS app
• Complete and present a sworn statement confirming that you are not experiencing Covid symptoms and have not been in contact with a positive case in the last 14 days

You do not need to carry out any pre-departure tests.

There are currently no countries on France’s red list for travel.

Unvaccinated travellers

Unvaccinated travellers over the age of 12 coming from a green-list country must present a negative PCR test result from the 72 hours before or a negative antigen test from the 48 hours before their journey begins, or a certificate of recovery from the last six months. This takes the form of a positive PCR or antigen test result taken at least 11 days before.

If coming from an orange-list country you must show the result of a pre-departure test taken within the same time frames. Recovery certificates are not listed as valid proof in this case.

You must also present an essential reason for travel along with your sworn statement, and accept that you may be asked to take a random Covid test on arrival. If the result is positive, you will have to self-isolate.

Vaccine passes

Travellers to France should note that once they have arrived in the country, they will be required to show a valid vaccine pass in order to access a wide range of venues including restaurants, cafés, bars and museums.

Read more: Easy-look chart: Who can now get a Covid vaccine pass in France?

Read more: Checklist: Where are vaccine passes required in France?

Read more: How to get a Covid recovery certificate in France and as a tourist?

Read more: US and other non-EU visitors to France: how to get a vaccine pass

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