France

Entry requirements

France has imposed a ban on all non-essential travel from British citizens. Prior to this imposition, fully vaccinated were able to visit France with evidence of a negative test taken up to 48 hours before travel, and children aged 12 and over were required to present evidence of a test result to avoid quarantine. Find more information here.

Are resorts open?

Yes, resorts in France are now open and enjoying some of the best early-season snow conditions in recent history.

What rules are in place?

It is a legal requirement for anyone over the age of 12 to show a pass sanitaire or NHS vaccination certificate to enter all restaurants, cafés and bars – even to sit outside. For the over 65s, the third booster dose will be mandatory to activate the pass from December 15, everyone else over the age of 12 will continue to require proof of full vaccination, recovery or a negative test taken every 24 hours to activate their pass. Tests are available for teenagers to take in resorts, costing roughly €22 for an antigen test or €44 for a PCR. 

From January 15, a third booster dose will be mandatory for all adults to activate their health pass. If an adult has not had a booster within seven months of their second jab, then their pass will be deactivated and they’ll have to join the unvaccinated in getting tested daily. 

Unfortunately, as cases surge this limit has been surpassed and health passes will be required to ski, for the time being until cases drop. Earlier this month, Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne, Minister of State for Tourism in France, confirmed: “If health passes were required on ski lifts, checks would need to be done when selling ski passes, at the beginning of ski lessons, and randomly at the entrance to the ski lifts. I have confidence in those working in the mountains; they are professionals when it comes to welcoming and managing large numbers of visitors.”

Masks will once again be compulsory in all indoor spaces, including those covered by the health pass, including bars, cafes and restaurants, when not seated, eating or drinking. Face masks are also required for anyone aged over 11 when meeting for ski schools, at large outdoor events like Christmas markets and when on ski lifts, but not on the slopes. Some restaurants and bars might decide to impose capacity limits to help implement rules and curb any outbreaks – currently, there is no capacity limit on lifts. As of December 10, nightclubs have closed for four weeks.