In times of Corona there are a few things to consider when entering France. The core of the currently valid rules is the so-called 3G certificate. Furthermore, an affidavit must be carried and presented on request.

This article describes the entry requirements for the mainland and the island of Corsica. The overseas territories sometimes have different rules. Regardless of this, you should inform yourself about the current regulations in good time before departure, because these can - as in any other country - change at short notice.

Those are the mainland rules

3G proof is required to enter mainland France. Vaccinated people need to be fully vaccinated with an EMA approved vaccine. The last dose must be at least 14 days ago. These vaccines are recognized: Pfizer / Comirnaty, Moderna, AstraZeneca / Vaxzevria / Covishield, Johnson & Johnson / Janssen. If you meet the criterion “fully vaccinated”, you do not currently have to go into quarantine if you are coming from the EU area. The EU vaccination certificates are recognized, but also the classic paper vaccination pass and medical confirmations.

Those who have recovered can also enter without segregation. To do this, it is necessary to present evidence that is at least 11 days old, but not more than six months old. This can be done in the form of the EU recovery certificate, but also with the help of a positive finding that falls within the time window. Notices from health authorities are also recognized.

If neither vaccinated nor recovered, you can submit a negative antigen or PCR test to mainland France. Both findings and the EU test certificates are recognized.

If you want to travel to France, it is strongly recommended that the certificates are written in French (which is clearly an advantage) or English. The authorities prefer documents in French or the EU certificates with QR code.

Furthermore, you have to carry an affidavit with you when you travel to France. This is preprinted in English and can be used as an MS Word file with this link downloaded. It is recommended that you fill this out on your PC before printing it out and signing it. The document must be presented to the airline and / or the inspection of the health authorities upon request.

Official information and the form with this link.

Transfer users are largely excluded

There is an important special case: if you change trains at a French airport, for example in Paris-Orly or Paris-Charles de Gaulle, and do not leave the security area, you are not formally entering France, but are in transit. In this case the French requirements do not apply. France declares that the entry requirements of the actual destination country must be met. This should be checked randomly by the airlines and / or the authorities. Transfer passengers expressly do not need the affidavit of entry.

Corsica has stricter rules

Another special case is entry into Corsica. It should be noted that the deviating rule not only applies if you come from another EU country, but also if you travel to Corsica from mainland France by plane or ferry. The island is currently not granting relief to those who have recovered. There are also differences in the validity of test results: antigen results count for 48 hours and negative PCRs for 72 hours from the swab. Fully vaccinated people can enter Corsica without any further requirements. However, everyone must have the affidavit, which is also required on the mainland, filled in and signed.

Official information and the form with this link.

Random checks by the authorities

The French authorities are currently only examining the documents on a random basis. This means that - in contrast to Austria - there are no systematic controls by air either. For example, if you only change trains in Paris, there is a very high probability that you will not get to know the health authorities.

However, France has made the airlines that fly to the state, the condition that they view the travelers' documents at the latest before boarding. If something does not fit, boarding should be denied. As a result, Air France and other carriers require that the boarding pass must be picked up at the check-in counter before departure.

It then depends heavily on the ground staff whether the documents are meticulously checked when they are picked up or boarded or not. A practical test at the French airports Paris-Orly and Paris-Charles de Gaulle showed that the "Corona documents" are viewed very carefully at the gate and that the "checks" can sometimes drag on boarding .