Question: I live in rural France and all my local shops and pharmacy, doctor's surgery etc are more than 10km away - can I still travel to them?
The rules of the 'lockdown light' - first imposed in Covid hotspots including the Paris region but now in force across France - are in general more relaxed that the first and second nationwide lockdown, but they do include a new provision that has people a little confused - the 10km limit.
READ ALSO EXPLAINED The full rules for France's 'partial lockdown'
If you're out between 6am and 7pm and within 10km of your home, you don't need an attestation permission form. There is also no limit on how long you can stay out for.
The rule is intended to stop people having to fill out a new form every time you pop to the shops or go for a walk - but what about people who don't have shops or other essential services within 10km of their home?
Well they can still travel, but they do need to fill out an attestation stating the purpose of their trip. You can find the form HERE or on the TousAntiCovid app and the accepted reasons for being out are;
- Physical exercise, walking, walking the dog (within 10 km of your home)
- Shopping for basic necessities, or to pick up ordered goods
- Accompanying children to school or out-of-school activities
- Visiting a cultural establishment (libraries and media libraries) or a place of worship
- Attending to administrative or legal formalities
Permitted reasons for travelling outside your département with an attestation are:
- For work, education and training, general interest missions
- Health reasons (consultations and care/treatment, including a vaccine appointment)
- Compelling family reasons, to help vulnerable or needy persons, or for childcare
- Transporting people with disabilities and their carers
- Judicial or administrative summons
- Moving home
- Transit travel to stations and airports
For trips out after 7pm the curfew rules are still in force, so attestations are needed, trips out for exercise once curfew begins are not allowed and dog walks should be limited to within 1km of home.
The partial lockdown was extended to cover the whole of France on March 31st, for an initial period of four weeks.
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