France announced that it has begun the process of cautiously lifting the travel ban on South Africa but it will be a while before things return to the semblance of normalcy we observed before the Omicron variant was detected.
France conditionally lifts travel ban on South Africa
French government spokesperson Gabriel Attal confirmed in a statement that from Saturday 4 December 2021, flights from South Africa will be allowed to land the airstrip. However, only passengers with French and/or European Union (EU) citizenship will be allowed to disembark and make it past border control.
Unlike the United Kingdom’s (UK) conditional lift of the ban where South Africans are allowed to transit in England, the French government is not taking any chances.
Outside of their people as well as EU citizens, the only other groups that are allowed entry into France are diplomats and flight staff.
Here are the strict rules passengers entering France from South Africa and six other southern African countries will be subjected to:
- Obligation to present a negative PCR test carried out less than 48 hours before departure or a negative antigen test carried out less than 24 hours before departure
- Only French and European nationals, diplomatic personnel and crew can travel to France
- A test will be carried out on arrival. If the test is negative, travellers will required to isolate in the place of their choice for seven days. If it is positive, they will berequired to quarantine in a designated hotel for a period of 10 days
- In the event of non-compliance, a fine of 1,500 euros will be imposed for people who do not respect the compulsory isolation period
“The Embassy and Consulates will keep you informed of any developments, and are at your disposal in the event of any difficulties,” the French embassy in Pretoria noted in a statement.