Travelers entering France from countries where the COVID-19 risk is designated “orange” such as the United Kingdom and the United States, would be required to be vaccinated and provide a recent negative test result, European Affairs Minister Clement Beaune announced on Friday.
People arriving from orange nations who have not been vaccinated will have to establish they have an urgent need to go to France – such as a court issue or child care – and will also have to present a recent negative COVID-19 test, according to Beaune.
Countries classed as orange in terms of COVID-19 risk are those with a high rate of viral circulation or a high number of novel viral variations, such as the United Kingdom. According to Beaune on RTL radio, any country that is not classed as green or red is categorised as orange.
Entry criteria are less stringent for nations classified as “green” by France, which includes all European Union member states as well as a number of nations where the virus is thought to be under control, including Australia, South Korea, Israel, Japan, Lebanon, New Zealand, and Singapore.
“If you come from a green country and you are vaccinated, you are welcome to come and enjoy France. If you are not vaccinated, you will need a recent negative test to enter French territory, he said.
People from countries classified as red, including South Africa, Argentina, Brazil, India and Turkey, can only come to France with an imperative reason, whether they are vaccinated or not.
Beaune said that French residents would only have to take a test to enter the country, even if they were arriving from counties classified as red or orange.