Checklist: Where are vaccine passes required in France?

A vaccine pass system has been in place for all over-16s in France since January 24, replacing the health pass which was first imposed over the summer of 2021.

Read more:France’s vaccine pass launches: How and where is it being used?

The vaccine pass consists of vaccination records, a certificate of recovery from Covid or proof of a medical exemption to the vaccines.

Read more: Do we have to convert our French health pass to the new vaccine pass?

Where are vaccine passes needed?

• Hospitality venues such as: restaurants, bars and cafés, including in outdoor terrasses.

It should be noted however that the passes are not needed in settings such as takeaway restaurants, truck stop canteens, soup kitchens and hotel room service.

• Entertainment and leisure settings including: theatres, concert halls, festivals, theme parks, gyms, gaming arcades, libraries and other public resource centres and cinemas

• Trade fairs and professional conferences if they take place outside of the normal workplace and involve more than 50 people coming together in one place

• Ski lifts

• Holiday accommodation including: campsites and some resorts, where vaccine passes will be checked on arrival

• Long distance transports such as domestic flights, TGV, Intercités and night trains and interregional coaches

However, people who do not have a vaccine pass will be able to use these transports with a negative test result from the last 24 hours if they have an essential family or health-related reason for travel. These include needing to travel for a family member’s funeral or to accompany an elderly or disabled relative.

The test requirement will be waived in the case of an emergency.

Where are health passes rather than vaccine passes needed?

People visiting medical and care settings such as hospitals or care homes to visit in-patients or residents or to undergo planned treatments do not need to present a vaccine pass.

In these places, a health pass will continue to be accepted, meaning that people can gain access using the negative result of a Covid test taken within the last 24 hours if they do not have a certificate of vaccination or recovery.

No pass will be required in the case of a health emergency.

The staff of settings where vaccine passes are required will also need to have one if they come into contact with the public.

Until February 15, people who have received their first vaccine dose will be able to access a vaccine pass as long as they commit to receiving their second within the next four weeks and also present a negative test result from the last 24 hours.

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