From today, France is lifting its blanket ban on British travellers.
Tourists from the UK who are fully vaccinated will be allowed back into the country for the first time since 18 December, without the need to provide a “compelling reason” for travel or to isolate on arrival.
Travellers will need to provide a negative result from a Covid test - which can be a lateral flow or PCR test - taken in the 24 hours before departure.
The lifting of the ban was confirmed yesterday by French minister Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne, who announced that a decree changing the rules would be published today, with the easing of restrictions taking immediate effect from that point.
Although Mr Lemoyne didn’t provide any timings for the change, The Independent’s travel correspondent, Simon Calder, arrived in France at 4am this morning and was allowed through border control without issue.
The lifting of the travel ban precedes strict new vaccine passport rules, which are being introduced in France from 17 January.
From Monday, visitors will need to have been fully vaccinated - including a booster jab if their second dose was administered more than seven months prior - in order to access most indoor venues.
Follow the latest updates below:
