New restrictions will take effect on Saturday December 18. France will tighten access conditions for travelers from the United Kingdom, government spokesman Gabriel Attal said on Thursday on BFMTV. Objective: to limit “the extremely rapid diffusion of the Omicron variant” on the Hexagon. Compelling reasons, duration of isolation, validity of tests before traveling … Franceinfo takes stock of these restrictions.
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Travel is conditioned on “compelling reasons”
To travel to or from the United Kingdom, you will need a “compelling reason”. The “compelling reasons” concern both vaccinated and unvaccinated people, “from this Saturday morning at 0 am”, the government said in a press release. But these motives “will not allow travel for tourist or professional reasons”.
For example, travelers to the UK who have custody rights, a court or administrative summons, or those traveling for the death of a direct family member or a visit from a person whose life-threatening prognosis are among those that can justify a “compelling reason”, on presentation of supporting documents.
The list of all “compelling reasons”, for all travelers coming from France or the United Kingdom, is available here.
The people concerned
Will be able to travel to the UK or enter France for “compelling reason” all “French national, as well as his spouse (married, civil union and cohabiting) and his children”, and all “British national and members of his family benefiting from the agreement” on Brexit.
Likewise for “national (s) of the European Union or assimilated” as well as “their spouses and their children having their main residence in France”, and the “third-country nationals holding a French or European residence permit or long-stay visa” residing in France.
Can also benefit from a “compelling reason” The travellers “in transit for less than 24 hours in the international zone at airports”, some registered students “in French as a foreign language (FLE) courses” or even some health professionals.
A minimum of 48 hours of isolation for trips in both directions
An isolation system on arrival in France is also in place, in a place that travelers “will choose for seven days, with a control of the security forces”, but who could be “lifted after 48 hours” if a test carried out on arrival in France turns out to be negative. “You will have to register on an application that will generate a prefectural isolation order”, said Gabriel Attal.
Before leaving the UK, you will need to “register on a digital platform” and identify the address of the stay in France. “This platform will make it possible to generate prefectural orders fixing the obligation of isolation in the place of their choice for all travelers, unvaccinated as vaccinated”.
It should also be noted that the validity of antigen and PCR tests on departure from the United Kingdom is reduced from 48 hours to 24 hours.
For travelers departing from France to the UK, there are two scenarios. Concerning the vaccinated persons, they must, when crossing the border, present the result of a negative test of less than 48 hours and an online form, the “passenger locator form”. They must also bring the proof of purchase of a PCR test to be performed no later than two days after arrival on the territory (the list of suppliers is available on this link). Finally, these people must self-isolate upon arrival, until the result of their PCR test is obtained, provided it is negative. In the event of a positive result, the traveler must self-isolate for a period of 10 days. The France Diplomatie website informs that antigenic tests are no longer accepted.
For unvaccinated people, in addition to the presentation of the result of a negative test within 48 hours and the online form mentioned above, they are required to book, before departure, two tests to be carried out on the second and eighth day of arrival on the territory. Proof of purchase must be presented when crossing the border. Finally, they must respect an isolation period of 10 days on arrival, which can be carried out at home or at the hotel.