Visitors now need a special COVID-19 pass to ride up the Eiffel Tower or visit French museums or movie theatres, a valid Covid-19 “Pass Sanitaire” (Health Pass) will be mandatory for all visitors 18 years and older.
As the new rule came into effect Wednesday, tourists who came to the Paris landmark unprepared lined up for quick virus tests at the site. To get the pandemic pass, people must show they are either fully vaccinated, have tested negative for the coronavirus or recovered from COVID-19.
“The world is facing a new wave, and we must act,” Prime Minister Jean Castex said.
The solution is “vaccination, vaccination, vaccination,” Castex said Wednesday on TF1 television, urging his compatriots to sign up for vaccine injections to avoid new lockdowns. Of France’s 18,000 new coronavirus cases reported Tuesday, 96% involved people who were unvaccinated, he said.
At the Eiffel Tower, masked workers scanned QR codes on digital health passes and checked printed vaccines or test certificates. The pass requirement took effect Wednesday at cultural and tourist sites in France, following a government decree.
Already the government had to delay plans to require teenagers to use the passes starting next month, amid criticism from parents, restaurant owners and others. The government wants the pass to apply to everyone age 12 and over and will launch vaccination campaigns in middle schools and high schools starting in September, Castex said.
Covid-19 pass may be provided in the form of:
A vaccination certificate: stating that you are fully vaccinated, at least 1 week ago (Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca) or 4 weeks ago (Janssen). ;
A recent negative Covid-19 test, either an RT-PCR or antigen test, from within the last 48 hours.
An old positive Covid-19 test proving that you have recovered from the virus, from more than 11 days and less than 6 months ago.
You can also present your international vaccination card, and your ID ( For – Non EU visitors )
Covid-19 “Pass Sanitaire” in the format that you prefer:
in paper format: by presenting your document (original or photocopy) with the QR code;
in digital format: by presenting a photo or scan of your document with the QR code;
in the TousAntiCovid application: by creating a digital version of your document by scanning the QR code in the “Carnet” section
