France in Focus

A quick heads up for anyone going to the UK : new pre-departure test requirement for travellers to the UK, I went to check some football scores and spotted this on the BBC website :
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-59534685

and it's on Sky:
https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-pre ... t-12486556

Sorry I haven't looked up any govt websites, this looks like all new tonight so they are probably not yet updated

Starts from Tuesday.

UK Govt link here:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus ... to-england

Lateral flow test is ok

New restrictions to be announced today to be in force Saturday
"We are going to put in place a control [...] even more drastic than what exists today" , said Mr. Attal on BFM-TV. “We will reduce the validity of the test to come to France. It was forty-eight hours until now, it will drop to twenty-four hours. We will limit the reasons for coming from the United Kingdom to France. " These will be " limited to French residents and their families " , he explained, and the movement of " tourism or business for people who are not resident in France will be limited. "
Travellers with a compelling reason will have to isolate themselves for a week on their arrival in France, but this isolation can be lifted after forty-eight hours with a negative screening test, said the spokesperson. These new rules, which come into force on Saturday, also apply to travellers vaccinated against Covid-19.
https://www.lemonde.fr/planete/article/ ... _3244.html

So it looks pretty grim for my son and his lady supposedly coming over on the 22nd, and going back on the 30th. This will be the third booking with the ferry in the last 2 years that will have to be postponed, if they accept another one? Merry Xmas

Does anyone know if the return test has to be a PCR test or if an antigen test will do?

PCR results can take 48 hours - somewhat blowing out the 24 hour time limit!

Has to be PCR - so you need a rapid test centre.

Now updated: - https://uk.ambafrance.org/COVID-19-rule ... -in-France

Reasons to enter France - https://www.interieur.gouv.fr/Actualite ... -de-voyage:

Ressortissant de l’Union européenne ou assimilé, ainsi que son conjoint (marié,pacsé et concubin) et ses enfants, ayant sa résidence principale en France ou qui rejoint, en transit par la France, sa résidence principale dans un pays de l’Union Européenne ou assimilé.

I hope Switzerland is assimilé!!!

Also:

Nécessité pour les personnes vaccinées de présenter au départ un test négatif (PCR ou TAG) de moins de 24h, ce qui équivaut à un alignement avec les règles valant d’ores et déjà pour les personnes non vaccinées.

So I assume TAG is Test AntiGen. Phew! Unless it changes. Again.

Beware, the first link makes it very clear that the rules are applicable until 17/12 - tomorrow.
The new rules with as I understand it a PCR requirement start on Saturday. From previous changes and announcements, the official sites are updated rather later than the new rules are announced and only just before they become valid. In other words they try and show what are the current rules at any one time and not what is about to become.

Well I have booked a very flexible ticket, so I will have to see how things pan out after Christmas.

Link above had the wrong #tag. Correct is https://uk.ambafrance.org/COVID-19-rule ... -to-France

This implies PCR or TAG < 24 hours from Saturday.

Of course, come the 31st, all may have changed again.