Health Alert – U. S. Embassy Paris, France (January 14, 2022)
Location: All France
Event: Health Pass expiration for people age 18 and above. Starting January 15, 2022 health passes will expire for people 18 years old and older seven months after their second dose.* To maintain a valid COVID health pass (passe sanitaire) in France all people aged 18 and above, regardless of nationality, must have a booster (third) dose within seven months of their second dose. A health pass is required to access many places including restaurants, bars, museums, and sporting events, will expire seven months after the second dose beginning January 15. While people age 12 to 17 also need a health pass, they do not need a booster to maintain it.
In some cases, documented recovery from COVID may serve as a second or third dose. This option does not apply to people who recovered from COVID outside of France.
* For people who initially received the Johnson & Johnson/Jansen vaccine. As this is a one-dose vaccine, only one dose, rather than two doses, was initially needed, and thus the booster is the second, rather than the third dose. However, for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, the booster must be one of the mRNA vaccines, currently Pfizer or Moderna. A second dose of the Johnson 7 Johnson vaccine does not count as a booster.
For now, people without a health pass or with an expired health pass can obtain a temporary, 24-hour pass with a negative COVID test. However, there is legislation pending that would eliminate this temporary health pass option. This legislation could go into effect as early as the week of January 16.
Actions to Take:
• If you test positive for COVID while in France, self-isolate for seven full days if fully vaccinated and 10 full days if not fully vaccinated. This time can be reduced in certain instances. See https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/coming-to-france/coming-to-france-your-covid-19-questions-answered/isolation-testing-attending-events-what-are-the-rules-in-france/.
• Notify your airline in order to be rebooked due to your positive test.
• If you are a close contact of a positive case and are fully vaccinated, you do not have to quarantine but you must take a PCR or antigen test as soon as you learn you are a close contact, then a self-test on the second and fourth days after your last contact with the infected person. You must also strictly adhere to protective measures, including mask wearing inside and outside, limiting contacts, avoiding all contact with people at risk of serious injury from COVID-19, and telework if possible.
• If you are a close contact of a positive case and are not fully vaccinated, self-isolate for seven full days. You may test after seven days and may leave isolation if you test negative.
• Visit CDC’swebsite
Assistance:
U.S. Embassy Paris, France +33 (1) 43 12 22 22
U.S. Consulate General Marseille, France
+33 (1) 43 12 22 22
CitizenInfoMarseille@state.gov
U.S. Consulate General Strasbourg, France
+33 (1) 43 12 22 22
State Department – Consular Affairs
888-407-4747 or 202-501-4444
France Country Specific Information
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