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The Ski and Snowboard Short Break Specialist

An update on COVID travel, entry restrictions and the situation in France – as at 29th January 2022

 

After another challenging few weeks of border restrictions and uncertainty, we are pleased to finally have some good news and we are all looking forward to getting the Winter Season 2022 back on track.

We are now running our full range of Ski Weekender trips from Monday 24th Jan onwards, hoping that we can make up for lost time and have a great February, March and April. We’re all ready and set to help guests enjoy their amazing mountain time on a convenient short break – and can’t wait to welcome you all back soon!

Understandably, the recent changes raise many questions, and we have seen a degree of confusion around the application of Covid restrictions within France and the entry requirements into the country.

In the following update we hope to provide some clarity on the situation and will also provide links to the official advice and websites which outline the current legal situation and entry requirements.

We must stress that you are responsible for researching and confirming your own individual situation and circumstances and whilst we will try and present the regulations and facts as we understand them, we cannot provide any specific advice around your situation.

People are now travelling regularly from the UK to / from France and the current restrictions and requirements are not too onerous for the majority of people, and certainly easier than they have been for quite some time.

Some of the requirements to travel will vary depending on your age, your vaccination history and whether you have had Covid. Regulations and rules can change quickly so please stay abreast of any changes.

In all cases you will be required to provide proof of your vaccination status so you will need to start collating documents and certificates, and looking at securing the correct tests required to travel internationally. Having all relevant documents prepared (digitally or on paper), in the correct format and easily accessible is going to be key to an easy check in.

It’s certainly our experience that the more organised and prepared you can be the smoother the whole process will be. Please don’t leave it to the last minute!

Below we will present a summary of the rules and regulations that we believe apply to your trip (as of the time of writing).

We also provide some further information and explore some of the key confusing issues, mainly relating to teenagers, kids and the use of the Pass-Sanitaire.

Situation Regarding Travel from UK to France (via Geneva and Switzerland)

As a quick checklist for travelling out to your holiday with us – we believe that you will need to provide :-
– Proof of vaccination status
– Negative Antigen test taken within 24hrs of your departure
– French “Attestaion sur Honor” Form
– Swiss Passenger Locator form

Please read on for further information and details relating to each country.

 

ENTRY INTO FRANCE

Fully vaccinated people are now able to travel to France for holidays (you do not need to have an imperative reason to travel), and there is no quarantine requirement. Non-vaccinated people are restricted and unable to enter without these additional requirements so cannot visit France for a holiday.

You can find full details of the rules and regulations for travel and entry into France here :-
https://www.interieur.gouv.fr/Actualites/L-actu-du-Ministere/Certificate-of-international-travel

The Consulate General of France in London provides the following information :-
https://uk.ambafrance.org/COVID-19-rules-for-travel-between-France-and-the-UK-28918#Vaccinated-people

The UK government provides advice on travel to France here :-
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/france

In order to enter France you will need to fulfil the following conditions :-
– You must provide proof of your vaccination status
– You must present a negative test (PCR or Antigen) dating less than 24 hours before your departure
– You must present the “declaration of honor” form which states you have not had symptoms or any contact with a positive case of covid with 14 days, and that you are willing to take tests on arrival if asked to do so.

It is likely that these documents will be required at check-in and possibly at border control when you pass over from France into Switzerland.

Further Notes and Explanations

1 For the purposes of border entry the status of fully-vaccinated is to be double-jabbed as an adult (18 years and over) with an EU approved vaccination.
2 The measures applied to vaccinated adults extend under the same conditions to accompanying minors (under 18), whether or not they are vaccinated. This means teenagers (12 to 17yrs) do not need to be double-jabbed for border entry as long as they are travelling with a vaccinated adult. They will still be required to present a negative test.
3 Anyone aged under 12 years does not need to provide a negative test result or form and are exempt from all covid restrictions.
4 You should ensure you have the correct and full vaccination certificate – either in paper or via the NHS app. Emails and appointment cards do not count, and you will need to show dates, type of vaccine received, your name, DOB and address.
5 Self-administered tests whose results are not certified by a laboratory (e.g. free tests provided by the NHS) are not authorized for travel. The test needs to be officially certified with a QR code. Check with your provider that it will be suitable for international travel.
6 The declaration of honor can be downloaded here and each person (12yrs +) should complete their own form.
https://www.interieur.gouv.fr/Actualites/L-actu-du-Ministere/Certificate-of-international-travel

 

ENTRY INTO SWITZERLAND

Given that you will be arriving into Switzerland you will also need to adhere to the legislation relating to travel from the UK to Switzerland even though you will only be transiting through. It is not possible to exit the airport into the French sector, so you do need to be prepared for the Swiss formalities which will be required at check-in and also on arrival at border control in Switzerland (Geneva Airport).

You can check all your relevant entry requirements for Switzerland using the Swiss Travel Check service :-
https://travelcheck.admin.ch/home

The UK government provides advice on travel to Switzerland here :-
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/switzerland

The Swiss Government provides the following information around entry requirements :-
https://www.bag.admin.ch/bag/en/home/krankheiten/ausbrueche-epidemien-pandemien/aktuelle-ausbrueche-epidemien/novel-cov/empfehlungen-fuer-reisende/quarantaene-einreisende.html#-924144951

In order to enter Switzerland you will need to fulfil the following conditions :-
– You must provide proof of your vaccination status
– You must complete the electronic Passenger Locator Form within 48 hours of your departure.

It is also probably a good idea to have proof that your final destination is in France so we would suggest that you take a copy of your booking confirmation with Ski Weekender which shows the resort, accommodation and dates of your stay.

Further Notes and Explanations

1 Vaccination must be documented in the form of a recognised certificate or other proof of vaccination. In addition to your last name, first name and date of birth, the proof of vaccination must also include the date of vaccination and the vaccine used.
2 You need to complete the Passenger Locator Form online and this can only be done within 48 hours of your departure. Its is found here https://swissplf.admin.ch/formular
3 The entry form obligation also applies to children and adolescents of all ages. They can be included on the entry form of an adult travelling with them.
4 A separate entry form must be completed for every legally competent person aged 18 years or older. It may be completed by the person himself or herself or by a travel companion.
5 Children and teenagers under 18 years of age as well as legally incompetent persons may be included in the form of an accompanying adult under the section “Children” . Click on “Add person ”.

 

Situation with Regards to Travel from France (via Geneva) back to the UK*

* Please note that the requirements for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland may be different. We have provided info and links to the English version, so please check in detail if you are returning to your home nation.

As a quick checklist for travelling back from your holiday into the UK – we believe that you will need to present :-
– Proof of vaccination status
– Book and pay for a COVID-19 test – to be taken after you arrive in England  (up until the 11th February)
– UK Passenger Locator form

Further Notes and Explanations

1 After the 11th Feb there is no longer a requirement to book a test on return to the UK.
2 Prior to the 11th Feb – y
ou will need to enter the booking reference for your COVID-19 test in the UK passenger locator form.
2 You do not need to quarantine when you arrive in England. You must take a COVID-19 test. This is the test that you booked before travel. You can book either a lateral flow test or a PCR test. You can take the test any time after you arrive and before the end of day 2 at the latest. The day you arrive is day 0.
3 Children aged 4 and under do not have to take any COVID-19 travel tests.
4 Children aged 5 to 17 have to follow the testing and quarantine rules for people who qualify as fully vaccinated on arrival in England. This means they do need a pre-booked test, and they need to be included on a Passenger Locator form.
5 You must submit your Passenger Locator form before you travel. You’ll need to show your form when you check in to travel or board your plane, train or ferry to the UK.
6 You can submit the form any time in the 48 hours before you arrive in the UK.
7 To complete the form you’ll need: your passport details or the travel document you’ll use when you arrive at the UK border; your travel details, including times and dates; the address where you will stay in the UK (if applicable); booking reference numbers for any COVID-19 tests you must take after arriving in the UK; to say whether you are vaccinated and where you were vaccinated
8 This can be done online at
https://provide-journey-contact-details.homeoffice.gov.uk/passengerLocatorFormUserAccountHolderQuestion

 

The Situation in France with the Pass-Sanitaire and the new Pass-Vaccinal

Please note that this section relates to “daily life in France” and does not conflict with the border requirements above to “enter into France”.

As you are probably aware – in order to partake in certain key activities (restaurants, bars, visitor attractions and skiing!) in France there has been a requirement to provide a valid “Pass-Sanitaire”. This effectively served to prove your vaccination or recovery status, or could also be attained with a negative test result.

This Pass-Sanitaire is in the process of changing to a Pass-Vaccinal. The difference between the two is quite explicit – only those with fully-vaccinated status can have a Pass Vaccinal, which continues to be necessary for bars, restaurants, ski lifts and long distance travel. This will also remove the daily testing work-around to top up your Pass-Sanitaire for anyone aged 18 or over.

Thankfully with the widespread roll-out of the booster program in both France and the UK most adults are now considered “boosted” with the 3 jabs and will hence should have no problem. You will need to present the proof (either using UK NHS App or paper forms with QR code) but we would suggest considering using the French TousAntiCovid app.

If you have only had 2 jabs this may still be acceptable in France, although from the 15th January 2022 if you are past 7 months from the date of your 2nd jab, you will need to have had a Booster jab to maintain your Pass Vaccinal. From the 15th February 2022, the seven month period in which to receive your booster jab decreases to four months.

Travellers vaccinated in the UK can import the NHS QR code confirming their vaccination status into the TousAntiCovid app. (Note that this app is available in both French and English and is very easy to use). This will then generate your Pass Vaccinal.

You’ll be asked to present your Pass Vaccinal as you access ski lifts, bars, restaurants, cafes and venues. You can also present a digital or paper NHS certificate showing your full vaccine status if for some reason you cannot access the app.

For further guidance on using your NHS COVID Pass for travel abroad please see :-
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/nhs-covid-pass

And the Consulate General of France in London provides the following information :-
https://uk.ambafrance.org/Health-pass-and-vaccination-in-the-UK

 

Children aged 16 & 17yrs old
The rules relating to the Pass Vaccinal are also applied to those aged 16 and 17 years but the definition of ‘fully-vaccinated’ in this age group in France is two vaccines (or recoveries), without the requirement to have a booster jab.

 

Children aged 12-16yrs old
It has recently been confirmed that children aged from 12 years and 2 months to 17 years of age, can continue to obtain a Pass Sanitaire, rather than a Pass Vaccinal. To obtain a Pass Sanitaire you can upload the two vaccination certificates to the TousAntiCovid app – which you can then show to access ski lifts, bars, restaurants etc.

If the children have yet to receive two vaccinations, they can use the daily testing work-around. Each day they’ll take a test at a local pharmacy in resort, then use the negative test result to ‘top up’ their health pass to access the ski lifts, restaurants, etc

If your child has one vaccination plus one recovery (and is not eligible for a second jab in advance of your holiday) this would normally be OK and count towards the Pass-Sanitaire in France. However, we have recently learnt that positive test results from some countries outside the EU (including the UK), are not accepted as a vaccine substitute here in France. We would suggest you look into this as soon as possible in the UK and contact 119 or your doctor to try and obtain a certificate that would be suitable for travel.
It may also be possible to get this accredited by a local French pharmacy, although we need to do more research and it’s not “official policy”.

You may be able to obtain a suitable EU valid certificate from your GP – or the NHS COVID Pass for 12 to 15 year olds for international travel can be obtained at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/nhs-covid-pass-for-12-15-year-olds-for-international-travel

On Tuesday 24th January 2022 the British government announced that from 3rd February 2022, English children aged between 12 and 15 years will be able to prove their vaccination status or proof of prior infection via a digital NHS COVID Pass for outbound travel. For children in this age category who’ve had 1 x vaccination and 1 x infection this will provide proof and mean that you fulfil the French ‘fully-vaccinated- criteria and you can then access a Pass Sanitaire for them.

 

Children aged under 12yrs and 2 months old
The good news is that this age group are not subject to the requirements to show a Pass-Sanitaire and can access the full range of activities without any checks or controls. Please note however that mask-wearing still applies in certain locations for anyone aged 5 and over.

 

Further Resources and Information

Here we provide some links and resources which we have found to be very useful in clarifying the situation and providing further information around what is required to travel these days – in addition to the official government sites.

Easyjet have some good resources and a clear list for each country you are travelling from / to :-
https://www.easyjet.com/en/covid-19-travel-hub/country-specific-restrictions-and-entry-requirements

British Airways also have an in-depth journey checker
https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb/information/incident/coronavirus/entry-requirements

A recent article from the Independent has details on the clarification for teenagers :-
https://www.independent.co.uk

And another very good article looking at the difference for the Pass-Vaccinal and the Pass-Sanitaire.
https://www.morzinesourcemagazine.com/covid-19-and-your-holiday-in-morzine-les-gets-or-avoriaz-this-winter

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So that’s quite a long “summary” of the current situation, but we hope that you will find it useful and it will assist you in undertaking your own research and ensuring you are able to meet the requirements to travel for your holiday.

We understand your concerns and questions – but please note that none of us at Ski Weekender are experts in this field and it’s all rather new to us too! We do our best to assist you, but we can’t be expected to have all the answers!

We hope that you can navigate your way through it all, and that the admin burden does not distract too much from the amazing sensation of sliding down a snowy mountain, or enjoying a cold beer in the sun on a mountain top!

We look forward to welcoming you back soon for more of these great experiences!

Many thanks

Paul

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