Will we need QR codes to visit Paris after the Olympic Games?
The Paralympic Games will follow on from the Olympics
QR codes are needed to traverse Paris during the Olympics
Kavi designs/Shutterstock
Reader Question: I am visiting Paris from the US the week of August 16 - 23. Will I need to download a QR code to visit famous sites in the city after the Olympic Games?
Pedestrians and drivers in Paris, both residents and visitors, were required to download a QR code to visit certain parts of the city in the run up to the start of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Zones of limited access included parts of the Seine river, the Eiffel Tower, and the Arc de Triomphe.
Codes were required to access these sites between July 18 and July 26, as preparations for the Games were made, including for the opening ceremony, which took place partially along the Seine.
QR codes have also been necessary to enter security zones around areas where events are being held in public spaces.
Tickets to watch an event had their own QR code on them.
Read more: 5 questions about the Paris Olympic QR codes
QR codes for Paralympics also required
The Olympic Games finish on August 11, when the closing ceremony will take place in the Stade de France.
However, in the same way as during the Olympic Games, QR codes will be required for those without tickets to Paralympic events who wish to enter the security perimeters around them.
Many of the same venues around the city will be used for Paralympic events as they were during the Olympics – a full list in English can be found here. An interactive map of where QR codes are needed is available here.
One exception specific to the Paralympics is that a QR code will be required for those wishing to pass by the route of the Paralympic cycling events, held on some roads in the neighbouring Seine-Saint-Denis department, between September 4 and 7.
Those already in Paris for the Olympics will need a new QR code to access areas relating to the Paralympics.
This will come into force during the Paralympic games (August 28 to September 8).
A pass may be required to pass through the Concorde and the Champs-Élysées areas in the run up to the Paralympic opening ceremony (where the ceremony will be held), but further information on this has not yet been made available.
Read more: A guide for those in Paris during the Olympic and Paralympic games
