You all provided such great wisdom and insight concerning my recent Central America question that I wanted to put another question out to you. How easy has it been to get into France lately for non-French citizens?
My France Overland Transit Dilemma
I’m preparing to travel to Germany again with my family (just for a family visit) but need to pick up something in Paris. We could go about it in two ways.
First, we could fly into Paris, pick it up, then take the train to Germany. Alternately, we could travel to Germany, leave the kids with my in-laws, and Heidi and I could have a “date night” in Paris, pick up the item, then come back the next day.
But it is not lost on me that a “date night” in Paris is not very practical right now, with an overnight curfew and most restaurants closed. But that’s not my issue. My issue is actually just getting in.
My understanding of current French immigration policy is that EU citizens (and their spouses or parents – that’s me!) are allowed in, but must:
- provide a negative COVID-19 test, PCR only
- quarantine for seven days
- justify the purpose of your visit
- present a sworn declaration attesting that you are expecting no COVID-19 symptoms
The negative PCR test is not a problem, but what if we just want to stay one night? I have not seen any guidance on that. Obviously, we would not be breaking the 6:00pm curfew or trying to sightsee…it is not that type of trip. But is picking up merchandise considered a valid reason to enter Metropolitan France?
Seems it will be up to discretion of the border agent.
It also appears that both Germany and France have resurrected hard borders between each other, meaning if we dropped the kids off we’d have to obtain fresh PCR tests and again justify our journey.
CONCLUSION
So I’m left in a quandary. I may just wait till summer to pick up the item, but I’d rather do it while I’ll be so close, especially because I can easily fly into Paris or take a less than four hour train ride from Germany.
What are your thoughts on my predicament, particularly if you have actual experience in doing what I am considering? It doesn’t seem to matter in terms of border policy, but both my wife and I are vaccinated and I’ve recovered from COVID-19 and have antibodies.
Writing from Paris where I have an American friend with a French wife who travels very regularly despite current restrictions (DXB this week…), I am sure that if you flew into Paris and said you were connecting to Germany by train you would have no problems at all. The quarantine is a ‘self quarantine’ and PCR tests, should you need one, are quick and free for all.
Or you could just wait for summer when rules are relaxed. I’d suggest you explore Turkey if you can. Cafe are reopenings, hotels are superb. Been here for 2 months and it is awesome
Also this german authorities site:
https://www.einreiseanmeldung.de/
seems to say
you spent less than 24 hours in a risk area for the purpose of border traffic
so in this case for entering Germany
I do not know if this helps and gives you another perspective to your question.
Now I have no idea how it will be at the police desk at the Paris airport, or at the train station or in the train…
All (not most) restaurants are closed but take away during the day works.
We are probably going more to learn from your experience than to help you 😉
“you spent less than 24 hours in a risk area for the purpose of border traffic”
I mean in a way were you may not have to quarantine in Germany then.
DHL seems the way to go.
If I understand well…
You do not need to self-quarantine (so no need to quarantine at all) if you have the PCR test negative.
But the issue is not that…
On this link:
https://www.interieur.gouv.fr/Actualites/L-actu-du-Ministere/Certificate-of-international-travel#from4
(It is dated 3 february 2021, but the french version says 4th of march 2021)
Because you are coming from outside the EU in the last past 14 days:
you need to fill and present this form:
https://www.interieur.gouv.fr/content/download/126183/1009066/file/2021-02-04-attestation-de-deplacement-vers-la-france-metropolitaine-depuis-un-pays-exterieur-a-l-espace-europeen-pour-les-ressortissants-de%20l-espace-europeen-version-anglaise.docx
Can you have one of those reason possible?
Are you going really to be controlled?
You may be able to be considered as a German citizen?
Leaving France does not seem to be a problem.
Not sure how this helps you, and if i understand all well.
I’ve been impressed with the COVID related information US Embassies abroad have kept for US travelers to their respective countries. Perhaps an email to one of the smaller US consulates in France might yield some guidance.
What Jerry said, I found the Austrian Consulate in DC to be very helpful this past summer in showing me the path of getting in for work. They were clear in the steps I needed to take and not at all, ‘DAS IST VERBOTEN!”
And, as my experiences thus far have shown, it’s more about the airline making sure you are clear to fly. Once there they seem to not even care. Traveling between EU countries is not something I’ve done yet though since Covid and the new restrictions there. But I have a hard time believing that these “hard borders” are really as such. Especially between France and Germany where there is such a constant flow back and forth.
Surely the obvious solution would be to get yourself a through AF ticket to Germany via CDG and find a way for the item to reach you there. You need to cross the border to get to the Schengen side, so I bet that going landside wouldn’t be a massive issue.
I would start by calling AF and asking them whether you need to go through the entire sworn statement rigmarole if you are merely transiting at CDG as opposed to having France as your destination. In fact, I am thinking about doing something similar, but with a more circuitious routing- flying LHR-ATH-FRA-BCN in order to circumvent both the UK-ES flight ban and German restrictions on ex-UK pax. Greece has a 7-day quarantine in place, but it does not apply to transit pax.
EU citizens — and their spouses — don’t need to justify the trip. We can visit any EU country for any reason, according to the EC guidance. That said, if asked, you are transiting to Germany.
Yea definitely DHL FedEx or UPS, you merch doesn’t need quarantine or test but you do. Let it do the travelling.
Just drive (depending on where in Germany), other than the hotel asking questions, maybe, I doubt you’d run into any major issues.
Just what Paris needs right now, you and your family introducing the new Klint variant! My wife entered Paris recently and we invented a whole story how she was taking a train to her home country (Sweden). It wasn’t needed. If the airline gives you boarding passes you’re good. I have friends in Germany and they said the border with France has some border checks right now but is also quite porous if you drive. That said I’d wait until summer. Paris without restaurants and museums just isn’t the same. My wife and I are planning a weekend in Paris in July after we drop the kiddos with their grandparents.
DHL is mentioned but I suspect Matthew is MI6, colleague to 007, so he needs to go there in person.
Canada would call that non-essential and ban it. I heard someone’s house was destroyed by a flood and Canada wouldn’t let the owners enter Canada to retrieve valuables.
Pathetic on the part of Canada.
FEB 2021: Approved by US Airline using work docs & NEG CV19 test to fly US>Rome (US Passport holder). Upon arrival, FCO Border Police said NO entry for US Citizens, state of emergency and I (& others) weren’t allowed entry. Expectation was to stay in FCO airport until the next day for return flight. Fortunately, jumped back on returning US flight. Lessons: 1) All depends on Border authority as you deplane. 2) US Airline refunded my tix in full without my asking, and 3) Rome has had a surge of homeless people on the streets due to church/charity CV19 closures and EVERYTHING was CLOSED due to change in Political hierarchy. State of Emergency in Rome was real. / /