France lockdown: Can I visit friends and family?
The rules - and the exceptions
Not for the foreseeable future. In his address on 28 October, President Macron prohibited "private meetings outside the strict family nucleus", superseding the government's previous rule limiting gatherings of friends and family to six people.
As a result, you cannot visit another household during the second lockdown, due to the movement restrictions as well as the ban on gatherings. The latter extends to birthday parties, as well as baptisms and communions, while Health Minister Olivier Véran explained the limitations were aimed at halting the spread of Covid-19 between people's homes.
However, the following exceptions apply:
- Civil marriages - which are limited to a maximum of six guests;
- Funerals - limited to a maximum of 30 guests;
- Demonstrations of fewer than six people previously declared to the prefecture, with Covid-19 protocols in place.
Groups of no more than six people can meet at parks, beaches and lakes, as long as they remain within one kilometre of their homes. The government's list of what public facilities are available and which are closed can be found here.
