Since the beginning of August the health passport - showing proof of either vaccination, a negative Covid test or recent recovery from Covid - has been required to enter many venues in France - full list HERE.
While people vaccinated in the EU have compatible QR codes, and people vaccinated in England and Wales can use the NHS app, things are more complicated for those vaccinated outside Europe.
After a confusing period of several changes to the systems for accessing this, the French government has now opened an online portal for people vaccinated outside the EU to get the crucial codes.
Who is eligible
The system applies to people vaccinated in a country other than the EU Member States, Andorra, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, Switzerland, England or Wales.
EU and Schengen zone countries issue vaccine certificates which are already compatible with the French health pass.
If you were vaccinated in England or Wales, find out how to access the French pass using your NHS certificate HERE. From September 3rd, Scottish vaccination codes are also compatible - full details HERE.
The full requirements are;
- You must also have been fully vaccinated with a vaccine approved by the EMA or equivalent. These are: Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca (including Covishield) and Johnson & Johnson.
- It must be four weeks after your dose if you received a one-dose injection (Johnson & Johnson);
Seven days after the second injection for two-dose vaccines (Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca);
Seven days after the injection if you have recovered from Covid-19 (in which case, only one dose is necessary); - You must be over 18 (Until 30th September, under 18s do not need to show a health passport. This will be expanded to those aged 12-17 after that date)
You also need to be either in France or intending to travel 'in the coming days', although the site does not specify exactly how imminent your trip needs to be.
How to apply
In order to receive a French certificate, you need to prepare the following documents in PDF, JPG or PNG format:
- A vaccination certificate, demonstrating full vaccination
- A valid passport
- Tickets showing your dates of travel into France
Online application
Online applications were initially open only to French citizens, but since August 27th this has now been expanded to anyone who was vaccinated outside the EU - whether they are tourists planning a visit, French residents who got their vaccines elsewhere or people who have recently moved to France from a non-EU country
You can find the portal HERE.
Unless you are a student, in which case you apply HERE.
First you will need to create an account using an email address and password - or if you are a French resident you can sign in using France Connect.
You are then taken to a simple one-page form which asks you to fill in your personal details and the details of when, where and with what dose you were vaccinated. the address required is your address outside France, so your home address for tourists or previous address for people moving to France.
The form also requires you to upload supporting documents; a valid passport, a vaccination certificate and a travel ticket (this can be either a ticket for a planned trip or the way that you arrived in France if you are already here).
Once you have filled in the form click the button to Déposer le dossier.
By email
Previously, visitors were told to apply by email, but since August 27th, new applications have been met with a bounce-back telling them to apply online instead.
Applications should, however, still be processed for people who applied before that date and are still waiting for a response.
READ ALSO Revealed: How easy is it for tourists to access France's health passport?
At the pharmacy
Many readers of The Local reported long delays when applying on the old email system. We don't yet know how quick and efficient the online portal is likely to be, but if you do end up waiting for a long time, the other option is to visit a pharmacy in France.
Some pharmacies are able to exchange a non-French vaccine certificate for the French code, although this is not a statutory service so pharmacies are not obliged to do this. Many readers have reported successfully making the swap at a pharmacy, but you may need to shop around to find a pharmacist willing to do this.
Get a test
The other option for people who are still waiting for a French code is to get a Covid test. The health passport can be used with a negative Covid test that is less than 72 hours old, and tests are easily accessible in France from pharmacies or pop-up testing centres - more details here.
READ ALSO Everything tourists need to know about Covid rules and requirements in France
What to do once you have the code
Once your application is processed you will be sent a QR code.
If you don't have a smartphone, you can print out this code and show it at health passport venues.
If you do have a smartphone, you can then download the TousAntiCovid app and scan in your new code. You can then show that at any health passport venue in France for entry.
For a full explanation on how the app works, click HERE.
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