Travel update: France eases travel restrictions for SA

Great news for those wanting to travel to France: South African visitors entering the country have now been moved from orange to green status.

This ultimately means that South Africans who are fully vaccinated with either a Pfizer or J&J vaccine can now enter France without a test. According to Travel News, more good news are on the cards from 14 March, when the need for visitors to carry the ‘pass sanitaire‘, or the French health pass, will be scrapped. This health pass will, however, remain in place in medical establishments such as hospitals and nursing homes.

France Prime Minister Jean Castex has also said that 14 March will also mark the day when wearing a mask will no longer be compulsory indoors, except for within “collective passenger transport” such as planes, trains, and buses, as well as in health establishments.

Unvaccinated entering France

The French tourism office claims that unvaccinated South African travellers will also be able to enter France, but they will have to provide a negative test result from a PCR test done within the 72 hours before boarding their flight or a negative test result from an antigen test done within the 48 hours before boarding.

Booster shots a bonus

At the current moment, France does not require that travellers have a booster dose of a COVID-19 vaccine to enter the country. Many establishments in the country, however, do regard a booster shots as essential – for entry to some bars, ski lifts and cafés.

As of 15 February, the French government reduced the length of validity for proof of vaccination without a booster from seven months to just four. This simply signifies that all fully vaxxed travellers SHOULD ensure that they have received their booster shots if they have been vaccinated with their second dose for more than four months, in order to enter certain establishments in the country.

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