The French government will soon remove the testing requirement currently imposed on the majority of travellers.
The news was announced by the Secretary of State for European Affairs, Clément Beaune. He said that the authorities are expected to announce changes regarding entry to the country during the upcoming days.
In addition, Beaune explained that there would also be a new protocol for fully vaccinated travellers who reach France from a third country, SchengenVisaInfo reports.
According to the French Ministry of Interior, fully vaccinated travellers from a European Union country, including Andorra, Iceland, Monaco, Liechtenstein, Norway, San Marino, Switzerland, and the Vatican City State, can enter France for travel purposes provided that they hold a valid vaccination certificate.
On the other hand, travellers from the other countries that are not part of the list mentioned above need to undergo a test taken within 48 hours when travelling to France.
The pre-entry testing requirement applies to all travellers from a non-EU country, even if they have been fully vaccinated or recovered from the virus.
“If you are already vaccinated, you shall present proof of your vaccination status and a sworn statement certifying the absence of COVID-19 symptoms and of any contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19. A negative PCR or antigen test taken less than 48 hours old is required, except for arrivals from a Member State of the European Union,” the statement of the Ministry reads.
The new entry rules that aim to make the travel process easier are to be discussed, and if approved, they are expected to be announced next week.
Even if the testing requirement gets dropped for travellers who are fully vaccinated, everyone should note that France now has new rules in place regarding the validity of vaccination certificates.
The French authorities announced earlier this month that since February 1, the country would only accept vaccination certificates that prove that the holder has received its last vaccine dose within 270 days.
>> France Now Has a 9-Month Validity Period for Vaccination Certificates
This means that those who have been fully vaccinated within the last nine months will continue to enter France under facilitated rules. In contrast, those who have been vaccinated more than nine months ago need to receive a booster shot to be considered fully vaccinated.
The new rules on vaccination certificates validity apply to all persons over the age of 18, whereas those under 12 do not need to be vaccinated in order to be permitted entry to France.