British travellers must show ‘compelling’ reason to enter France from today

French President Emmanuel Macron has stepped up measures to prevent the spread of the Indian variant (Picture: Getty)

Brits will have to provide ‘compelling reasons’ to enter France from today as another European country tries to shut the door on the Indian variant.

Travel to France from the UK will only be permitted for EU nationals, French residents, or those travelling for essential reasons.

Those allowed to make the journey must take a pre-departure Covid test and quarantine for seven days on arrival.

The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said the new French rules apply to all air, car, ferry and train passengers.

France is currently listed as an ‘amber’ destination by the UK Government which advises against travel there, with British authorities requiring people to self-isolate for 10 days and take two Covid tests when they return.

Stricter rules for visitors from the UK were first raised by French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian last week amid concern over the Indian variant.

The daily rate of coronavirus cases in France, which has beefed up measures against British travellers from today

The European countries that will let British travellers in without needing to quarantine

The French Consulate in London said: ‘Given the development of the so-called Indian variant, health measures have been tightened for people travelling to France from the UK.’

It added that from Monday morning ‘compelling reasons will be required for foreign nationals outside the EU not resident in France to travel to France from the UK’.

The consulate’s website said ‘a PCR or antigen test less than 48 hours old will be required from anyone travelling to France from the UK’ while on arrival ‘travellers are obliged to self-isolate for seven days’.

It also added that ‘due to the low incidence of Covid in the UK, for the moment they will not be subject to systematic checks where they are staying’.

Brits must have a ‘compelling’ reason to enter France from today (Picture: Reuters)

Travellers entering France from outside the European Union, including the UK, have to sign a sworn declaration that they do not have Covid symptoms and that they are not aware of being in contact with someone with the virus in the 14 days before their journey.

As well as proof of the negative pre-departure Covid test for those aged 11 and over, a sworn declaration to self-isolate on arrival in France for seven days must also be made and a second PCR test taken after the quarantine.

Brits who have been vaccinated remain subject to the same rules, with all travellers ‘strongly advised’ to keep international travel ‘to a minimum’.

France’s move follows Germany who told people arriving from the UK to go into a 14-day quarantine in response to the Indian variant.

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