Listening to a French radio report yesterday from a France Info journalist on the Chinese strategy - all travellers into the country are quarantined for 3 weeks, including Chinese citizens - with regular obligatory testing, alarms on doors and camera surveillance rooms, including sampling the bed sheets/pillows, and an anal swab PCR test which has to be negative before you can be released. The hotel costs allegedly also have to be paid for by the “guest” before the authorities will let you out of the quarantine hotel.
@David_Spardo It now seems to be very stringent , sorry about that.
Hope you can all get together another time…
So what will the rules be regarding travel to UK ?
Are there to be restrictions etc.?
Would an adult visiting their parents not be classed as tourism?
I believe it says that “enfants” can travel to be with their parents but I am not sure that “enfants” includes adult children?
I suppose it’s whatever GBritain puts in place… can’t see why France should stop folk leaving… (but, who knows…)
I’ve been reading the article in the Guardian this morning, but I can’t decide if it makes sense 
All British Press should come with a government health warning… 
Don’t waste time on it… right now it’s chaos.
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Mostly what I’ve thought up to now
France and other European countries must be thinking the UK has taken leave of its senses.
So very sad.
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Removing some countries from the red list? There was little point in keeping them out when Omicron is now so firmly established.
Once it was decided not to pull up the drawbridge like NZ then restricting travel to a limited degree was only going to slow things, rather than hold them back.
Apparently NO travel between France and UK Not even family visits
I said apparently.
Let’s keep things accurate - French citizens and residents will be able to return home, Brits will be able to travel if there is a compelling reason; all subject to Covid testing and some limited isolation (2 days then negative test) if vaccinated. If not vaccinated not much changes as you couldn’t travel to France other than for a compelling reason anyway.
Omicron is circulating in France, I doubt restriction of travel from the UK will make much difference to this.
I’m hoping it will be reviewed soon - but not holding out much hope for a trip over on the 2nd. The problem is while I can rebook the ferry I cannot move or book annual leave quite so easily.
Yes it’s pretty clear EXCEPT the list of compelling reasons at
includes ‘British nationals and family members benefiting from the withdrawal agreement’ but does not specify the meaning of ‘family members’. Elsewhere ‘family members’ are specified as partners and children - so maybe my daughter can come but not my mother-in-law? Or perhaps if their ‘child’ is a French resident a parent can come?
“Benefitting from the withdrawal agreement” is probably main point……ad the way one shows one benefits from the withdrawal agreement is by having a resident’s permit that says so. My guess is this is to cover family members who are not British (or European) who got a WARP card because of their marriage to a British person.
I don’t know if my reasons for travel are compelling enough for the authorities…
They are for me, however.
If you can get to UK… that’s one bridge crossed… and, as you are French Resident, France won’t refuse to let you back in…
EDIT: though you might have to swim through the sheep-dip and isolate when you get back here … 
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…very confusing, like others, on this thread I guess , our daughter and partner who is EU national were coming next week with new grandson and I just can’t work out what is reality. Is she family as she doesn’t live here? would this be compelling as family visit?..and indeed will there be any ferries anyway?
And getting a test on 25th which is 48 hours are arrival isn’t going to happen either.
Brexit and Covid making the relaxinging life we had hoped for a fast disappearing experience.
I’ve put this morning’s press release through the Yandex Translator if that’s helpful to anyone, but I’m a bit dubious about the translation of “ressortissant”- is it a French national or a French resident?
Anyway, make of it what you will:
Communication Department
Hôtel de Matignon, December 16, 2021
press release
The Government strengthens health control measures
at the borders with the United Kingdom
Faced with the extremely rapid spread of the Omicron variant in the United Kingdom, the Government is doing
the choice to reinstate compelling reasons for travel to and from the United Kingdom, and to
strengthen the requirement for departure and arrival tests.
In the British Government’s own words, the United Kingdom is going to face a "
tidal wave" linked to the Omicron variant in the coming days. So, as of this Saturday
morning 0 hour, the following rules will apply for travel between the UK and the
France :
- Obligation to have a valid reason to travel to or from the United Kingdom, to
unvaccinated people like vaccinated people. These grounds are indicated in
the list in the appendix and at the following address: https://www.interieur.gouv.fr/Actualites/L-actu-du-
Ministry/Certificate-of-displacement-and-travel- . They will not allow to move
for tourist or professional reasons. These compelling reasons will not apply
however, not to French nationals as well as their spouses and children who will be able to
always come to France.
Need for vaccinated people to initially present a negative test (PCR or TAG)
of less than 24 hours, which is equivalent to an alignment with the rules already valid for
unvaccinated people.
Obligation for all travelers from the United Kingdom to check in,
prior to their movement, on a digital platform making it possible in particular to
enter the address of their stay in France. This platform will generate
prefectural decrees fixing the obligation of isolation in the place of their choice to all
travelers, unvaccinated as vaccinated. This obligation of isolation may be waived at
starting from 48 hours, subject to being able to justify a negative test (PCR or TAG).
Controls will be organised to ensure the proper implementation of these measures.
The Government further calls on travellers who had planned to travel to the UK to
postpone their trip.
I seem to recall that for a brief period last winter when things were at their worst, France did make it clear to residents who decided to travel outside France, that there was no guarantee they would be permitted to return whenever they wished. I believe that the attestation for overseas travel that had to be signed, included a statement that you were aware of this. I am not sure that residents were in fact ever barred from re-entering France.
My compelling reason for travel to UK would have to be “medical emergency &/or imminent death”
Thankfully, nobody concerned is in either position.
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