France Covid travel list: US moves to green, UK stays on orange

France has updated its traffic light travel restriction lists, moving 23 more countries – including the US but not the UK – to green.

Other countries which have been moved to green include the Seychelles, Egypt, Brazil, Bhutan and Tunisia. Almost all of Africa, Europe and the Americas are now on the lowest level of restrictions.

Green-list destinations are classed as being: “Countries or territories with negligible or moderate circulation of the virus, [with no] emerging variants of concern.”

Fully vaccinated people arriving in France from these countries need only show their vaccination records. Unvaccinated travellers over 12 must present a PCR test result from the 72 hours before or an antigen test result from the 48 hours before, or a certificate of recovery from Covid from the last six months.

While much of the world now counts among the green destinations, the UK remains on the orange list where, according to the French interior ministry: “An active circulation of the virus is observed but at a controlled level, without emerging variants of concern.”

Also on orange are China, Mexico, Australia, Chile, Uruguay, Algeria, Mali, Turkey, Ukraine, Russia, Belarus and Serbia among others.

Fully vaccinated people travelling to France from orange-list countries need only show proof of vaccination and a sworn statement confirming that they are not experiencing Covid symptoms and have not been in contact with a confirmed case in the last 14 days.

Unvaccinated people over 12 must also have a compelling reason for travel and present a PCR test result from the 72 hours before or an antigen test result from the 48 hours before to the travel operator. Certificates of recovery are not listed as valid proof in this case. Children under 12 are exempt from testing and any minors accompanied by a fully vaccinated adult are not subject to the compelling reasons rule.

Since February, there have been no countries on France’s red list for travel, although if the Covid situation worsens in certain regions of the world the government could apply an “emergency brake” and reintroduce red-list restrictions, which include essential reasons for travel.

Read more:It is time to end EU travel Covid rules, say airlines and airports

Which countries are now on France’s green list?

All EU countries as well as Andorra, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, San Marino, Switzerland and the Vatican are on France’s green list.

They join: Angola, Argentina, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Chad, Colombia, Comoros, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Honduras, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Irak, Jamaica, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Laos, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Qatar, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, South Africa, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Sudan, South Sudan, Taiwan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, UAE, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

You can find out more about France’s Covid travel rules on the interior ministry website.

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