Anyone travelled to France on a UK passport but from somewhere else?

Stinky · 23 Dec 2021 at 11:17

Hi all

Not even the French consulate can answer this one!!

the rules we can’t travel from the uk to France, I’m supposed to be going to French Polynesia and these rules also apply, but I’m looking at splitting my trip now to 2 weeks in Fiji then onto French Polynesia.

has anyone travelled from say Spain into France since the ban on uk to France travel as a British passport holder??

Replies from from French consulate and Tahiti consulate have been unable to help and everyone seems to be waiting on the French gov.

BowdonUK · 23 Dec 2021 at 11:28

It'd be interesting to find the answer. I'm guessing you'd be allowed to travel in to France from another country.

I don't know the setup France had with their red country lists. But here you could fly from a red country list by going via a country that isn't on the red country list. It's like the officials weren't checking the initial departure country. But it may have been setup like that on purpose.

dlockers · 23 Dec 2021 at 11:29

It'll be fine

Edit: or maybe not, unsure

Stinky · 23 Dec 2021 at 11:32

Exwctly

BowdonUK said:
It'd be interesting to find the answer. I'm guessing you'd be allowed to travel in to France from another country.

I don't know the setup France had with their red country lists. But here you could fly from a red country list by going via a country that isn't on the red country list. It's like the officials weren't checking the initial departure country. But it may have been setup like that on purpose.

exactly What I’m thinking

diamount · 23 Dec 2021 at 11:37

I thought the travel ban was for the actual citizen of the country and not onward travel from the country itself?

Stinky · 23 Dec 2021 at 12:05

diamount said:
I thought the travel ban was for the actual citizen of the country and not onward travel from the country itself?

everything reads that you cannot travel from UK to France, no matter what country your from. Doesn’t say depending on the country. It’s very confusing and nobody has the answer

mjt · 23 Dec 2021 at 12:15

It seems a tiny bit ambiguous here: https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/c...g-to-france-your-covid-19-questions-answered/
One says "arriving from" and the other says "visitors from".

Surely you can take the latter to be synonymous with the former?

IMPORTANT
Any person aged 12 and over entering French territory must present a negative PCR or antigen test less than 24 or 48 hours old, depending on the country of origin.

For unvaccinated minors under 12 years, the vaccine status of their parents or accompanying guardians shall apply.

EXCEPTIONS
> Fully vaccinated Individuals arriving from a Member State of the European Union, Andorra, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, San Marino, the Holy See or Switzerland.

> Special rules of entry apply for visitors from the United Kingdom

Terminal_Boy · 23 Dec 2021 at 12:27

The bit you need to read is here:

https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/c...grounds-for-travel-to-from-the-united-kingdom

Stinky · 23 Dec 2021 at 12:30

Terminal_Boy said:
The bit you need to read is here:

https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/c...grounds-for-travel-to-from-the-united-kingdom

But I’m not travelling from or to the UK. Just my passport is British. That’s all

Stinky · 23 Dec 2021 at 12:31

mjt said:
It seems a tiny bit ambiguous here: https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/c...g-to-france-your-covid-19-questions-answered/
One says "arriving from" and the other says "visitors from".

Surely you can take the latter to be synonymous with the former?

it’s funny really. Seems to be loop holes

mjt · 23 Dec 2021 at 12:35

Pretty sure nationality has nothing to do with it; it's about where you're travelling in from.
Nationality is linked to visa restrictions, not COVID restrictions. I wouldn't worry about it.

Fubsy · 23 Dec 2021 at 12:38

Just like Trump's "Muslim" ban this is only about the country traveling from not your citizenship.

Are French nationals being allowed back to France from the UK?

Terminal_Boy · 23 Dec 2021 at 12:42

If enter France for a Green List EU nation, the following applies:

2) You wish to enter Metropolitan France
2.1. Mobility rules and regulations
No restrictions shall apply when entering metropolitan France from a green list country or territory.

2.2. Health control measures
If you are already vaccinated, you shall present proof of your vaccination status and a sworn statement certifying the absence of COVID-19 symptoms and of any contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19. A negative PCR or antigen test taken less than 48 hours old is required, except for arrivals from a Member State of the European Union, Andorra, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, San Marino, the Holy See or Switzerland.

If you are not vaccinated, you must present the transport company or the border authorities with a certificate of recovery dated more than eleven days and less than six months, or a negative PCR or antigen test dated less than 48 hours or less than 24 hours prior to departure, depending on your country of departure (departure of first flight in case of connecting flight(s).

For travellers arriving from a country in the European area (Member State of the European Union, Andorra, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, San Marino, the Holy See or Switzerland) a negative PCR or antigen test taken less than 24 hours earlier is required.

All travellers arriving from a green list country must complete a sworn statement certifying that they agree to take a virological or biological screening test for SARS-CoV-2 upon arrival. Children under 12 years of age are exempt from testing. You shall also present a sworn statement certifying the

TL/DR:

There’s nothing to say you can’t enter France from another nation.

However, the moment you wave a British passport at French border control personnel, it’s entirely possible you’ll be asked if you’re a French resident and if you don’t have a residence permit, the next question will be “What compelling reason do you have to enter France today?”

Stinky · 23 Dec 2021 at 12:54

Terminal_Boy said:
If enter France for a Green List EU nation, the following applies:

2) You wish to enter Metropolitan France
2.1. Mobility rules and regulations
No restrictions shall apply when entering metropolitan France from a green list country or territory.

2.2. Health control measures
If you are already vaccinated, you shall present proof of your vaccination status and a sworn statement certifying the absence of COVID-19 symptoms and of any contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19. A negative PCR or antigen test taken less than 48 hours old is required, except for arrivals from a Member State of the European Union, Andorra, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, San Marino, the Holy See or Switzerland.

If you are not vaccinated, you must present the transport company or the border authorities with a certificate of recovery dated more than eleven days and less than six months, or a negative PCR or antigen test dated less than 48 hours or less than 24 hours prior to departure, depending on your country of departure (departure of first flight in case of connecting flight(s).

For travellers arriving from a country in the European area (Member State of the European Union, Andorra, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, San Marino, the Holy See or Switzerland) a negative PCR or antigen test taken less than 24 hours earlier is required.

All travellers arriving from a green list country must complete a sworn statement certifying that they agree to take a virological or biological screening test for SARS-CoV-2 upon arrival. Children under 12 years of age are exempt from testing. You shall also present a sworn statement certifying the

TL/DR:

There’s nothing to say you can’t enter France from another nation.

However, the moment you wave a British passport at French border control personnel, it’s entirely possible you’ll be asked if you’re a French resident and if you don’t have a residence permit, the next question will be “What compelling reason do you have to enter France today?”

it’s a bloody long way to go to get stopped at the boarder

Efour · 23 Dec 2021 at 12:57

Why would they ban passport holders that might not have even been in the UK for years lol.

Logically it's traveling from UK to France. Anything else is moronic.

Stinky · 23 Dec 2021 at 13:12

Efour said:
Why would they ban passport holders that might not have even been in the UK for years lol.

Logically it's traveling from UK to France. Anything else is moronic.

logically you’d think so.

but when you get off that plane in ‘France’ everyone gets missed up with other people from other places. How do they know where you have come from then

arknor · 23 Dec 2021 at 13:33

so is the channel tunnel now closed? can we seal it up on our end then

dlockers · 23 Dec 2021 at 13:34

Stinky said:
logically you’d think so.

but when you get off that plane in ‘France’ everyone gets missed up with other people from other places. How do they know where you have come from then

Good point - you know what would be useful? Some kind of official documentation that allows one to pass ports freely, providing they have been stamped by the appropriate authorities.

Stinky · 23 Dec 2021 at 13:41

dLockers said:
Good point - you know what would be useful? Some kind of official documentation that allows one to pass ports freely, providing they have been stamped by the appropriate authorities.

https://www.traveldoc.aero/

this site on the other hand says all good. But I can’t leave again. Which I like the sound of to be honest

dowie · 23 Dec 2021 at 13:53

Stinky said:
the rules we can’t travel from the uk to France, I’m supposed to be going to French Polynesia and these rules also apply, but I’m looking at splitting my trip now to 2 weeks in Fiji then onto French Polynesia.

has anyone travelled from say Spain into France since the ban on uk to France travel as a British passport holder??

Surely plenty of people have, or indeed expats in Switzerland (could try some expat forum perhaps?). It's presumably going to be more an issue of the country you're coming from rather than the passport you have. But I'm not sure that would help you as they're obvs using land borders and quite clearly are coming from Spain or Switzerland etc...

Stinky said:
logically you’d think so.

but when you get off that plane in ‘France’ everyone gets missed up with other people from other places. How do they know where you have come from then

Presumably, they'd not let ineligible people on the plane in the first place though - flights direct from the UK to Tahiti presumably would only take eligible people else the airline will have to faff about arranging a return flight for them too when they get rejected at the destination.