France to maintain tight international travel restrictions until at least June 15th

In a press conference on the next phase of the lifting of France's strict lockdown rules, Interior Minister Christophe Castaner announced that tight restrictions on international travel will remain in place.

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At present anyone travelling from Europe - including the UK - needs an international travel permit and can only cross the border if they meet certain criteria.

Castaner announced on Thursday that these rules will remain in place until "at least June 15th".

He said: "Since the start of the crisis the closure of the borders is the rule, and the authorisation to cross a border is the exception.

"We have to keep this protection in place, this will not change soon."

He added that cross-border workers will remain exempt from this restriction.

For travellers from outside Europe there is an EU ban on all non essential travel and Castaner said this will remain in place "until further notice".

However the compulsory quarantine which had been causing some confusion over the past week will not, at this stage, be applied to people arriving from inside the EU or Schengen zone.

The current rules which remain in place are;

French citizens can return to the country, but anyone coming from within Europe (including the UK) will need to meet one of the following criteria to be allowed into the country:

• People who have their primary residence in France. This does NOT include second home owners. Third country nationals will need to present a visa or residency card while EU nationals (which for this purpose still includes British people) do not need any proof of residency status.
• People who have their permanent residency in another European country and are travelling through France to get home
• Healthcare workers engaged in coronavirus-related care
• Commercial good carriers such as lorry drivers and flight or cargo crews
• Diplomatic staff
• Cross-border workers. So for example if you live in France but work in Switzerland you can still travel back and forth.

Everyone travelling needs an attestation de déplacement international - find out more here.

Certificates are being checked at the border and when boarding transport to France and the French police can and will turn people back - as happened to this private jet from London full of people planning a holiday in Cannes.