In fear of the Omicron variant, France has instated a travel ban against most visitors from the United Kingdom. Only visitors engaging in essential travel are exempt.
An announcement from the French Government stated that the travel ban will start on Dec. 18. Even fully vaccinated or recovered Britons will have to show that their travel is necessary.
U.K. citizens who are allowed to visit France for essential travel will have to partake in stricter entry requirements.
Anyone arriving in France from the U.K. will have to provide negative results from a PCR or antigen test taken up to 24 hours before entry. U.K. travelers were previously allowed to provide results from a test taken within 48 hours before arrival.
Travelers from the U.K. will be required to self-quarantine for at least 48 hours. After that, they can end the self-quarantine if they have negative COVID-19 test results.
Additionally, U.K. travelers will have to register their visit to France on a digital platform before departure. To register, travelers will need to share their destination’s address.
French citizens and residents will still be able to enter France regardless of their reasons, though they’ll have to meet other entry requirements.
Omicron infection rates are significantly higher in the U.K. than in France. The U.K. has reported hundreds of thousands of new COVID-19 cases in the past week, and over 10,000 of those cases are of the Omicron variety.
In contrast, France’s health authorities have reported under 200 cases of the variant within the nation’s borders.