EXPLAINED: How France's reinforced health passport system will work
The French health passport has been in place since June, but president Emmanuel Macron has announced a major expansion in the scheme in an attempt to keep a fourth wave of Covid cases under control. Here's how the passport works.
The pass sanitaire (health passport) is already in place for large venues in France - nightclubs, concerts, sports matches or any venue with more than 1,000 people.
However as the summer goes on it will be expanded in a two-step process to cover venues including cinemas, theatres, bars, cafés, restaurants and nursing homes.
Here's how it works:
How?
To access certain sites, you will need to provide one of three things: a vaccination certificate, proof of a negative PCR or antigen test taken in the previous 48 hours, or proof that you have recently recovered from Covid (having tested positive more than two weeks ago and less than six months ago).
People are considered 'fully vaccinated' seven days after their final dose of the vaccine (although for international travel the interval remains at 14 days after the second dose, or four weeks after a single Johnson & Jonson dose).
You can present this proof on paper or via the Covid-tracking app TousAntiCovid, which includes a 'my wallet' section where you can scan in test results or vaccination certificates. Find out how that works HERE.
READ ALSO What to do if you don't have a vaccination certificate with a QR code
When?
The health passport is already in place for venues of more than 1,000 people.
The government's list published in the Journal Officiel of spaces that will need a passport if hosting large events comprises;
- Conference, meeting or multi-use gathering rooms
- Tents, marquees and similar structures
- Artistic venues which receive spectators
- Amusement arcades and gaming rooms
- Temporary exhibitions, fairs or shows
- Outdoor sports facilities, excluding zoos, amusement parts and theme parks
- Indoor sports facilities
- Cultural, sporting, recreational or festive events organised in a public space
Nightclubs require a health passport to enter even if they are hosting fewer than 1,000 people.
You also need it if you are travelling between Corsica and mainland France.
July 21st
The first phase of the expansion will see the pass required for all leisure and cultural spaces of more than 50 people.
This includes cinemas, theatres, museums, art galleries and tourist attractions with a capacity of more than 50.
Beginning of August
The start of August marks a much more significant extension of the health passport, as announced by Macron in a live TV address.
The measure still needs to be debated in parliament, but the president said he hopes that it will be in place by 'the beginning of August'.
This expansion includes a far more wide-ranging expansion to many everyday venues including cafés, restaurants, bars, shopping centres, hospitals or nursing homes as a visitor and long-distance travel on trains, planes or coaches.
Transport minister Jean-Baptiste Djebbari on Tuesday clarified that this referred to any domestic flights, inter-regional coach journeys or journeys on TGV and Intercité trains. Shorter journeys on local TER services or city public transport like the Paris Metro will not require a heath passport.
À partir de début août, pour prendre l’avion, le TGV, un Intercité ou un car inter-régional, vous devrez présenter une preuve de vaccination ou un test négatif.
— Jean-Baptiste Djebbari (@Djebbari_JB) July 13, 2021
Unlike the earlier measures, these would apply to staff at these venues, as well as visitors.
Who?
Everyone over the age of 12 is required to show the passport in order to attend one of the above events. The cut-off age is 12 because vaccination is only open to over-12s so far in France.
However on Wednesday it was announced that children aged between 12 and 17 won't be required to show a health passport until August 30th, since the majority of under 18s in France are not yet fully vaccinated.
Exceptions
As every French language learner knows, all French rules have exceptions and on Tuesday government spokesman Gabriel Attal announced that there were three categories of people who will be shown 'flexibility' over the rules.
The first of these are children aged 12 to 17. Although this age group can be vaccinated in France, many are not or have not yet received their second injection, while some countries have still not begun vaccinating their under 18s.
"There is no question of imposing on them a hellish summer," said Attal, promising that there would be flexibility on this.
This was backed by economy minister Bruno Le Maire, who said: "As a father of four children myself, I know how complicated the organisation of summer vacations can be. Train schedules, travel, access to restaurants, if you want to go to a movie... Let's be flexible and understanding."
It was later confirmed that the health passport for under 18s will not be enforced until August 30th.
The second is staff in health pass venues - unlike the current rules which only apply to visitors, from July 21st the health passport will be required for visitors and employees in health passport venues - for example waitresses, train staff and museum guides.
Many of these employees will be in younger age groups who are not yet fully vaccinated, so Attal said there would be flexibility over enforcement, in order to give them time to complete the vaccination course. They too will not need the passport until August 30th.
The third was people vaccinated outside the EU who "cannot easily use the French health passport".
More details of exactly how these exceptions will work are expected by the end of the week.
What about tourists and visitors?
Click HERE for the situation for tourists, visitors and those who do not have a French vaccination certificate.
What if I don't have a smartphone?
Venues will accept paper certificates of vaccination or testing, although this may involve a longer wait or using a different queue.
Didn't the government say when this was introduced that it wouldn't be used for everyday activities like going to a café?
Yes, when the health passport was introduced the government ruled out using it for 'everyday activities' such as going to the gym or to a restaurant.
However, faced with the prospect of a fourth wave of Covid cases over the summer, Macron said that he was trying to strike a balance between "protection and freedom, between protecting lives and reopening the country" and judged that the expanded use of the health passport was the best balance.
Penalties
It is proposed that a fine of up to €45,000 will be in place for non-respect of the health passport rule, but this is for businesses that fail to enforce it; not customers. The penalty for customers is not being allowed access to the health passport venue.
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The pass sanitaire (health passport) is already in place for large venues in France - nightclubs, concerts, sports matches or any venue with more than 1,000 people.
However as the summer goes on it will be expanded in a two-step process to cover venues including cinemas, theatres, bars, cafés, restaurants and nursing homes.
Here's how it works:
How?
To access certain sites, you will need to provide one of three things: a vaccination certificate, proof of a negative PCR or antigen test taken in the previous 48 hours, or proof that you have recently recovered from Covid (having tested positive more than two weeks ago and less than six months ago).
People are considered 'fully vaccinated' seven days after their final dose of the vaccine (although for international travel the interval remains at 14 days after the second dose, or four weeks after a single Johnson & Jonson dose).
You can present this proof on paper or via the Covid-tracking app TousAntiCovid, which includes a 'my wallet' section where you can scan in test results or vaccination certificates. Find out how that works HERE.
READ ALSO What to do if you don't have a vaccination certificate with a QR code
When?
The health passport is already in place for venues of more than 1,000 people.
The government's list published in the Journal Officiel of spaces that will need a passport if hosting large events comprises;
- Conference, meeting or multi-use gathering rooms
- Tents, marquees and similar structures
- Artistic venues which receive spectators
- Amusement arcades and gaming rooms
- Temporary exhibitions, fairs or shows
- Outdoor sports facilities, excluding zoos, amusement parts and theme parks
- Indoor sports facilities
- Cultural, sporting, recreational or festive events organised in a public space
Nightclubs require a health passport to enter even if they are hosting fewer than 1,000 people.
You also need it if you are travelling between Corsica and mainland France.
July 21st
The first phase of the expansion will see the pass required for all leisure and cultural spaces of more than 50 people.
This includes cinemas, theatres, museums, art galleries and tourist attractions with a capacity of more than 50.
Beginning of August
The start of August marks a much more significant extension of the health passport, as announced by Macron in a live TV address.
The measure still needs to be debated in parliament, but the president said he hopes that it will be in place by 'the beginning of August'.
This expansion includes a far more wide-ranging expansion to many everyday venues including cafés, restaurants, bars, shopping centres, hospitals or nursing homes as a visitor and long-distance travel on trains, planes or coaches.
Transport minister Jean-Baptiste Djebbari on Tuesday clarified that this referred to any domestic flights, inter-regional coach journeys or journeys on TGV and Intercité trains. Shorter journeys on local TER services or city public transport like the Paris Metro will not require a heath passport.
À partir de début août, pour prendre l’avion, le TGV, un Intercité ou un car inter-régional, vous devrez présenter une preuve de vaccination ou un test négatif.
— Jean-Baptiste Djebbari (@Djebbari_JB) July 13, 2021
Unlike the earlier measures, these would apply to staff at these venues, as well as visitors.
Who?
Everyone over the age of 12 is required to show the passport in order to attend one of the above events. The cut-off age is 12 because vaccination is only open to over-12s so far in France.
However on Wednesday it was announced that children aged between 12 and 17 won't be required to show a health passport until August 30th, since the majority of under 18s in France are not yet fully vaccinated.
Exceptions
As every French language learner knows, all French rules have exceptions and on Tuesday government spokesman Gabriel Attal announced that there were three categories of people who will be shown 'flexibility' over the rules.
The first of these are children aged 12 to 17. Although this age group can be vaccinated in France, many are not or have not yet received their second injection, while some countries have still not begun vaccinating their under 18s.
"There is no question of imposing on them a hellish summer," said Attal, promising that there would be flexibility on this.
This was backed by economy minister Bruno Le Maire, who said: "As a father of four children myself, I know how complicated the organisation of summer vacations can be. Train schedules, travel, access to restaurants, if you want to go to a movie... Let's be flexible and understanding."
It was later confirmed that the health passport for under 18s will not be enforced until August 30th.
The second is staff in health pass venues - unlike the current rules which only apply to visitors, from July 21st the health passport will be required for visitors and employees in health passport venues - for example waitresses, train staff and museum guides.
Many of these employees will be in younger age groups who are not yet fully vaccinated, so Attal said there would be flexibility over enforcement, in order to give them time to complete the vaccination course. They too will not need the passport until August 30th.
The third was people vaccinated outside the EU who "cannot easily use the French health passport".
More details of exactly how these exceptions will work are expected by the end of the week.
What about tourists and visitors?
Click HERE for the situation for tourists, visitors and those who do not have a French vaccination certificate.
What if I don't have a smartphone?
Venues will accept paper certificates of vaccination or testing, although this may involve a longer wait or using a different queue.
Didn't the government say when this was introduced that it wouldn't be used for everyday activities like going to a café?
Yes, when the health passport was introduced the government ruled out using it for 'everyday activities' such as going to the gym or to a restaurant.
However, faced with the prospect of a fourth wave of Covid cases over the summer, Macron said that he was trying to strike a balance between "protection and freedom, between protecting lives and reopening the country" and judged that the expanded use of the health passport was the best balance.
Penalties
It is proposed that a fine of up to €45,000 will be in place for non-respect of the health passport rule, but this is for businesses that fail to enforce it; not customers. The penalty for customers is not being allowed access to the health passport venue.
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