Entry to France questions

[Comfy Old Boots]

Hi folks,

I'm hoping you can give me a steer based on your experience or common sense. Disclaimer, Uk residents, I am an Irishman, living in Ireland, with an irish passport. Feel free to throw in your six pence worth but it might be best if you don't invest too much time advising me on what uk passport holders can expect. Thanks.

Myself and herself are booked to go to Paris on the 24th Feb for 5 nights. I am trying to figure out if we will be let in. We are both double vaxxed and boosted.

I got covid on Monday 7th and I'm still sick. I can apply for the covid recovery cert on Friday the 18th and were it just me traveling, this would be sufficient to get in to France. We will have to sign a declaration when we get to france:


SWORN UNDERTAKING TO COMPLY WITH RULES FOR ENTRY
INTO METROPOLITAN FRENCH TERRITORY
(From green list countries)

This statement shall be presented to the transport companies before boarding and to the border control authorities.
The measures applied to vaccinated adults are extended under the same conditions to their accompanying minors, whether vaccinated or not.

To be completed by the traveller:
I, the undersigned,
Mr/Mrs: ...
Born on:
Nationality:
Residing at:

Initial place of origin (city/country):

Final destination (city/country):

I hereby declare on my honour that I have not had any of the following symptoms during the last 48 hours:
• Fever or chills ;
• Cough or aggravation of my usual cough;
• Unusual fatigue;
• Unusual shortness of breath when I speak or make the slightest effort;
• Unusual muscle aches and/or pains;
• Unusual headaches;
• Loss of taste or smell;
• Unusual diarrhoea.

I hereby declare on my honour that I have no knowledge of having been in contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19 during the last fourteen days prior to departure.

I hereby agree on my honour to take an antigen test or biological examination that may be conducted on arrival in metropolitan France (traveller aged above 12 years).

Done in ____________________, on ____ / ____ / 2021

Signature


So she will have to declare that she has been in contact with me and I've been sick. Can anyone tell me for certain if that will make the french refuse us entry? It does not state anywhere I've looked that this is grounds for refusal of entry. However, I cannot sign that form because one or both of us would have been in contact with a covid positive person in the previous 14 days. What happens if you don't sign the form? Do you get interviewed and tested?

Also, if she tests positive for covid in the next day (she is having a pcr test today as she has a new cough), she will not have a covid recovery cert in time to travel. I will have to put down on the declaration that I've been in contact with her. If you have had covid recently do you NEED a recovery cert to get in?

Can anyone put a bit of black and white on this for us please?! I'm finding it very opaque and the rules seem to be tied up with facilitating entry to people who are not vaccinated. This is fair enough but I'm not willing to turn up and just hope they will let us in and I'm a bit frustrated the rules are not clearer.

Or is another way of looking at this, we are both boosted and providing herself is over the covid before we go, then the worst that can happen is we are asked to do a covid test upon arrival? I know how bureaucratic the french can be so I think I've grounds to be wary.

I apologise for the long rambling post but I feel like shit, we've been planning this trip since November, we have both managed to avoid covid for two years and yet here we are.

Thanks for any light you can shine in this darkness



Owen.

 

[Hairnet600]

https://www.dfa.ie/travel/travel-advice/a-z-list-of-countries/france/

second para after the travel to france header

you still need a test to get in - so i think you should be ok seeing as youll have the recovery cert also

 

[Comfy Old Boots]

Interesting find. Thanks. My covid head is liking that paragraph

f you are travelling from Ireland and are fully vaccinated (see here for further details on what constitutes full vaccination; French only), or you have a negative antigen or RT-PCR test result taken less than 24 hours prior to departure, or you have proof of recovery from COVID-19, you are permitted to enter France without being subject to further restrictions or quarantine.

However:

If you are recovered, you must present:

A certificate of recovery dated more than 11 days and less than 6 months prior to the date of arrival (a certificate of recovery is a document issued to persons who have contracted COVID-19, upon presentation of a positive RT-PCR or antigenic test); and
A completed and signed sworn declaration as above.

Herself cannot sign the sworn declaration because she will have been in contact with a confirmed covid case (me) within the previous 14 days. And if she has it now and is recovered I cannot sign the declaration either for the same reasons.

If neither of us declare we have had covid, does the covid cert issued flag that we have had a positive pcr test?

 

[Comfy Old Boots]

When is this declaration form checked? Who checks it?

I'm a bit annoyed I can't answer these questions myself via google

And just to be clear, I'm not trying to break any rules, I just can't see exactly how they apply to my situation!!!

Or when it comes down to it and she potentially has it and has recovered from it, does an official pcr/antigen test TRUMP the declaration form or the need to have a recovery cert???

The french embassey has this:

https://ie.ambafrance.org/COVID-19-Est-ce-que-je-peux-venir-en-France

Which offers a little hope but once again it comes down to the sworn declaration.

Anyway, I've ranted enough. Thanks for your attention.

 

[stever1]

Can’t say if you’re flying, but through the tunnel no one checks anything physically. All done online. Just lie like very one else.

 

[Comfy Old Boots]

We will be flying.

 

[richie]

Same here when we went last year they did not check anything. I guess as you are flying you can upload everything to the carrier website, if they let you board your grand...


I of course am no expert

 

[wessie]

I am not Irish, but just be aware, the rules might be different by the 24th. We have had recent announcements from Spain and UK about new rules for half term week as income from tourism is emerging as the priority now.

 

[Comfy Old Boots]

Same here when we went last year they did not check anything. I guess as you are flying you can upload everything to the carrier website, if they let you board your grand...


I of course am no expert

More likely to be sent home once at french passport control. The problem is this signed declaration form.

 

[Comfy Old Boots]

I am not Irish, but just be aware, the rules might be different by the 24th. We have had recent announcements from Spain and UK about new rules for half term week as income from tourism is emerging as the priority now.

I'll keep an eye out for that.

We have until the 22nd to cancel the hotel. Unfortunately we are not wealthy enough to absorb E1000 lost to a hotel we don't attend.

 

[Comfy Old Boots]

This Makes sense. You either have a covid cert OR a negitive test OR a recovery cert.

Then there is this just below it:

THis is the NUGGET that I can't get an answer to. Does being in a covid 19 positive persons company in the previous 14 days deny you entry to france? My Fiancee will be able to provide both a covid cert and a negitive test and is willing to do one on french soil too.

The french are so fussy with stuff I'm getting to the point where I think we will have to cancel. And, if her PCR test comes back positive tomorrow, where does that leave us? Both will have been in each others company in the previous 14 days, neither of us will be able to sign the declaration form despite both being recovered! She will not be able to get a recovered cert but will she be allowed entry based on other details?

It's that declaration that gets me. It's obtuse.

I understand this thread is in danger of getting moved to the RANT section lol

 

[russ996duke]

Does the declaration not have to be signed within 24 hrs of departure ?
As with covid test and your vaccine cert then upload to airline?
It might get you the 14 days clear your wife needs
All very last minute tho
FWIW
We are in france now and travel via eurotunnel was unexpectedly quick and easy no paper dox asked for
In the alps resort very laid back about masks although some bars as for TAC QR code
Looks like france dropping to level 2 end of feb

 

[Comfy Old Boots]

Does the declaration not have to be signed within 24 hrs of departure ?
As with covid test and your vaccine cert then upload to airline?
It might get you the 14 days clear your wife needs
All very last minute tho
FWIW
We are in france now and travel via eurotunnel was unexpectedly quick and easy no paper dox asked for
In the alps resort very laid back about masks although some bars as for TAC QR code
Looks like france dropping to level 2 end of feb

I actually don't know. I think I might call the airline.

Oh and I hope you have a marvelous time

 

[Comfy Old Boots]

There actually is no answer to this other than to lie. We have seperate surnames so will present separately.

Another question. Does one need a covid recovery document to enter france? Say she is covid positive (result tomorrow), day zero is today 11th. Then it's 11 days until you can apply for the cert, which brings us up to the 22nd. No chance of her getting the cert. She will be clear so i see no problem traveling. Vaccine cert should be enough at that point right? Or does it show up that she would have had the virus up until a few days before?

I really want to get the fuck out of ireland and have some sort of a life for a few days. I know mental health is a phrase bandied about a lot these days but I really need out for a bit

 

[wessie]

Why don't you wait until tomorrow when you get the PCR result? Take a drink if needed, or some Valium, or both. You might be getting yourself into a tizzy for nothing!

No point getting stressed over a hypothetical situation. Paris might have been nuked by Putin before the 24th. What will you do then?

 

[Comfy Old Boots]

Why don't you wait until tomorrow when you get the PCR result? Take a drink if needed, or some Valium, or both. You might be getting yourself into a tizzy for nothing!

No point getting stressed over a hypothetical situation. Paris might have been nuked by Putin before the 24th. What will you do then?

Good point and well made!

Perhaps this could be moved to the rant section. I’m just a bit e we kind up because it was her 40th last year and I want to make a fuss of her and a weekend in Tralee instead just does not cut it.

 

[Wapping]

Why don't you wait until tomorrow when you get the PCR result? Take a drink if needed, or some Valium, or both. You might be getting yourself into a tizzy for nothing!

No point getting stressed over a hypothetical situation. Paris might have been nuked by Putin before the 24th. What will you do then?

Wise words. Bookmarked.

 

[Comfy Old Boots]

Well she is now positive. At least we are bulletproof for the next few months.

 

[Comfy Old Boots]

Wow that was a stress and COVID induced freak out.

COVID recovery forms arrived for both of us in 24 hours.

First stop Disneyland and then I plan on living on beer and lemon tarts.