COVID-19 travel restrictions for non-EU citizens in France

Since 9 June 2021, as part of the strategy to reopen French borders and in accordance with a decree dated 7 June 2021, a classification of countries and territories is made and regularly updated by the government according to the health situation.

To date, the classification is as follows:

• GREEN countries/territories: locations where there is no active circulation of the virus and no variants of concern. These are the countries of the European Union, in addition to Albania, Australia, Bosnia, Canada, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, Kosovo, Lebanon, North Macedonia, Montenegro, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, the US and Vanuatu.
• ORANGE countries/territories: locations where there is active circulation of the virus in controlled proportions with no spread of variants of concern. These are all countries/territories not included in the lists of GREEN and RED countries/territories.
• RED countries/territories: locations with active virus circulation and variants of concern: Afghanistan, Argentina, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Democratic Republic of Congo India, Maldives, Namibia, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Paraguay, Russia, Seychelles, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Uruguay and Zambia.

In this context, it is specified that the procedures for travel to and from French territory depend on this classification and each traveller's vaccination status.

It is therefore necessary, on the one hand, to check whether the planned trip is subject to the compelling reasons regime (which remains the rule outside GREEN countries/territories, and which can be adapted for people who can prove that they have been fully vaccinated with vaccines approved by the European Medicines Agency, all the prescribed doses and a delay after the last dose that varies according to the vaccine administered. Check this website. On the other hand, it is necessary to respect the sanitary measures put in place on entry to French territory with the aim of limiting the spread of the virus.

More specifically, regarding countries classified in the ORANGE countries’ list (since Ukraine is not included in the lists of GREEN and RED countries mentioned above):

All travellers, whether vaccinated or not, from these countries/territories must present a negative PCR test result within 72 hours or a negative antigen test (TAG) within 48 hours upon boarding. They may be subject to a random antigenic test on arrival.

In addition, it should be noted that:

• Vaccinated travellers are not subject to the compelling reasons regime.
• Unvaccinated travellers are subject to the compelling reasons regime and will have to respect a seven-day self-isolation. The list of compelling reasons is specified in the travel certificate issued by the Ministry of the Interior. According to this list, the following individuals may enter France: French nationals, their spouses and children, EU nationals and their spouses and children who have their main residence in France or who are joining, in transit through France, their main residence in a EU country or the country of which they are a national.

If you have any questions about the application of the measures concerning entry and staying in France, contact this toll free number: 0800 130 000 or consult the following website.