Monday, December 23

Coronavirus: Negative tests are requested from travelers from certain countries

Une infirmière contrôle un passager qui dispose d'un test Covid négatif à l'aéroport de Nice, le 30 décembre. (Image d'illustration)

A nurse checks a passenger who has a negative Covid test at Nice airport on 27 December. (Illustrative image) – SYSPEO / SIPA
  • Nicolas Dupont-Aignan, deputy and president of the Debout la France party, on Friday renewed his request to present a “negative test” at the borders to be able to enter France.
  • Tests are already required for travelers from around twenty countries.
  • This verification request was sent to us by a reader.

Des Stricter border controls to limit the spread of coronavirus in France? This is what Nicolas Dupont-Aignan Friday. Guest of 13 hours of TF1, on deputy Standing France reiterated its request: require travelers crossing borders French a “negative test”

“I ask for negative tests at the borders, because we will lock up the inhabitants in 15 hours , while we return to our country being positive, like that ”, denounced the elected official. He did not specify whether he was referring to crossing borders by land, air or sea.

A reader, who explains that he had to present a test PCR negative in an airport, asked us to verify this statement.

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The situation is different depending on the country. Travelers from certain countries outside the European Union

must present negative tests before entering French territory, according to the Ministry of the Interior. This concerns about twenty countries in which it is possible to carry out a test 50 hours before departure and where “the virus is still circulating very actively”, such as the United States or South Africa. Travelers must present the result of their test before boarding.

The Interior also lists around thirty countries outside the EU for which it is difficult to do a test quickly before departure, such as India or China. In this case, travelers must undergo an arrival test or complete a mandatory fortnight.

Other countries without compulsory tests

Only people from six non-EU and non-Schengen countries (Australia, South Korea, Japan, New Zealand, Rwanda, Singapore, Thailand) are currently fully released from these health checks. Reason: “The circulation of the virus [y] is not very important. »

For other non-European countries, not listed by the ministry, travelers are invited to present a negative test. If they do not do it before departure, they can do it in French airports or do a fortnight on arrival. However, neither the fortnight nor the presentation of a negative test is obligatory for the travelers coming from these countries. These rules also apply to French people returning from abroad.

A negative test to come from the United Kingdom

The UK case, where a particularly contagious variant has been detected , is particular. France has restricted travel with the country, which is not part of the Schengen area or the European Union. Only certain categories of travelers are authorized to travel to France, on condition of presenting a negative test of less than 72 hours, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

What about travel within the European Union? Travelers from the latter or from the European area (Andorra, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, San Marino, Switzerland and Vatican) “can enter French territory without restrictions related to the fight against Covid- 18 ”, indicates the Ministry of the Interior .

This certain restrictions have sometimes imposed locally, targeting tourists returning from foreign ski resorts, such as these 30 French tourists targeted by a seven-day isolation after a control at the Franco-Swiss border, in under a decree published the 19 December. Travelers returning from Spanish stations were also subject to checks, 86238608 specified La Dépêche du Midi the 27 December.

In addition, the 30 October, France has renewed the possibility of controls at the borders until 27 April. It is not a question of verifying each entry into the territory, but of being able to carry out identity checks at the borders, according to AFP.