Sarastro, I wish you were writing for the government!

Hi progol. The link you posted is for travel between the UK and France but I did scroll down and found “travel between red countries”. I could not find this before.

it looks like they qualified the booster:
Since January 30, 2022, in order to continue to be considered as fully vaccinated, persons aged eighteen and one month or over wishing to enter the national territory must have received a dose of complementary messenger RNA vaccine no later than 9 months following the injection of the last required dose.

(If people in the US strictly followed initial CDC guidance on boosters, they are likely not boostered within 9 months of their second dose. We were being told in October only a small portion of the country needed one at that time).

<<Hi progol. The link you posted is for travel between the UK and France but I did scroll down and found “travel between red countries”. I could not find this before.>>

I'm glad you scrolled down and I'm sorry for the confusion; the entire page refers to the health measures which start off with the UK, but then addresses the different requirements under the color-coded tabs. Not easy to find! The page I pasted is from the requirements for the "Red" countries, which the US is considered to be.

The information in progols post is very new and has a huge change to France´s entry requirements. According to the English version of the site referenced, if someone receives the booster 9 months and 1 day after having received the 2nd shot, he is no longer consider to be fully vaccinated and must meet the non-vaccinated entry requirements, effectively prohibiting entry for tourism.

Interestingly, the French version of the same site does not mention this mandatory 9 month qualifying window. The US embassy website states something completely different, i.e. that if 9 months has passed since the 2nd shot, you must have a booster. This makes sense as the booster was not previously mandatory for entry (it was for the pass vaccinal in most cases).

What a mess.

So now I’m even more confused. Going to France in July (from the US). My son, husband and I got our second dose in April 2021. We are getting our booster next week.

Since it’s been almost 10 months since we got our second shot we now won’t be able to get into France?

Why is it that when I look at the list of "approved" pharmacies in Paris that it changes day by day? https://www.sante.fr/recherche/trouv...%20pass/Paris; Do they only do the vaccine passes on certain days or why is that? I don't want to spend a lot of time walking around to various supposedly approved pharmacies only to find out they don't do it. Does anyone know why I'm seeing this? Appreciate input please.

It is such a mess. I’ve been following the French page and it’s date was Jan 22 and said “this page is being updated” for over a week. (Now it’s dated Jan 28). It had said boosters had to be within 7 months and starting this month, within 4 months.

Update on my end: I called the Consulate General as well as my hotel for guidance.. turns out, I did need to get an additional booster (despite not being available in the United States) in order to get my French vaccine pass as of 2/14.

Luckily found a doctor who agreed to administer it to me given my first dose was J&J.

Good luck everyone, what a mess.

Finding a pharmacy in Paris which issues French QR codes for Covid shots given elsewhere is not a big deal. They are absolutely everywhere. It would be difficult to find one that did not. There are 3 at CDG itself, or ask your hotel front desk. I doubt you will need to look longer than 5 minutes.

The 7/4 month numbers got lost in the translation to English. These are only grace periods one must follow to maintain an actively valid pass vaccinal, applicable mainly to those who live in France. What a tourist needs is the booster which was very clear until the 1 February edition of the message from the Ministère de l´Intérieur which now specifies:

1. Tourists must have the booster (unless the 2nd shot was administered within the previous 4 months, then there is a 4 month total grace period).
2. Tourists who waited longer than 9 months from the 2nd shot to obtain the booster must enter France under the non-vaccinated rules (which basically forbids entry for tourism).

https://www.interieur.gouv.fr/Actual...ational-travel

Note: The French and English versions both state this.

Another question about traveling in France .
I am coming from chicago to Paris
my first vaccination was 2/17/21 Moderna
2nd was 3/15/21 my booster was 1/22/22

I am confused what I just read on this thread
From French website :

Tourists who waited longer than 9 months from the 2nd shot to obtain the booster must enter France under the non-vaccinated rules (which basically forbids entry for tourism).

im leaving 3/18/22 to Paris from Chicago and I want to not be under restrictions with non vaccinated rules

maybe by the summer the pass won’t be necessary:

https://www.france24.com/en/france/2...ed-before-july

Patricia, I think you will need to get clarity from a more official source than a travelers forum, as my understanding of the current restrictions would suggest that you would not be eligible to enter as vaccinated. Whether the rules change once again or you could get some kind of exception is not something likely to be found in this forum. If I’m interpreting the current restrictions incorrectly, I apologize.

Thank you
there is no point going to Paris if my Booster doesn’t qualify in the time frame for the pass

where is another source of information to stay current with all the changes ?

from the Consulate of France in Los Angeles:

Hi and thank you for your message & pointing out the confusion.

- If 7 months has passed since the 2nd shot, you must have a Booster to enter France.
- If 7 months has not passed since the 2nd shot, you can enter France without the Booster.
- If you meet these requirements, you are entitled to a vaccination pass that allows you access to public areas (restaurants etc.).
- No matter when you got your booster, if you got one, you can enter France and obtain a a vaccination pass to circulate inside France.
- To fully answer your questions, the French version of the same site might not mention this mandatory 7 month qualifying window because French citizens have the right to go back to France even if they are not or partially vaccinated. Once there, they won't have access to public spaces.

Hope it helps!

Regards,

Euro hop
thst helps a lot !! Thank you

As long as the LA French Consulate is in charge of CDG Immigration, you should be fine.

I first became aware of the 9 month limitation for valid booster shots on Monday in a message from Air France to passengers. I immediately checked the official publication from the Ministère de l´Intérieur.

https://www.interieur.gouv.fr/Actual...ational-travel

This is what was added on 1 February:

I next checked with IATA as this is the organization used by a number of airlines to determine who boards and who is denied boarding international flights:

https://www.iatatravelcentre.com/

You can enter your parameters to see what it says. There is a list of qualification requirements and a qualifying link to guess what website:

https://www.interieur.gouv.fr/Actual...ational-travel

This is the same website quoted above which contains the same 9 month booster restriction.

I believe that what the Ministère de l´Intérieur meant to say was that vaccinated visitors, to enter France, must receive the booster after 9 months from the 2nd shot, but my opinion counts for nothing.

Contact your air carrier and ask their position. It is they who make the decision to board you or not.

I can enter France and fly but my concern is with requirement of being boosted later than 9 months from my last vaccine I can’t get the French pass for to enter venues
yikes

As of now, that is my understanding. I would check with the consulate to confirm if it’s worth it to you to travel in March or if you should cancel and wait till restrictions are changed.

I just received an email from the US Embassy in Paris stating the following:

1. As of February 1, France changed the rules for entry into France. Under the new rules, to be considered fully vaccinated for entry purposes, travelers age 18 and above must now have a booster shot, which must be an mRNA vaccine (Moderna or Pfizer) if their second dose (only dose of Johnson & Johnson/Jansen) was more than 9 months before their entry into France.
2. France has reclassified the US as an orange country

The French government has issued many statements over the last several years, which were very sloppily written and grossly misleading.

I believe that all you really need is the booster if your 2nd shot was received more than 9 months ago, not that the booster must be given within 9 months.

Thank you Sarasot
i
just called the French Embassy !
I am good to go !!!

What did they tell you?

They said that there is a misunderstanding of the site, that the actual criteria is to have a booster shot
and the time between is not a concern

I am also reading news articles with this information.

There has been confusion about this for over a month.

I’m glad you followed up and got some good news! Enjoy your trip!

From US Embassy in Paris
 

I thought I'd share this with everyone. I emailed the US Embassy in Paris:

"Good morning,
I have had a trip planned to Paris in March. I’ve been reading the US Embassy website, the Servicce-public.fr website, and the solidarites-sante.gouv.fr website, but they all seem to have different time frames.
We received our second dose of Pfizer on 5/27/2021, and we have a booster shot scheduled for 2/13/2022. I can’t tell if this means we’ll be able to receive our vaccination pass or not from a pharmacy once we get there. As far as you know, can we still receive our vaccination pass?
One note, we both got COVID over the holidays, but we only got at-home tests. Is there something we can do with that to show that we have some more antigens?"

And this was their response:

"Good morning and greetings from Paris. Based on the information you have provided, and as the current Covid 19 rules apply, you will be able to enter France and receive your vaccine pass. Make sure the full vaccination and the booster shots are listed on your CDC card, which you will show as proof when entering France and when getting your vaccine pass upon arrival.
The two main things you need to worry about are the vaccination requirements to enter France and the requirements to get your vaccine pass upon your arrival. The vaccine pass is needed to participate in most social or cultural activities in France.
Vaccination Requirements to enter France:
People who have been vaccinated with one of the vaccines recognized by the EMA or considered as equivalent (Pfizer/Comirnaty, Moderna, AstraZeneca/Vaxzevria/ Covishield/Fiocruz/R-Covia and Johnson & Johnson) will be considered as fully vaccinated:

• 7 days after the 2nd injection for double injection vaccines (Pfizer/Comirnaty, Moderna, AstraZeneca/Vaxzevria/Covishield/Fiocruz/R-Covi);
• 28 days after injection for vaccines with a single injection (Johnson & Johnson);
• 7 days after a single injection for people with a history of Covid-19.

People who have been vaccinated with a Sinopharm, Sinovac, Sputnik or other vaccines can be considered as fully vaccinated:

• 7 days after the single injection of a complementary dose of Messenger RNA vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna) for people who can justify being fully vaccinated with the Sinopharm or Sinovac vaccines (recognized by the WHO)
• 7 days after the 2nd injection of a Messenger RNA vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna) for people who are not fully vaccinated with the Sinopharm or Sinovac vaccine (recognized by the WHO) or who are vaccinated with a Sputnik vaccine or other vaccine (not recognized by EMA or WHO).

Since February 1, 2022, for their vaccination status to remain considered as complete, travelers aged 18 or more wishing to enter the French territory must have received a complementary dose (booster shot) of Messenger RNA vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna) no later than 9 months following the injection of the last required dose.
Vaccine Pass:

• French authorities accept the CDC card as evidence of vaccination for entry into France, but it is not accepted as a French health or vaccine pass required for domestic travel within France or to enter cultural sites, museums, theatres, restaurants, bars, nightclubs, cafes, athletic facilities, medical offices and hospitals (except for emergencies), retirement homes, and some other facilities. 
• To qualify for the vaccine pass, the person must be age 16 or above, be fully vaccinated (two shots except for the Johnson & Johnson/Jansen vaccine), and, if more than seven 7 months (4 months after February 15) have passed from the second vaccine dose, a booster dose is required.
• For travelers who have recently tested positive, the French government will Not accept a U.S.-administered positive test or a U.S. doctor's letter of recovery in place of the booster. To qualify for the booster exemption, you will need a French-administered positive covid test and a letter of recovery from a French doctor.
  • For travelers who tested positive in the U.S. and plan to come to France, we can recommend you see a doctor to determine if it is safe to get the booster. Otherwise, it is not a good idea to travel to France without a booster.
  • For travelers already in France, we recommend you see a doctor in France to determine if it is safe to get a booster.
• For more specific questions on vaccine exemptions, you should contact your respective French consulate in the U.S. before traveling to France.

To obtain a vaccine or booster pass if vaccinated in the United States (or elsewhere outside the EU) the traveler must go in person to one of the designated pharmacies and present their original, paper vaccination record (their CDC card), their passport, and a fee of up to 36 Euros. . More information about the health pass is available under the Movement Restrictions section, below. 
If you still have questions, please send us your telephone number a convenient timeframe for you to receive a call from a member of our team who will try to answer your questions.

Regards,
Consular Section
United States Embassy"


In short, it sounds like:

1. To enter France:
   1. If you got your 2nd dose more than 9 months ago and you have not received a booster, you're out of luck
   2. If you got your 2nd dose less than 9 months ago, get your booster, and you're good to go!
2. To Get your vaccine card:
   1. Get your booster if you got your 2nd dose more than 4 months ago.

Hope that helps!

so my first Pfizer shot was 2/5/2021
my second was 3/20/21
my booster was 1/12/22

I am good to go with Vaccine pass ?

Consider thay you have misunderstood the requirements, which are:

To enter France, you need the booster if your 2nd shot is more than 9 months old.

To qualify for the pass vaccinal, you must have the booster if your 2nd shot is more than 4 months old.

Booster shots must be of the mRNA type and become qualifying 7 days after they are received. As a tourist, it doesn't matter when you received the booster, only that you have it.

Thank you all! I was just planning to go to France with my husband in March and I was very worried about this issue. It took me a long time to find working information.

Love this forum!!!

The government has announced that it hopes that the vaccine pass can be eliminated in March or April. I think that this is wishful thinking for March, not entirely impossible in April, but nobody should base their plans on it.

FWIW the French website still says this:

<<Since February 1st, 2022, in order to continue to be considered as fully vaccinated, persons aged eighteen or over wishing to enter the national territory must have received a booster dose no later than 9 months following the injection of the last required dose.

Well I will know for sure in March when I’m there
called French embassy and they said I was good to go with the vaccine pass
my booster is more than 9months from 2nd shot .

too much back and forth
I am Going

I also received clarification from the French Embassy that as long as you have received a booster, you will be able to get the vaccine pass. They admitted the language was confusing. I do think it would be helpful to clarify it.

Hi Patricia, can you confirm that everything was ok to enter the country/venues with a booster >9 months after the second jab?

I can let you know when I get back !
leaving March 18 to 28!!