Tag Archives: travel

Using the ski lifts in France:

At the moment (2021) a health pass (as seen in the photo above) is required to use the ski lifts in France (it will be removed when the national case rate falls below 200 cases per 100,00 inhabitants). All health passes from countries listed below are valid for use. This includes negative test results, covid recovery passes, and vaccination passes. It is not exclusive to vaccination passes.

For example, you can obtain a health pass QR code in France from any pharmacy by taking a 5 minute test and the pharmacist will give you with your health pass QR code valid for 24hrs with a negative test result.

If a PCR test were to be positive, the QR code provided will be recognised to gain a recovery pass, 10 days after the result. Which will be valid for 180 days from the date of the test.

Recovery Pass = Health Pass

If you have previously contracted COVID-19, instead of a negative test result you can present a certificate of recovery dated more than 11 days and less than 6 months prior to the date of arrival. A certificate of recovery is a document issued to persons who have contracted COVID-19, upon presentation of a positive RT-PCR or antigenic test.

Information can be validated at source here:
https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/coming-to-france/coronavirus-advice-for-foreign-nationals-in-france/
And uk-france specific info here:
https://uk.ambafrance.org/COVID-19-rules-for-travel-between-France-and-the-UK-28918

UK Recovery Pass = Health Pass

To get an NHS Health Pass and QR Code to use in France, RECOVERY from Covid provides a 180 day health pass. Simply register a positive PCR test result more than 10 days old to the NHS system to obtain your 180 day recovery pass. Link below:
https://covid-status.service.nhsx.nhs.uk
or apply by post
https://www.nhs.uk/get-your-covid-pass-letter/

Recognition of Vaccination = Health Pass

Recognition of Vaccination health passes for those vaccinated in one of the following countries: Member States of the European Union, Albania, Andorra, Faroe Islands, Iceland, Israel, Liechtenstein, North Macedonia, Morocco, Monaco, Norway, Panama, United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales), San Marino, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, Vatican. The digital Covid certificate that has been issued to you is accepted in France under the recognition provided by the EU health pass system. You have no additional steps to perform.

This means that if your vaccine certificate is valid in your home country listed above, it is recognised in France equally as it is in your home nation.

The recent changes to France’s vaccination validity period of 7 months applies to French vaccination pass holders only. Vaccination passes from other nations listed above remain recognised under the criteria of the EU health pass system.

There are proposed updates to the EU health pass system, to take effect from the 10th January 2022. The part which will affect vaccine validity will be 9 months, and is worded as follows:

Standard acceptance period of vaccination certificates: To avoid diverging and disruptive approaches, the Commission proposes a standard acceptance period of 9 months for vaccination certificates issued following the completion of the primary vaccination series. This means that, in the context of travel, Member States should not refuse a vaccination certificate that has been issued less than 9 months since the administration of the last dose of the primary vaccination.

The Commission’s proposals will now be discussed by the EU Member States, who will decide on the final version of the Recommendations. The Commission proposes for the new rules to apply as of 10 January 2022.

You can view this regulatory information here:
https://ec.europa.eu/info/live-work-travel-eu/coronavirus-response/safe-covid-19-vaccines-europeans/eu-digital-covid-certificate_en

UK health pass holders

The NHS health pass can be used in France and is recognised through-out the EU because it is part of the overall EU health pass system.

Travelling with children over 12 years old.

Children travelling with fully vaccinated adults will benefit from the same rules whether they are vaccinated or not. You can therefore travel with your underage children, whether they are vaccinated or not, and they will not need to self-isolate. Unvaccinated children aged 12 and OVER will need to present a negative test result when travelling as described below.

Each traveller aged 12 and over must present a negative PCR test taken less than 72 hours before departure or a negative antigenic test taken less than 48 hours before departure.

Information can be validated at source here:
https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/coming-to-france/coronavirus-advice-for-foreign-nationals-in-france/
And uk-france specific info here:
https://uk.ambafrance.org/COVID-19-rules-for-travel-between-France-and-the-UK-28918

Recovery Pass:

If you have previously contracted COVID-19, instead of a negative test result you can present a certificate of recovery dated more than 10 days and less than 6 months prior to the date of arrival. A certificate of recovery is a document issued to persons who have contracted COVID-19, upon presentation of a positive RT-PCR or antigenic test.

(For UK residents this can be done simply by providing a positive PCR test result more than 10 days old to the NHS system here. https://covid-status.service.nhsx.nhs.uk or by post here https://www.nhs.uk/get-your-covid-pass-letter/)

Information can be validated at source here:
https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/coming-to-france/coronavirus-advice-for-foreign-nationals-in-france/
And uk-france specific info here:
https://uk.ambafrance.org/COVID-19-rules-for-travel-between-France-and-the-UK-28918