France lockdown: Can I drive a friend to the doctor?
This may be allowed depending on the nature of the medical visit and the circumstances of the friend you want to help. We explain.
Reader question: In early November I am due to take a friend, who cannot drive, to a hospital appointment 40km away with a heart specialist. Will I be able to do so?
Possibly. Firstly, you need to establish whether the friend must attend the medical appointment in person.
People are allowed to attend medical appointments in person during confinement if they either cannot be carried out remotely or cannot be delayed.
If the friend’s appointment with a heart specialist fits into one of these categories, then they are allowed to attend, and can travel outside a 1km radius without a time limitation to do so. They must carry a travel exemption form with them, with the consultations, examens et soins ne pouvant être assurés à distance box ticked.
To drive the friend to the appointment, you would also need to take a travel exemption form with the motif familial impériaux box ticked.
Ticking this box means that you are helping your friend with an urgent matter, and that your friend could reasonably be considered a vulnerable person.
If your friend and their appointment fit this profile, then you can drive them to the appointment.
If you do travel together in the car you should both wear masks and respect other social distancing measures as much as possible.
Travel exemption forms are available to print and download here (in French). There is an English version available and also an easy-read version with pictograms. There is also a digital version available via the TousAntiCovid smartphone app.
