French authorities have updated their list of countries to which there are no travel restrictions, according to an announcement published by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The countries that do not have travel restrictions to enter France are:
- European Union Member States
- Andorra
- Australia
- Canada
- Georgia
- The Holy See
- Iceland
- Japan
- Liechtenstein
- Monaco
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Rwanda
- San Marino
- South Korea
- Switzerland
- Thailand
- Tunisia
- The United Kingdom
- Uruguay
Foreign Nationals arriving to France from other third countries not listed above will need to meet one of the following criteria listed below:
- Hold a valid French or EU residence permit or long-stay visa.
- Transiting from another country for less than a 24-hour period.
- If you hold an official passport.
- If you are assuming your duties in a diplomatic or consular mission, or an international organization headquartered or having an office in France.
- If you travel to France with a mission order from your home country.
- If you are a health professional working to combat COVID-19.
- If you are a crewmember on passenger or cargo flights.
- If you are transporting goods internationally.
- If you are a passenger coach driver, train operator, or crewmember.
- If you are a crewmember on a merchant or fishing vessel.
- If you are a student holding a long-stay visa or short-stay visa to carry out your studies in France, given that you can prove that you have accommodations in the country.
- If you are a professor or researcher employed or invited by a French higher education institution or research laboratory and are invited to carry out your duties in your field of study or teaching.
- If you have a “Talent Passport” or “ICT posted worker” long-stay visa.
- If you are traveling to France to receive medical treatment in a private or public hospital.
In addition to the updated travel restrictions, many municipalities in France have also enacted a curfew from 21:00 until 06:00 every day, according to a separate announcement published by the French government. The curfew will have been in effect from 17 October 2020 for at least 4 weeks, and includes the Paris area and French Polynesia.
“From 17 October 2020 local curfews have been implemented in 54 departments, including the Paris area, and in French Polynesia, for at least 4 weeks from 9 PM to 6 AM,” the announcement reads.
According to the announcement, people will only be allowed to be out of their homes for the following reasons:
- If you are commuting to/from work, university, or training.
- Medical appointments that cannot be postponed or conducted remotely.
- If you are out for essential family reasons, assisting vulnerable persons, persons in a precarious situation, or taking care of children.
- If you have a disability and are with your accompanying person.
- If you have judicial or administrative summons.
- If you are participating in a mission of general interest upon request from an administrative authority.
- If you are transiting for a long-distance journey.
- If you are walking a pet outdoors within 1 km of your place of residence, for a brief time.
As France has remained closed, it is still unclear when the country will begin to relax some of their entry restrictions. It is also unclear when the curfew will be lifted.
