Atout France has advised the travel trade in South Africa on a change to how their vaccinated France-bound clients may access the Pass Sanitaire, which is essential for entering restaurants, events, bars, and public transport all over France.
Instead of applying online before travel and waiting for a QR code, South Africans and other non-EU residents who are fully vaccinated with Pfizer or Janssen (Johnson&Johnson), may take their passport and paper vaccination card to any of the
22 000 pharmacies in France, (including on the island of Reunion), to request the conversion, at a cost of up to E36. They need to present their passport and their original vaccination certificate in paper format at a pharmacy.
France’s “Pass Sanitaire" is simply the French version of the EU health pass, and it comprises a vaccination certificate (passenger must have a complete vaccination scheme with a vaccine recognised by the European Medicines Agency, or the equivalent to these vaccines), and/or a negative test certificate, or a recovery certificate. The Pass Sanitaire consists of a QR Code – this can be rendered in digital or paper format. Alternatively, rapid antigen tests conducted in France, which are available on a walk-in basis at local pharmacies, can also serve as a temporary health pass valid for 72 hours.
All French and EU nationals need to carry this Pass Sanitaire in order to access certain events, venues and services. Having this Pass Sanitaire allows non-European Union nationals (like South Africans) visiting France to use proof of their vaccination status to access events and places where the health pass is mandatory.
These mandatory documents must include, in a legible way, the last name, first name, date of birth as well as the date of vaccination, the vaccine used, the number of doses injected and the country of vaccination
The maximum charge for this procedure is E36 (including VAT).
