france reopening to tourists
Paris - France

France is Open For Tourism And Plans no Further Restrictions for EU Travelers

France is open to tourists from most countries. Different rules apply to green, orange, and red-listed nations.

Fully vaccinated travelers from EU or “green” countries can enter without submitting a negative Covid-19 PCR test or going into quarantine.

Check out: Best Hostels in Paris if you’re are traveling on the budget

France Travel Restrictions – Latest Updates

Arc de Triomphe, Paris France

December 21 – France to permit fully vaccinated EU citizens to enter without further restrictions

The French President has confirmed that fully vaccinated visitors from European Union Member States will be able to enter France without pre-departure testing or any other additional requirements.

“Faced with variants of the virus, we must continue to act like Europeans. People who have been vaccinated will not have to take any tests to travel between member countries of the European Union,” Macron wrote on his official Twitter account Thursday.

However, France has restricted all travel from the U.K. due to the high Omicron activity in its territory.

Read our full post: France Promises No Additional Travel Restrictions for EU Citizens

France - travel restrictions

Color-code classification to enter France

France Entry Requirements
France – Entry requirements

Green countries

Residents from the E.U., and the Schengen area, plus other non-European nations are allowed entry for any reason including tourism. (Updated – December 21).

  1. Argentina
  2. Australia
  3. Bahrain
  4. Canada
  5. Comoros
  6. Hong Kong
  7. Japan, Jordan
  8. Kuwait
  9. Lebanon
  10. New Zealand
  11. Qatar
  12. Rwanda
  13. Saudi Arabia
  14. Senegal
  15. South Korea
  16. Taiwan
  17. United Arab Emirates
  18. Uruguay
  19. Vanuatu

Red countries

Only travel for essential reasons is allowed. A negative PCR test and a 14-day quarantine are mandatory.

  1. Afghanistan
  2. Belarus
  3. Brazil
  4. Costa Rica
  5. Cuba
  6. Georgia
  7. Mauritius
  8. Moldova
  9. Montenegro
  10. Pakistan
  11. Russia
  12. Serbia
  13. Suriname
  14. Turkey
  15. Ukraine

“Scarlet red” countries/territories – New category

Countries where the circulation of the virus is particularly active and/or a variant is likely to present a risk of increased transmissibility or immune escape.

  • Botswana
  • Eswatini
  • Lesotho
  • Malawi
  • Mozambique
  • Namibia
  • South Africa
  • Zambia
  • Zimbabwe

Orange countries

Countries that do not appear on the green or orange lists belong on the orange one. 

Source: French Government

Are there any specific rules for French Overseas Territories?

France travel restrictions

The specific rules for overseas territories are available at the following websites:

How can non-EU visitors assess if their travel is essential? 

For individuals needing to travel to France but whose passport belongs to one of the restricted countries, there is the possibility to be admitted under one of these categories.

  • Foreign students with a long-stay visa.
  • Academics who have been invited by -or work for- a higher education institution.
  • Crew members engaged in transporting goods or people, or manning fishing vessels.
  • Family reunification for children, spouse, or parents of a French citizen.
  • Essential Workers such as diplomats and healthcare professionals.

Are there additional requirements for foreign nationals coming from a restricted country?

Check for restrictions and additional requirements here.

COVID-19 cases in France

As of December 20, the country has reported 8,640,924 confirmed COVID cases and 121,717 deaths.

Is it safe to visit France now?

France has been placed as a “Level 4: Very High Level of COVID-19” by the CDC.gov due to its high infectious rate and it is not safe to visit at the moment.

France reopening: Updates Archives

November 7 – France might reintroduce some COVID restrictions on Nov. 9  

The French President will address the nation on Tuesday about the surge in COVID-19 cases and other issues, announced the government.  

The last major televised speech was on 12 July at the start of the fourth wave of infections. On that occasion, he made vaccinations mandatory for all front-line workers.

“The epidemic is picking up speed again in Europe, Europe has again become the epicenter of the epidemic,” government spokesman Gabriel Attal told reporters.

On Wednesday, the government reimposed the face masks mandate for school children in 39 regional departments where infection starting to get out of control. 

October 1 – French Citizens Will Now Need To Pay For COVID-19 Tests for Travel Purposes

The French government will no longer sponsor the so-called “comfort” tests needed for people who want to travel but who do not show any Covid-19 related symptoms, announced Primer Minister on Sunday.

The decision will enter into force on October 15. On that day, travelers will have to pay €49 for a PCR test and €29 for the antigen one. 

France is looking to extend its COVID state of emergency until summer 2022, so the government can keep enforcing this and other restrictions.

September 19 – France has reached the 50-million vaccination milestone

President Emmanuel Macron announced on Friday that the number of French residents who have received at least one shot of a Covid-19 vaccine has surpassed 50 million.

Macron made the announcement in a video shared on his official Twitter account saying, “the vaccine saves lives, the virus kills, it’s that simple.”

The country of 67.06 million inhabitants now has one of the world’s highest vaccination rates, with close to 90% of its eligible population fully or partially vaccinated. 

September 2 – Health pass has speeded up France’s vaccination rate

Seven weeks after the implementation of France’s “Health Pass”, the vaccination rate has increased faster than expected. 

Since mid-July, millions have scheduled their vaccination appointments to avoid taking a Covid-19 test every time they want to go for lunch.

“People have understood it, it’s relatively well respected and it’s contributing undeniably in keeping the fourth wave in check for the moment,” said Djillali Annane, the head of the care unit of the Raymond-Poincare de Garches hospital in Paris.

Source: The Local

August 20 – 6 million COVID tests taken last week in France after introduction of health pass 

On July 21, France made it obligatory to show the “Passe Sanitaire” (health pass) for people to visit France’s famed restaurants, cafes, outdoor terraces as well as to use public transportation and more. 

The pass must contain proof of being fully vaccinated or having tested negative for COVID-19.

On August 19, Prime Minister Jean Castex announced the government had managed to vaccinate almost 60% of its eligible population. 

Although this is a great milestone, it’s not enough to ensure French people, especially those under 30’s can have their lives back. 

On August 19, the Direction de la recherche, des études, de l’évaluation et des statistiques (Drees) announced that 6 million people took the COVID-19 test in the previous week. 

This is probably because most of them have not been able to access the vaccine yet.

Source: The Connexion

August 6 – France to consider reintroducing new restrictions due to a “explosion” of COVID cases

France would be considering enforcing new COVID-19 restrictions according to government spokesman Gabriel Attal.

The restrictions may include closing restaurants and bars earlier and mandatory use of face masks, once again.

On Thursday, the highest constitutional authority in France ruled in favor of using a COVID-19 “health pass” for people to be permitted to enter public spaces such as restaurants and shops.

“No freedom is absolute,” said President Emmanuel Macron on Instagram defending the implementation of the health pass. 

Source: France 24

July 22 – France to request “health passport” for access leisure and cultural venues from July 21

Effective July 21, tourists and locals will need to bring their “health pass” (pass sanitaire) if they want to access restaurants, bars, cinemas, museums, as well as to board trains and airplanes.

Right after the announcement, more than a million French people scheduled a vaccination appointment on the medical website Doctolib according to the company’s CEO on Twitter

“I can understand that the French were worried, that they had doubts,” said government spokesperson Gabriel Attal, “but I tell them very sincerely and very honestly: the time is not for doubting the vaccine, we now have to go for it.”

Those who chose not to get vaccinated must present a negative COVID-19 test every time they want to go to the aforementioned places.

Source: Politico

July 4 – France reopened for tourism to the U.S and other 26 territories from the end of June

France reopened its borders to Americans and other tourists from the end of June. To be allowed entry, fully vaccinated visitors must have received one of the EU-approved vaccines.

The country is currently accepting visitors inoculated with Pfizer, Moderna AstraZeneca, and Johnson & Johnson (Janssen).

Travelers who opted for vaccines different from these will still need to prove their compelling reasons to travel to France.

The government has recently moved the United States to its “green list” of countries. So for now U.S. visitors are allowed entry regardless of vaccination status. However, this may change with little to no prior notice. 

(Source: Times of India)

June 22 – France reopened for tourism but banned 18 countries from June 17

France reopened for international tourism on June 9 removing the need for coronavirus tests for vaccinated Europeans. Allowed countries will be updated on a weekly basis depending on the epidemiology situation of each territory.

The new color-code system informs travelers the type of restrictions they will face upon arrival and also the ones that have been lifted. 

On June 17, France banned visitors from South Africa, Argentina, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Uruguay, Paraguay, Afghanistan, and Maldives due to a high incidence of COVID-19.

France is currently discussing the possibility of relaxing multiple COVID-19 related restrictions on June 23 and on July 9.

(Source: French Gov.)