France to Relax Testing Rules for Fully Vaccinated Travellers

Following the news last week on vaccination expiration, reports have come out that France will relax testing rules for fully vaccinated travellers, with a potential announcement coming out this week.  

According to several reports on Tuesday the 8th and Wednesday the 9th of February, the French government intend to relax testing rules for fully vaccinated arrivals from outside the EU. Official news on this is due later this week, according to French ministers, and the relaxation may come in time for half term. 

A French minister said that they planned to drop the requirement for pre-departure testing for all fully vaccinated travellers 12 years of age and over. This means that half-term ski holidays and family trips to France could be open to many more travellers this month.  

Alongside the relax of testing rules for vaccinated travellers, France and taken on board further the EU outline for international travellers and relaxed the requirements for children 12 and over.  

Currently, children 12 and over who are unvaccinated are required to self-isolate for 10 days on arrival. However, with this potential update to come, the NHS app showing previous recoveries from Covid will be integrated into the French system, allowing unvaccinated but recovered travellers to enter.  

These relaxation measures have already been taken on board by other EU destinations like Greece and Portugal. The collection of these well-beloved destinations relaxing rules for fully vaccinated travellers is fantastic news.  

However, there are some EU destinations that still have not accepted these changes as of present (9th of February) or have rejected some of these proposed changes, such as Spain. Because of this we always highly recommend checking the Foreign Travel Advice page before you book your holiday so you can keep up to date on the specific requirements of your chosen destination. 

Coming after the announcement from France last week surrounding their implemented 9-month expiration period on vaccination status (you can find out more about the France booster requirement in our article), this news may bring more clarity and simplicity to travel to France and the EU in time for half-term.  

So, if you’re looking forward to your fabulous half-term holiday, don’t wait, book now with a travel business registered with PTS for 100% financial protection through trust. Or, if you’d like assistance choosing one of the lovely PTS members to book with, you can contact PTS directly at 0207 190 9988. 

And, if you’d like to learn more about your consumer protection with PTS or how the Package Travel Regulations protect your holiday booking, check out our pages and articles.