Covid health pass

Jail time for French health workers who gave fake Covid test results

The two pharmacists and one doctor were sentenced to between eight and 18 months in prison for their role in issuing 497 fake test results in 2020

‘J’en ai marre’: if you are fed up of something use this French phrase

When you have had enough of a situation or person, this short sentence will make your feelings known

What happened to the EU travel rule regarding Covid booster doses?

We look back at the EU’s Digital Covid Certificate scheme and whether health passes are still in place in France

France Covid: Must positive tests be confirmed by PCR for health pass?

We look at the rules surrounding certificates of recovery, both for domestic purposes and for international travel

French MPs block maintaining Covid pass for international travellers

The government wanted to keep the right to continue border checks but failed to do so due to its weakened parliamentary position. Senators will now debate the issue

France travel: Can I use proof of exemption from Covid vaccination?

A small number of people cannot receive the vaccines due to health conditions

Do you need a vaccine pass to see a GP in France?

A health pass, not a vaccine pass, is required to enter certain medical facilities under certain conditions

Covid France: Hospital rates rise slightly, ICU admittances decreasing

The regions seeing the highest increase in cases are those in which children went back to school earlier after the February half-term holidays

Recap: Mask wearing, vaccine pass… new rules for France from March 14

We also explain where a health pass is still needed

French vaccine pass and Covid mask rules to be removed from March 14

Health pass requirements will remain in certain settings, and masks must still be worn on public transport and in medical and care establishments

Easy-look chart: Who can now get a Covid vaccine pass in France?

Use our graphic to see which situation applies to you as the rules change today

Masks, health passes: What Covid rules are in place in Monaco?

The Principality has different requirements to France

France’s vaccine pass: How and where is it being used?

The pass replaces the health pass (pass sanitaire) in a wide range of venues with heavier fines for anyone found using fake documents

Update: Covid recovery proof valid for four months from February 15

Currently, a positive test result gives a person a valid vaccine pass for six months, but this is set to change

France to begin lifting Covid restrictions in February: The key points

The Covid vaccine pass is to come into force from January 24 if validated by France’s constitutional court

The five dates in France’s new plan to ease Covid rules

Measures to relax restrictions will start on February 2 and will be introduced in stages

‘4,000 lives and €6bn saved by France’s health pass’ claim economists

The use of the Covid health pass had a visible, robust positive effect on vaccination rates, health outcomes and the economy, a new report says

France reopens to UK tourists: Rules for adults and children

We explain how to get a QR code for the French health pass (pass sanitaire) and the rules for ski stations

Bookshop café in France: why was I not asked for Covid health pass?

A customer at one Paris bookshop is angry that she did not have to show her health pass in the cafe area. The manager of the bookshop explains his position

Repeated Covid booster doses will not end the pandemic, says WHO

Its experts say vaccines that prevent transmission as well as limit serious illness are needed. We look at what the French health minister has said about a fourth dose

Up to 800,000 French health passes could be deactivated on Saturday

All adults who had their second vaccine dose more than seven months before but who have not had a booster will lose their passes on January 15

100,000 protest across France against plans for vaccine pass

Significantly more turned out for this weekend’s protest than the last, amid government plans to change the health pass to a vaccine pass, and President Macron’s “piss off” comments

Does ‘fully vaccinated’ include booster jabs under French rules?

With the arrival of boosters, the concept is no longer as clear as it depends on your age, the activity you are doing, and other factors

False passes, Covid cases, hospitalisations: Latest figures for France

Five per cent of hospitalised Covid patients have been using fake health passes and are not actually vaccinated, says health minister

Do Americans (or other nationalities) need boosters to visit France?

Separate sets of rules exist for international travel to France and for travel and other activities carried out after arrival in the country

France reduces time gap to get Covid booster jab to keep health pass

The change will come into force from February 15

France announces 11 new anti-Covid measures

Changes will impact timing for booster jabs, mask wearing rules and isolation periods

French ministers to hold Covid meeting today to discuss new measures

It comes after more than 100,000 cases were recorded on December 24. We look at the options

Omicron, boosters, child vaccines: Updates from French health minister

Olivier Véran estimates that by the New Year France will be seeing 100,000 Covid infections per day but that it will not necessarily bring a wave of hospitalisations due to vaccination

Efforts stepped up to fight fake French health passes after death

585 cases are being looked into, involving 41,046 people, 339 medical workers and 20 vaccination centres in France

Covid fifth wave: French government brings vaccine pass debate forward

The bill, which would see unvaccinated people effectively barred from public spaces such as restaurants, will now be presented to ministers next week

Seven Q&As: where, when and how would France’s vaccine pass plan work

Would it be needed for flights and train journeys? Will I be able to get a pass if I am not yet vaccinated? Could proof of Covid status be required in places of work?

Seven changes and updates for residents in France in December 2021

From expiring health passes for the over 65s to Christmas bonus cheques, a freeze on rising energy costs, and dates for your 2022 diary, we explore what is new this month

Health advisors call for New Year Covid restrictions in France

New Year celebrations pose a greater risk than Christmas gatherings of spreading Covid, le Conseil scientifique has said, as it suggests restrictions on larger events and parties

Arrivals from France to Germany must isolate in new ‘high risk’ rules

Non-vaccinated arrivals to Germany must quarantine upon arrival and take a Covid test on day 5, as the Omicron variant continues to spread through Europe

French health pass: Booster jab requirement for over-65s starts today

People who had their second dose more than seven months ago but have not had a booster will see their health pass expire. Today also sees the start of vaccination for vulnerable five to 11-year-olds

Fake French health pass sellers are murderers, says widower

The government estimates that ‘several thousand’ false passes are in use in France. A woman died after using one as, after catching Covid, the hospital made a treatment plan based on the premise that she was vaccinated

Storms, UK tension, fake passes: Your Monday French news catch-up

Weekend roundup: A nurse under investigation for creating a fake vaccination certificate, floods devastate parts of southwestern France and UK issues more French fishing licences...

UK residents vaccinated in France can now use NHS Covid pass

A new system allows foreign certificates for approved vaccinations to be uploaded to the app, permitting people affected to show their vaccination status at venues where Covid pass requirements apply

Covid boosters and French health passes: what changes this week?

Booster doses will begin to become a mandatory element of the pass from Wednesday. We look at how they work to stimulate a refreshed immune response

French nurse faces five years in jail for issuing fake health pass

The nurse stands accused of giving a 34-year-old teacher a fake pass, days after a woman died of severe Covid in hospital partly due to giving doctors a fake health pass

Do antigen Covid tests in France meet UK standards for return travel?

Rapid antigen tests are cheaper than PCR tests but they are in theory meant to meet certain technical criteria to be accepted under rules for entry to the UK

Can I use my French health pass to travel abroad?

The French health pass is proof of having been vaccinated against Covid-19, having been tested for it or that you have had Covid. The certificates proving this that are issued in France are also recognised around the EU and by the UK

Does France’s tourist health pass QR code system work for Americans?

France is now providing QR codes compatible with its health pass scheme to tourists fully vaccinated against Covid in non-EU countries.

Covid France: Should I update to an EU vaccine certificate to travel?

Some people who were vaccinated early have a certificate that only functions in France. We explain what they need to do to travel in the EU.

Will Covid jabs become mandatory in France? What we know so far

Countries such as Germany and Austria are moving towards making it obligatory for the general public. We look at what the opinion in France is

Updated: Where in France do I have to wear a mask when I am outdoors?

As Covid cases in France continue to rise, several departments are imposing or reinforcing mask-wearing in certain outdoor spaces. Check the map to see the rules in your area

Key dates in France for new Covid rules this winter

Rules for mask wearing, booster vaccines and health passes are changing in the next few months. We recap the dates to remember

Fifth Covid wave spreading ‘lightning fast’ across France - government

Cases have risen by more than 81% in the past week, as health experts debate whether to open booster jabs up to people aged 40 and over, or even to the entire population

Covid boosters for all, jabs for children: When will France decide?

The country’s health authority is set to issue recommendations in the coming days and weeks, with the government then free to choose whether or not to follow the advice

French health authority recommends Covid booster shot for all over 40s

Boosters will be offered to over 50s in December - and the government is now looking at the next age group.

Do foreign visitors to France need health pass for domestic flights?

People in France must present a health pass to access many public spaces and services including long distance transports

Is the Covid health pass really being enforced in France?

Interior ministry figures suggest that the health pass is being asked for much less now than two months ago, prompting calls to step up checks

France mandatory Covid booster jab from December: Who does it concern?

President Emmanuel Macron announced this week that booster doses will gradually become an obligatory part of the health pass of over-65s from next month

100,000 people in France book Covid booster after Macron speech

The Doctolib website saw a surge after president announced that the over-65s will have to have had a booster by a set timeframe in order to retain their health pass

Boosters, masks, fifth wave: Key points of Macron’s speech on Covid

President announced that over 65s will need a booster dose to extend the validity of their health pass from mid-December. Booster jabs to open for over 50s

How tourists can get a Covid vaccine QR code recognised in France

Our step-by-step guide for how foreign tourists to France can get a QR code compatible with the country’s health pass system based on their Covid vaccine certificates

France passes law extending health pass option until July 31, 2022

The bill – opposed by some – makes it possible for the government to maintain health pass requirements and its ‘health crisis exit plan’, first introduced in May 2021

France ski season 2021: Face masks to be mandatory

The prime minister said the rules would ‘guarantee the Covid health situation for skiers’ and allow the restart of economic activity in the struggling sector

What do I use instead of French health pass if I’m vaccine exempt?

The French government website states that doctors can supply ‘medical certificates’ as a temporary health pass substitute, but does not specify the information that should be included in them

Do foreign visitors need a Covid booster to obtain French health pass?

Visitors to France need a health pass – normally created through proof of full vaccination – to access a range of public spaces and services in the country

France suspends online form for non-EU health pass QR codes

Visitors coming from outside the EU had been able to apply in advance for their vaccination certificates to be converted to a useable health pass code but this can now only be done in a French pharmacy at a cost of up to €36

French pharmacies to convert non-EU vaccination data into health pass

Visitors from outside the UK and EU who have a complete vaccination schedule have been struggling to get the necessary QR codes in time. Conversion will cost €30

39% of people polled shun culture events in France despite health pass

Over half of respondents to a survey said the reason they have not returned to cinemas, museums and other cultural places is fear of catching Covid. One quarter said they did not have a health pass and would not get one to go

France and Poland open probe into Hitler and Spongebob health passes

EU vaccination certificate were created under the fake names after individuals gained access to the cryptographic key used to verify the passes

French MPs back law to keep possible use of health pass until July 31

The bill narrowly passed in the national assembly with 135 MPs in favour and 125 against. It will now be debated in the senate later this month

Will my French health pass become invalid if I refuse my booster dose?

Having the Covid booster vaccine dose is not currently necessary for the creation of a health pass, but there is potential for this to change

Recap: Key points to note on Covid vaccines for UK-France trips

We explain the rules around travelling with mixed Covid vaccine doses, visiting France with children, using health passes in France and the UK and more

Health pass requirement for French ski lifts ‘under consideration’

With Covid infection rates rising among potential ski holidaymakers in the UK, France’s Tourism Secretary wants to make sure that resorts can ‘stay open no matter what happens’

Covid France: Weekly case numbers show 11% rise

It comes as the government discusses rules to reduce the use of the health pass in areas where the virus is circulating at lower levels

French ski resorts boost as ‘this winter, we’re open’ slogan launches

Use of the Covid health pass for ski lifts has not been completely ruled out but is looking less likely, a situation welcomed in particular by smaller stations

France leaves open possibility of health pass until July 31, 2022

A spokesman for the government said today it makes no apology for not ‘disarming’ with regard to the health crisis

Covid France: Cases rise in Lozère in south, health pass law discussed

The Occitanie department has seen a sharp rise in one week. It comes as the government discusses plans to extend national use of the health pass to July 31, 2022

French Covid pass maiden name issue continues to cause problems

Vaccination centres should be able to change certificates but several readers have been refused. The Health Ministry says it is ‘working on’ a solution