Update: Covid recovery proof valid for four months from February 15

Covid recovery certificates - which are positive test results - will from February 15 only remain valid as part of the vaccine pass for four months, as opposed to six currently.

The time period will also be backdated.

It means that if you tested positive on January 1 and you are using the result as part of your vaccine pass, then the pass will stop being active on May 1.

The change was announced by the health ministry yesterday (January 28).

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

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

What is the vaccine pass?

The vaccine pass is either proof of being fully vaccinated against Covid, or proof of having recovered from Covid between 11 days and (currently) six months prior.

The pass applies to everyone aged 16 and over, and is required to enter the majority of leisure-orientated public venues in France, such as cafes, restaurants, and cinemas.

Everyone aged 18 and over must have had a booster vaccine dose no later than seven months after their previous dose in order to be considered fully vaccinated.

From February 15, this time period will be shortened to four months.

For adults, in order to have a valid vaccine pass, you can have any one of these combinations:

• Vaccine dose 1 + vaccine dose 2 + booster dose (maximum seven months after dose 2, to become four months on February 15)
• Positive Covid test + vaccine dose 1 + booster dose (maximum seven months after dose 1, to become four months on February 15)

• Vaccine dose 1 + positive Covid test (at least two weeks after dose 1) + booster dose (maximum six months after Covid test, to become four months on February 15)
• Vaccine dose + vaccine dose 2 + positive Covid test (at least two weeks after dose 2) - This will remain valid for six months, set to become four months on February 15)

• Positive Covid test (valid for six months, set to become four months on February 15)

• Vaccine dose 1 + promise to get second dose + negative Covid test (valid only for 24 hours)

It should be noted that France’s vaccine pass rules and the above combinations apply only when in France. International travel rules, such as entering and exiting France, are different.

You can read more about that in our articles here:

‘Fully vaccinated’: does meaning vary in France depending on context?

Booster Covid dose needed for travel within EU from February 1

Related stories:

Nine million people in France risk losing vaccine pass if no booster

Network of 62,000 fake health passes dismantled in France

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