Question: I plan to travel to France next week but have still not received a booster dose. Do I need to get one before I leave?
France has a traffic light system for travel, with countries listed as either green, amber or red. If you are unvaccinated, then you will face different restrictions on travel to France depending on what category country you are travelling from - full details HERE.
For now though, French border authorities are not taking into account whether or not you have had a booster dose.
This means that if you are vaccinated but haven't received a booster dose, you will not face the extra travel restrictions.
The French Health Ministry told The Local: "a booster is not yet required to leave or return to France.”
To count as fully vaccinated for travel purposes, you must meet the following conditions:
Both EU and non-EU vaccination certificates are accepted at the border.
The vaccine pass
However, although you can enter France without a booster, you may find your life curtailed once you are here.
In France, a vaccine pass is required to access sites like bars, restaurants, cinemas and tourist sites such as museums and galleries - and a booster is required for a valid vaccine pass.
The vaccine pass requires a booster shot if more than seven months has passed since your last vaccine dose (or two months if they you vaccinated with Janssen) - and this rule is the same for French residents and visitors or tourists.
Full details here.
From February 15th, you must have received a booster dose if more than four months has passed since your last dose (or two months for Janssen).
If you have had the booster then you are entitled to a vaccine pass - the seven or four-month limits refer only to people who have not had a booster.
The booster rule does not apply to under 18s.
Foreign vaccination certificates
If you were vaccinated in an EU or Schengen zone country, your vaccination certificate and booster is fully compatible with the French health pass.
Those vaccinated outside the EU, however, will need to covert their vaccination certificates into a French code once they arrive in the country - here's how.
If you were vaccinated in England, Wales or Scotland, the NHS vaccination certificate is now compatible with the French health pass app, but there is a technical point you should be aware of:
NHS vaccination codes are only valid for 30 days and since the deactivation programme began, the Tous Anti Covid app also deactivates expired NHS codes, meaning that those vaccinated in the UK must download a new NHS code every 30 days and add it to the French app in order to keep their pass working.
If your pass is deactivated, here’s how to reactivate it.
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