Question: I was vaccinated in the UK but regularly spend time in France - last night a waiter scanned my French health pass and told me it was no longer valid. What's going on?
Since the summer the English, Welsh and Scottish NHS codes have been compatible with the French Tous Anti Covid app, which hosts the French health pass. This means that anyone vaccinated in Britain can scan their NHS QR code directly into the French app and have a working health pass for access to venues including bars, cafés, tourist sites, leisure centres and long-distance train travel. Find full details on how to upload the code HERE.
However in recent days, several readers have reported that their French health pass has suddenly stopped working.
There are two things to consider here.
1 Time-limited NHS codes - once you are fully vaccinated in the UK, the NHS app generates a QR code. However, this code is only valid for 30 days.
This was not previously a problem with the French app, but since Tous Anti Covid began deactivating passes for people who have not had a booster, it seems to have begun to recognise the 30-day limit on these codes.
Your vaccination certificate will therefore display as 'expired' in the Tous Anti Covid app, meaning that any employee scanning it at a bar, restaurant etc. will receive a message saying that your health pass is not valid.
Therefore people vaccinated in the UK need to download a new NHS code every 30 days, and scan it into the French app in order to keep it functional.
2 Boosters - as mentioned above, health passes are beginning to be deactivated for people who are eligible for a booster but do not receive it.
This was first announced as something that only affected those vaccinated in France, with tourists and visitors initially being told that their passes would be unaffected.
However, several readers with a UK vaccination certificate have reported receiving a warning that their pass will deactivate seven months after their second dose - the same rule as already in place for those vaccinated in France.
The Local has requested clarification on the rules for travellers from within the EU and non-EU countries.
In order to keep the health pass activated, you will therefore need to get a booster - either in the UK if that is your place of residence or in France if you have moved countries in between getting the vaccination and the booster.
If you use the TousAntiCovid app you will get a warning a couple of weeks before the pass deactivated.
Those who use paper certificates will not get the warning, so it is up to them to remember their vaccination date and get the booster in time.
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