France has opened its borders for vaccinated tourists from all countries, including South Africa. As an additional measure, most tourist and leisure attractions now require the new French health pass to enter, which can be stored on an app and verifies a person’s vaccination status, as well as results of PCR or antigen tests.
However, the digital health pass is not currently compatible with South African vaccine certificates, which could make it difficult for South African tourists to visit any attractions in the country.
The health pass will be required at ‘all places of leisure and culture bringing together more than 50 people, including cafes, restaurants, shopping centers, hospitals, as well as for travel by planes, trains and coaches for long-distance journeys, French government said.
‘Because the vaccines are effective against the virus, and in particular its variant Delta, the constraints weighing on travellers benefiting from a complete vaccination schedule with a vaccine recognised by the European Medicines Agency (Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca or Janssen) will be raised from this Saturday, July 17, regardless of the country of origin,’ Prime Minister Jean Castex said.
Tourists who do not have validated vaccination certificates can alternatively produce a negative PCR test result, which has to be renewed every three days, according to Business Tech. For now, South Africans visiting France will have to go this route to enter any tourist attractions.
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