The French authorities on Saturday decided tougher restrictions on unvaccinated travelers from high-risk countries, and appealed to still-reluctant people to get vaccinated to counter an alarming surge in COVID-19 infections, while anger at the health pass rule is mounting.
From July 18, non-vaccinated arrivals from the United Kingdom (UK), Spain, Portugal, Cyprus, the Netherlands and Greece need to present a COVID-19 test within the past 24 hours, Prime Minister Jean Castex's office said.
Currently, UK travelers must show a test taken less than 48 hours, while arrivals from the other listed countries should be tested negative 72 hours upon boarding.
Meanwhile, people who have completed their inoculation with a jab recognized by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) -- Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca or Johnson & Johnson -- are no longer subject to travel restrictions to or from France.