Paris COVID Rules & Restrictions For Visitors And Locals

Mask Requirements, Places That Are Open And The Heath Pass Requirement For Cafes, Museums & Popular Venues

The City of Lights – and a lot of other things – has a ‘pass sanitaire’ mandate to enter dining venues, including for sitting outdoors at the city’s signature cafes.

Paris, and all of France, requires the proof-of-vaccination so-called Health Pass to eat at the cafes and restaurants, as well as  has been mandatory for entrance to museums, movie theaters, swimming pools, and other venues since July 21. It is in effect at least until Sept. 30.

And it’s being enforced, too. As of the first of August, police began going inside restaurants and cafes checking patrons for the pass. Those without it pass face a €135 ($158) fine, which would increase to €9,000 ($10,560) for repeat offenders.

It must be noted that in fully vaccinated travelers can enter France and non-vaccinated travelers must provide a negative COVID test within 48 hours of travel.

Here is a full rundown of the rules and restrictions in Paris, what is open and areas where masks are required. The information is from the official Paris tourism bureau and the full list with links offering more details can be found at ParisInfo.com.

• A health pass must presented to get into cafés, restaurants, theaters, cinemas, museums and monuments, amusement parks, festivals, concert halls, indoor swimming pools, places of worship,  large shopping centers and for long distance travel (air, train and bus).

Mask Wearing Rules

• It is no longer compulsory to wear a mask outdoors, with some exceptions (groups, queues, markets, stadiums, etc.).
• Wearing a mask is compulsory throughout the country for everyone aged 11 and overin enclosed spaces and on public transport.

What Is Open In Paris

• Museums and monuments are open
• Parks and gardens are open
• Terraces of bars and restaurants are open
• Supermarkets, grocery stores and bakeries are open
• Pharmacies and healthcare establishments are open
• Places of sale are open
• Police stations are open
• Places of worship are open
• Swimming pools are open
• Guided tours are possible
• Zoological parks are open
• Theme parks are open
• Discotheques are open according to a specific protocol

The Health Pass

A Covid health pass is required until 30 September 2021.

Visitors who have been vaccinated abroad and do not have a health pass with a QR code in the European format, or who are neither vaccinated nor able to show a European health pass in places where it is required (see above) can take an antigen test (result in 15-30 minutes) or an RT-PCR test (result generally available within 24 hours) in Paris and anywhere else in France.

The tests must be paid for by people who do not have a French social security number. An antigen test costs €25. An RT-PCR test costs €43.89.

An antigen test can be taken in many pharmacies. All the testing centres are listed on the Covid testing sites map on the website of the French ministry of health and solidarity.

Here is more information about the health pass.

Transportation Mask Requirements

• The wearing of a mask is compulsory for those over 6 years of age on all public transport, and failure to comply is subject to a fine of 135 euros