France to give vaccinated tourists QR code for health pass from Monday
Fully vaccinated tourists visiting France will be able to request a QR code to show their vaccination is valid, and use it to enter places such as restaurants, cafes, bars.
Ekaterina Pokrovsky / Shutterstock
Tourists to France will be able to get vaccination certificates that are compatible with the country’s health pass in the same way as French citizens living outside of France already can, French tourism minister Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne announced today.
“Our objective is that from August 9, tourists in France will be able to obtain health passes in the same way as French nationals living outside France," he said on France Inter.
France recently launched a system for its nationals living and vaccinated abroad to get vaccination QR codes compatible with the French health pass.
It involves filling out a form and emailing the French government with a request for a QR code and is restricted to people fully vaccinated with a vaccine approved for use in the EU: Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson.
Mr Lemoyne says a similar system will be in place from next week for foreign tourists and visiting second-home owners in France.
"We are setting up a dedicated system that will evolve and increase in capacity to meet these demands,” he said.
The government has already issued 4,500 QR codes to its nationals who have been vaccinated abroad.
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France is set to make its health pass a requirement to enter restaurants, cafes, bars, hospitals (excluding urgent care), care homes and long-distance transport services, such as TGV trains, on August 9.
The exact specifications of this rule depends on a judgement from France’s Conseil constitutionnel, to be announced this afternoon (August 5).
The health pass, which is proof of vaccination, proof of a negative Covid test taken within the past 48 hours, or proof of having been positive with Covid 11 days to six months before, is already required to enter museums, theatres, cinemas, public swimming pools and some other venues that can host over 50 people.
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Covid-19 vaccination certificates issued in England and Wales that contain QR codes will also be made operable with France’s health pass scanning technology by the end of this week, Mr Lemoyne said.
It means staff at venues in France subject to health pass rules will be able to scan the QR codes on vaccination certificates issued in England and Wales.
Read more: NHS Covid certificates to be fully compatible with French health pass
Related stories:
UK quarantine is ending for vaccinated visitors from France
France-England quarantine easing: What about Scotland, Wales, Ireland?
