France - Pass Sanitaire - CycleBlaze

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France - Pass Sanitaire

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For those of you about to depart for bike tours in France, here is some information concerning the Pass Sanitaire.   This is based on my experience over the past few weeks. (I live in France.)

A Pass Sanitaire is obligatory for entry to all restaurants, cafés and bars, even if you only intend to sit outside.  Your waiter will check it before serving you, without fail.  The check consists of a scan of your QR code, which can either be on paper or else on your mobile phone.  If the scan returns a "pass" result, then you will be served.  If not, you will be sent away.  I have read several reports in our local newspaper of checks being made by gendarmes and by the local police.  Restauranteurs and bar owners face stiff fines if they serve you without having made a check and you too can find yourself on the receiving end of a fine of 135 euros.

You also need a Pass Sanitaire for entry into a hypermarket with a surface area exceeding 20,000 sq metres (about 200,000 sq ft) but you can enter smaller supermarkets and shops without the need for a pass.  So in practice this will not present you with a problem.

As far as I am aware, you do not need a Pass Sanitaire for staying at a hotel or at a camp site.  You will need one, though, for entry into museums, art galeries, etc., and also for admittance to public swimming pools.

There are two substitutes permitted if you do not have a Pass Sanitaire.  A negative covid test result from a test taken within the past 72 hours or else a certificate stating that you have had covid within the past six months and have antibodies present in your blood.

I do not believe that a vaccination card from another country will suffice.  If you have one, then you will also need to have a certificate from a recent test.  At 25 euros a time for a lateral flow test, your costs could quickly mount up if you are doing an extended tour.

As to how you could speed up the processing of an application made for a Pass Sanitaire, I'm afraid that you are in the hands of the French administration.  Here's the link to the French government's web site for an application by a  foreigner for a Pass Sanitaire.  The text is in French but you can switch to English.

https://www.demarches-simplifiees.fr/commencer/passe-sanitaire-etrangers

This service has been introduced quite recently; I have no information as to how long it might take to process your request.

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2 years ago
Rich FrasierTo Deleted Account

Everything above matches my information and experience  (I also live in France).  But I wanted to add that it is possible to take your foreign vaccination certificates to a pharmacy and have a Pass Sanitaire created for you.  

Not all pharmacies, but generally any pharmacy can at least tell you where to go to have this process done.  Several American tourists that I know have done this in our small town in southwestern France so I assume it would be easy in a larger city.

Thanks David for posting this useful summary!

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2 years ago
Graham SmithTo Deleted Account

David thanks for this. I initially thought the post was going to be one of those with the news that a high pass was snow-free for the first time in a cycle-touring season.

But this information is much more interesting and useful.
I’ve no idea if and when Australia will be using a similar vaccination passport system. We are lagging behind on vaccination rates. Hopefully  we will catch up in the next few months. I’m pleased that I’m now double-dosed. I’ll be even more pleased when all my family and friends are fully vaccinated, especially the younger ones who are currently in a long waitlist for Pfizer. 

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2 years ago
Susan CarpenterTo Deleted Account

Thanks David and Rich for the detailed information. I’m on my way to Paris today  My application for the Pass Sanitaire was not processed but I have my vaccine card and yesterday’s PCR test results. I’ll update after I arrive/get settled in. 

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2 years ago
Jacquie GaudetTo Graham Smith

I and everyone I know is double vaccinated, as are the vast majority of residents here in British Columbia.  But we are still subject to restrictions and there's a fourth wave getting started, mostly among the unvaccinated.  Proof of vaccination will be required starting next week "to access some events, services, and businesses."  About time!  Since the provincial government announced this was coming, some of the holdouts are getting vaccinated.  Others are protesting.

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2 years ago
Jacquie GaudetTo Graham Smith

Oops!  somehow I posted the same reply twice and can't delete the second one.

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2 years ago
Mike AylingTo Jacquie Gaudet

The Premier of the state of Victoria has recently announced a programme similar to what Jacquie posted requiring proof of vaccination for entry to various places and events but has not given a time when it will commence. 

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2 years ago
Kevin StevensTo Deleted Account

My wife and I each applied for a pass sanitaire via email on August 17, and again using the online application on August 30. Not surprisingly, we're still waiting.. We arrived in France yesterday (September 6). I've heard that pharmacies will no longer do the conversion, but we might try anyway. We'll go with the CDC cards as long as we can. I don't care as much about restaurants and museums, but if a campground turns us down, that could really put us in a tight spot. I expect that the pass will be required, at least at the larger campgrounds, because of shared facilities. I will be able to report on that soon!

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2 years ago
Susan CarpenterTo Deleted Account

Here is my update after arriving in Paris yesterday, Sept 6. I only needed my vaccine card and passport to get through customs, otherwise masks were all that was needed to take taxi/metro. Once at my Airbnb, I did a google search and found that my local Marie, or town hall, in the 15th was listed as a vaccine and testing site. I walked over with my vaccine card, a recent PCR test and passport and they gave me a Pass Sanitaire document with QR code that I promptly loaded into the TousAntiCovid app on my phone. I did errands today and the stores I visited only required masks, not the code. Haven’t yet tried a restaurant, cafe or museum.

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2 years ago
Kevin StevensTo Kevin Stevens

Sorry, I forgot to provide an update. We grew tired of waiting. We found a pharmacy in Alençon who converted our CDC cards free of charge. A few days later, we received a second set of QR codes from our online application. I think they have ramped up their operations and are working quickly through the backlog.

Smaller campgrounds are generally not asking for the pass, while large ones usually do. Cafes ask for them consistently even if you just want a coffee on the terrace.

I suspect that anyone from outside the EU who is currently touring here in France has already found a way to receive a pass sanitaire, and that we're the last batch of the season. Just in case, I would recommend anyone who is coming here to apply online ASAP, and if you don't receive a QR code in time, try some pharmacies. It really is convenient to have the code versus a paper card that could possibly be refused.

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2 years ago