The entry conditions to French territory are defined by the classification of departure countries (countries and territories on ?green?, ?orange?, ?red? and ?scarlet? lists) indicated below (see the list of countries drawn up on the basis of public health indicators).
Where required, pressing grounds for travel do not concern partners of French citizens, their children, or European citizens and equivalent, their partners (spouses, civil partners or cohabiters), or their children, whose main residence is in mainland France or who are transiting through France to their main residence in a European Union country or equivalent, or the country of their nationality.
If your travel falls within one of these exceptions, a sworn declaration can be downloaded on the Ministry of the Interior's website (in French). It must be presented upon boarding to the transport company and accompanied by the appropriate supporting documents. Examples of pressing grounds for travel can be found on the sworn declaration.
Following the decree published on 12 March 2021, the following grounds have been added to the list:
- Married couples and civil partners where one of the partners is living abroad for professional reasons;
- Minor children enrolled in school in France where the family home is abroad;
- Couples with children, where one lives in France and the other abroad, and are separated;
- Returning to the main residence where the main residence is in France.
Specific rules apply to road hauliers: see the Ministry of the Interior's website. (in French)
Those travelling to France on pressing grounds, from countries where the virological screening test (RT-PCR) cannot be done before departure, may request an exemption from presenting this test at departure (pressing grounds for travel must be proven), and must submit to a test upon arrival in France. They must isolate for 7 days.
All passengers must also present a sworn declaration at boarding stating that you have no symptoms of COVID-19 infection and have not, to your knowledge, been in contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19 in the 14 days prior to the journey; they also undertake to isolate for 7 days upon arrival in France and submit to a second virological screening (RT-PCR) test upon completion of this 7-day isolation.
During their stay in France, travellers should download the application TousAntiCovid, continue to strictly respect protective measures and physical distancing, wear a face mask and be vigilant and act responsibly if symptoms appear or if they are infected.
Irrespective of their country of departure, travellers presenting symptoms of COVID-19 infection upon arrival in French territory will be required to quarantine, or, if necessary, will be placed and held in isolation by the competent Prefect for the area.
If you have travelled through a third country during your return trip to France, but remained in the airport international zone, the rules for the departure country apply.
Can civil partners (who have signed a PACS) and cohabiters be issued a visa?
Exceptionally, civil partners and cohabiters will be considered as partners, on the condition that their usual residence is in the same household as the European citizen or foreign national holding a residence permit. Partners of citizens of the European Union, the United Kingdom, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Andorra, Monaco and Switzerland, their spouses and children can enter France, as well as citizens of the Holy See and San Marino, their spouses and children, may be granted a visa. Consulates will determine the visa category that is most relevant to each individual situation.
Depending on your country of departure and your vaccination status, the procedures that apply to travel to France are different. We recommend you complete a full vaccination cycle before your departure to facilitate your arrival and daily life in France.
Students and researchers from Category 1 (?green? list) countries and territories do not need to have proof of pressing grounds to travel to France.
For students and researchers from Category 2 (?orange? list) and Category 3 (?red? list) countries and territories, the following reasons are recognized as pressing grounds for travel:
- students enrolled in French as a foreign language courses prior to enrolment in higher education;
- students that have passed the oral tests of entrance exams to French higher education institutions;
- students enrolled in a higher education establishment for the year 2021-2022 (including French as a foreign language courses);
- Researchers and teaching staff (including language assistants) moving to France at the invitation of a research laboratory or higher education institution, for research or teaching activities absolutely requiring their physical presence, as well as their partners (spouses, civil partners, or cohabiters, subject to evidence of cohabitation) and children.
For more information, visit the Campus France website. You may also find information from the French Consulate or Campus France office in your place of residence.
Please note that each territory may apply measures via a prefectoral order. For more details on the COVID-19 restrictions in place in each territory, please consult the website of the corresponding prefecture. In addition, to tackle the new wave of the pandemic, further measures are in force as of 26 November 2021.
Protect yourself and others: Download the TousAntiCovid application
Under the reopening strategy for the French borders, which began on 9 June 2021, a list of countries and territories and specific conditions governing travel into France have been defined according to the public health situation and travellers' vaccination status. They are listed on this page under Categories 1 (green), 2 (orange) and 3 (red).
On 1 July 2021, the ?EU Digital Covid Certificate?, came into force in all Member States. It also concerns those who were vaccinated in Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Faroe Islands, Georgia, Holy See, Iceland, Israel, Liechtenstein, Moldova, Monaco, Morocco, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Panama, San Marino, Serbia, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine and the United Kingdom.
In application since 9 June 2021, a COVID certificate proves the vaccination status, negative test result or recovery of its holder. It makes reopening possible, allowing us to resume activities that bring together a large number of people and also facilitates border-crossing within the European Union.
As of 27 November 2021, the booster campaign has been expanded to the entire population over the age of 18.
All those between the ages of 18 and 65 must receive their booster before 15 January 2022 to ensure their COVID certificate remains valid after this date.
In all circumstances, before travelling, consult the Travellers Advice (Conseils aux voyageurs) page on the France Diplomacy website. As of 29 November 2021, the certificate can include a negative test administered in the preceding 24 hours or proof of recovery from COVID-19 in the previous six months.
Foreign visitors must pay a fee for tests in France.
https://www.gouvernement.fr/le-fonctionnement-d-un-vaccin-a-arn-messager (in French)
As of 29 November 2021, the certificate can include a negative test administered in the preceding 24 hours or proof of recovery from COVID-19 in the previous six months. Foreign visitors must pay a fee for tests in France.
As of 30 September 2021, the COVID certificate is mandatory for everyone over the age of 12 years and two months.
Starting on 15 December 2021, people 65 and older or who were vaccinated with a Janssen vaccine must provide proof of booster vaccination for their COVID certificate to be extended.
All those between the ages of 18 and 65 must receive their booster before 15 January 2022 to ensure their COVID certificate remains valid after this date.
For further information on the COVID certificate, go to the Government's website
As a provisional measure, and pending further information on the Omicron variant, a ?scarlet? list of countries has been created: this refers to countries where there is particularly active circulation of the virus and/or discovery of a variant likely to present a higher risk of transmission or immune escape.
Following the discovery of a particularly worrying new variant (B1.1.259), the French Government has suspended flights from seven countries in southern Africa (in French) (as of 26/11/21) until further notice.
Morocco has suspended regular flights to and from France as of Sunday, 28 November 2021.
There are four categories of countries/territories
1. Category 1 (countries and territories on the ?green? list)
Travellers arriving in France from countries in the European space (European Union, Andorra, the Holy See, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, San Marino and Switzerland), or Australia, Argentina, Bahrain, Canada, Chile, Comoros, Hong Kong, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, New Zealand, Qatar, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Republic of Korea, Taiwan, United Arab Emirates, Uruguay and Vanuatu.
In this category, the rules may vary from country to country. For example, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia and Switzerland have been placed under surveillance among the countries in the European space. A test taken less than 24 hours prior to arrival is required for people who are not vaccinated (as opposed to 72 hours for other countries on this list).
Travellers arriving in France from countries in the European space (European Union, Andorra, the Holy See, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, San Marino and Switzerland), or Australia, Argentina, Bahrain, Canada, Chile, Comoros, Hong Kong, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, New Zealand, Qatar, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Republic of Korea, Taiwan, United Arab Emirates, Uruguay and Vanuatu. In this category, the rules may vary from country to country. For example, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia and Switzerland have been placed under surveillance among the countries in the European space. A test taken less than 24 hours prior to arrival is required for people who are not vaccinated (as opposed to 72 hours for other countries on this list).
The Nord Prefecture in France enacted more restrictive measures on Saturday for people coming from Belgium, categorized by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control as one of the ten EU countries in a situation of high concern. People coming from Belgium, apart from children under 12, must present proof of full vaccination or a negative result of a PCR or antigen test taken less than 24 hours prior to the date of arrival.
Travellers under 12 do not have to take a test. A certificate of recovery dated more than 11 days and less than 6 months prior (this document is issued to people who have contracted COVID-19, upon presentation of a positive RT-PCR or antigen test), may also serve as a COVID certificate.
Upon arrival in France, travellers should download the application TousAntiCovid, continue to strictly respect protective measures and physical distancing, wear a face mask and be vigilant and act responsibly if symptoms appear or if they are infected.
Travelling to France from countries on the ?green? list
To travel to France from a country on the ?green list?, you must complete and carry these documents to board. A sworn declaration stating that you have no symptoms of COVID-19 infection and have not been in contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19, is necessary. You must present this declaration to travel companies before using your travel ticket, as well as to border control authorities (for travel by air, sea and land, including by rail);
If you fail to produce these documents, you will be denied boarding and be removed.
Exceptions
Certain exceptions (tests, proof of vaccination or COVID certificate, depending on the individual situation) are made for the following:
trips by residents of cross-border areas (border within a 30 km radius of your residence, and for a duration of less than 24 hours).
work-related trips, the urgent or frequent nature of which makes them incompatible with these tests;
trips by hauliers carrying out their work.
To avail of the exemptions above, you must have a document proving the reasons for your trip.
2. Category 2 (countries on the ?orange? list)
Countries where active circulation of the virus in controlled proportions is observed, without the spread of variants of concern. This list refers to all countries not included on the ?green? or ?red? lists.
From 4 December 2021, vaccinated persons aged 12 years or over wishing to travel to France from the UK must present a PCR or antigen negative test result less than 48 hours old before travelling (24 hours old for those not fully vaccinated).
Travellers under 12 do not have to take a test.
3. Category 3 (countries and territories on the ?red? list)
For travellers wishing to travel to France from a country listed in the order of the Ministry for Solidarity and Health identifying the zones of active circulation of the epidemic or transmission of variants of concern. They include: Afghanistan, Belarus, Brazil, Costa Rica, Cuba, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, Pakistan, Russia, Serbia, Suriname, Turkey and Ukraine.
It is strongly recommended not to travel to these countries/territories.
Important: tourism and holidays abroad are not considered pressing grounds for travel.
Travellers under 12 do not have to take a test.
4. Category 4 (countries and territories on the ?scarlet? list)
Travelling to France from countries on the ?orange?, ?red? and "scarlet" lists
To travel to France from these countries, you must complete and carry these documents to board:
A sworn declaration stating that you do not have symptoms of COVID-19 and that you have not to your knowledge been in contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19 in the 14 days leading up to the journey; (if you are aged 12 years or older) you agree to submit to a virological RT SARS-CoV-2 PCR test for SARS-CoV-2 upon arrival in France;
Exempted international movement certificate for travel to Metropolitan France.
These documents can be downloaded from the Ministry of the Interior's website.
If you fail to produce these documents, you will be denied boarding and be removed.
Important: tourism and holidays abroad are not considered pressing grounds for travel.
If your travel falls within one of these exceptions, a sworn declaration can be downloaded on the Ministry of the Interior's website. It must be presented upon boarding to the transport company and accompanied by the appropriate supporting documents. Examples of pressing grounds for travel can be found on the sworn declaration.
All French nationals and their partners and children can enter France, subject to compliance with current public health rules.
Irrespective of their country of departure, travellers presenting symptoms of COVID-19 infection upon arrival in French territory will be required to quarantine, or, if necessary, will be placed and held in isolation by the competent Prefect for the area.
If you have spent less than 24 hours in transit in a third country during your journey to France, but did not leave the international zone of the airport, the rules for the country of departure apply.
Upon arrival in France, travellers should download the application TousAntiCovid, continue to strictly respect protective measures and physical distancing, wear a face mask and be vigilant and act responsibly if symptoms appear or if they are infected.
Travel to and from all overseas territories is only possible if you have pressing grounds for travel, with the exception of those who are fully vaccinated, and on condition they have negative PCR or antigen test results.
For more information on public health rules applicable to each territory, visit the website of the competent Prefecture:
- www.guadeloupe.gouv.fr
- www.guyane.gouv.fr
- www.martinique.gouv.fr
- www.mayotte.gouv.fr
- www.nouvelle-caledonie.gouv.fr
- www.polynesie-francaise.pref.gouv.fr
- www.reunion.gouv.fr
- www.saint-barth-saint-martin.gouv.fr
- www.saint-pierre-et-miquelon.gouv.fr
- www.taaf.fr
- www.wallis-et-futuna.gouv.fr
Travel to and from Corsica is subject to specific measures, which can be consulted on the website of the Regional Prefecture.
You can also visit the dedicated website on the Government website: https://www.gouvernement.fr/info-coronavirus/outre-mer (in French)