Travel France: Are under 18s covered by parent's Covid vaccine status?
Under France’s travel rules, children are considered to have the same vaccination status as their accompanying adult
People who wish to travel to France can do so without an essential reason or other restrictions if they are fully vaccinated against Covid, regardless of which country they are travelling from. They do not need to quarantine.
Travel to France for under 18s
If they are travelling with children, meaning those under the age of 18, then the minors are considered to have the same vaccination status as the accompanying adult.
France’s travel rules state:
“The measures applied to vaccinated adults extend under the same conditions to accompanying minors, whether or not they are vaccinated.”
However, all children aged 12 and over who are not fully vaccinated, whether the accompanying adult is or not, must still present proof of a negative Covid test taken either 72 or 24 hours before departure, depending on which country they are travelling from.
No one under 12 needs proof of vaccination or a negative Covid test.
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Vaccinated adults wishing to travel to France must currently present:
- proof of vaccination status
- a completed ‘sworn statement’ (engagement sur l’honneur, available on the French government website) form self-certifying that you are not suffering from symptoms associated with coronavirus and have not been in contact with confirmed cases in the preceding fortnight
The rules are more complicated when the adults are not vaccinated.
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For example, non-vaccinated people travelling to France from green-listed countries can take a pre-departure Covid test to enter the country. This will be required for everyone aged 12 and over who is not fully vaccinated. Under 12s do not need to take a Covid test in any situation.
For travellers coming from all of France's green-listed countries except Romania, a negative PCR test taken less than 72 hours prior to departure, or a negative antigen test taken less than 48 hours prior to departure is valid. For non-vaccinated people travelling from Romania, they must show a negative PCR or antigen test less than 24 hours before departure.
Non-vaccinated people aged 12 and over travelling from amber- and red-list countries to France will, in addition to a negative test, also need to provide an essential reason for their visit, which usually is related to having the right to live, work or study in France. Non-vaccinated travellers from amber-list countries are also expected to self-isolate on arrival in France for seven days. Non-vaccinated travellers from red-list countries must legally self-isolate for 10 days upon arrival in France.
If you are non-vaccinated and coming from the UK, which is on France's amber list, you will need a negative PCR or antigen test taken less than 24 hours before departure.
Unvaccinated children aged 12 or over who are travelling alone to France are subject to the same rules as unvaccinated adults.
The rules vary according to whether the country of departure is on the green, amber or red list; there may be further exceptions. Please check with the relevant French government pages.
How does the French health pass impact travellers under 18?
The rules of France's health pass - in place until at least November 15 - mean that unvaccinated minors may have trouble accessing places of leisure and other public services while in France.
Currently, everyone aged 12 and over is required to present a Covid health pass when entering the majority of public places in France, including restaurants, cafés, cinemas, museums, shops and theatres.
Those who are fully vaccinated are able to get a QR code that allows entry into spaces that require a health pass.
For those not fully vaccinated, they can get a QR code if they take a Covid test and can show a negative result. This will need to be done every 72 hours.
More on travel to and from France for under-18s:
The rules for children and travel from France to the UK
Covid-19: Rules for travel to and from France
