How to ensure your French Covid certificates will work for EU travel

Update: The French government updated the certificates on June 25, 2021, two days later than it planned

France is set to update its Covid vaccination and Covid test certificates from today (June 23) to make them compatible with an EU-wide verification system due to launch on July 1. This holds for paper and digital versions, and both are viable within the EU scheme.

France’s national health insurance provider Assurance Maladie states that it will change the certificates to put them in line with a European standard and will also ensure they are presented in English and French.

It means that the updated vaccination and test certificates will have a QR code on them that will be verifiable by travel authorities across all 27 EU member states. These codes can also be used to access certain large events and other venues, dependent on individual rules in place which vary country by country. In France, it applies to events with attendees of more than 1,000 people, such as larger concerts.

The new change means basically that Covid-19 tests and vaccination certificates issued in France can be used throughout the EU from July 1.

It could be that not all EU countries are ready to launch this scheme on July 1. There is a six-week grace period for the countries to have it up and running. Some have already initiated it, including Germany and Italy.

It is worth noting that each EU member state can set its own rules, so some countries may demand a Covid-19 test even for fully vaccinated travellers. This is currently the case, for example, for Ireland, although that is set to change on July 19.

France’s health pass vs the EU’s health pass: What is the difference?

Are the certificates digital or paper?

In France, you can have a paper or digital copy of any Covid vaccination certificate or test, with the appropriate QR code.

We will explain how to get both versions below, as it depends on your situation.

What is this June 23 update?

The French government has stated that from June 23, all Covid-19 vaccination certificates and tests issued in France will have a QR code that is compatible with the EU system.

If you complete your Covid-19 vaccination cycle in France after this date, your vaccination certificate should automatically have this QR code on it. If you were fully vaccinated before this date, you may need to update your vaccination certificate to use it for EU-wide travel.

Similarly, if you have a Covid-19 test that proves you were positive within the past six months, you will need to update it to get the new EU-compatible QR code. We explain how below.

What does the updated Covid-19 test certificate look like?

See below an example of an updated Covid-19 vaccination certificate issued in France that is compatible with EU travel.

One QR code will be compatible with verification systems around the EU. This is to be used by travel authorities or event staff.

The other QR code will mention TousAntiCovid next to it.

With the TousAntiCovid QR code, you can scan the certificate into your TousAntiCovid phone application, if you have it.

To get a Covid-19 vaccination certificate that is compatible with EU travel, find the situation that applies to you below. If your situation is not covered here, please email us at news@connexionfrance.com and we will try to find an answer and publish an update.

You have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 in France and have a paper copy of your certificate, and want to get a digital copy.

If you have a vaccination certificate that has a QR code on it labelled TousAntiCovid, then it is simple:

You download France’s track and trace Covid-19 application TousAntiCovid to your smartphone.

Open the application.

Go to the Mon carnet (My wallet) tool.

Click on add a certificate.

Scan the QR code on your vaccination certificate. The certificate should appear in your app. If it does not, you may need to update your application.

Once this certificate is in the application, it should update automatically today, June 23 to make it compatible with EU travel.

If you have a vaccination certificate that does not have a QR code labelled TousAntiCovid on it, then you will need to get one. See how to do this below.

You have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 in France and have a paper copy of your certificate and want to update it without getting a digital version

If your paper vaccination certificate was issued before June 23, and you do not want a digital copy, then you will need to download a new version of your vaccination certificate for the QR code to be compatible with EU travel.

If you have a social security number in France, you can download a new version from Ameli at this link: attestation-vaccin.ameli.fr

The French government and Ameli both state that the certificates will be updated from June 23 with EU-compatible QR codes but The Connexion has not yet been able to confirm that this is happening.

If you do not have a social security number in France, see the relevant section below.

You have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 in France and have a social security number and want to get a vaccination certificate with the updated QR code

You can download your vaccination certificate from Ameli at this link: attestation-vaccin.ameli.fr

The French government and Ameli both state that the certificates will be updated from June 23 with EU-compatible QR codes, but The Connexion has not yet been able to confirm this is happening.

Once you have the paper copy of your certificate, you can turn it into a digital version. See the section above.

You have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 in France and do not have a social security number and want to get a vaccination certificate with the updated QR code

People without social security numbers can still get vaccination certificates in France.

The best method to get your vaccination certificate is to ask at the place where you were vaccinated, whether at a vaccination centre, with your GP or at a pharmacy.

The healthcare worker will search your details on their system and issue you with a certificate.

You may need to provide information such as the date and time of your final vaccine dose, the arm you received the vaccine in and your address and postcode. This is to help the healthcare worker find you on the system.

There is also a free helpline that you can call: 0 800 08 71 48, open seven days a week between 09:00 and 20:00.

Once you have the paper copy of your certificate, you can turn it into a digital. See the relevant section above.

You have taken a Covid-19 test within the past three months showing that you have had the virus

If you have a Covid-19 test taken within the past three months that shows you have had the virus, you can get a new version with an updated EU-travel QR code through the government website sidep.gouv.fr after June 23.

If you cannot access this, Ameli suggests that you ask the health professional who carried out your test for an updated certificate.

You have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 in another country

If you were fully vaccinated in another EU country, then, theoretically, from July 1, you will be able to use your certificate issued there in France.

If you were fully vaccinated in a country outside the EU, then your vaccination certificate is not yet valid within the EU.

However, France is allowing people to enter from outside the EU with various different vaccination certificates and cards. See our article here and scroll down to the section “Current vaccination proof from the UK and US to France” to know how US and UK travellers can prove their vaccination status to enter France.

The EU also confirmed to The Connexion that talks are ongoing with the UK and the US to integrate their vaccination certificates into the EU system. Read more here - EU Covid travel health pass: Is integration with UK and US advancing?