France No Longer Requires Pre-departure Testing for Vaccinated, Boosted Travelers From the U.S.

France is waiving all pre-departure testing for fully vaccinated travelers entering the country, the Ministry of the Interior announced.

Going forward, American travelers who are up to date on their vaccines will be able to enter the country by simply showing proof of their vaccination status and providing a sworn statement that they are not exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 and have not been in contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19, according to the ministry. France requires all travelers 18 and older to get a booster shot if it has been more than 9 months since the final shot of their initial vaccination series.

The decision to waive the pre-departure test was made after France re-classified the United States as an "orange" country. Previously, vaccinated travelers were required to show proof of a negative PCR or antigen test taken within 48 hours of their departure.

Unvaccinated travelers coming from an "orange" country will still need to prove they have a compelling reason for their trip and show proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken within 72 hours of their departure or proof of a negative antigen test taken within 48 hours of their departure.

Unvaccinated children under 12 years old are exempt.

In addition to requiring proof of vaccination to enter the country for tourism purposes, France also requires people over 16 to show proof of inoculation to access public places like restaurants and cafes as well as long-distance trains. Travelers can use their official paper vaccine certificates as their vaccination pass, according to the government. Children 12 to 15 years old can instead choose to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 24 hours in lieu of vaccination.

Currently, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention classifies France as a "Level 4" destination, indicating a "very high" level of COVID-19 transmission in the country and warning Americans to "avoid" traveling there.

"As soon as the borders reopened last June to non-European vaccinated travelers, the U.S. was the most active long-haul market which shows the strong attachment American travelers have for France," Anne-Laure Tuncer, the director of Atout France USA, told Travel + Leisure. "This new measure, allowing vaccinated travelers to forego a test before departure, is a new step which will allow even more travelers to visit France."

The move to ease entry requirements for American travelers comes as Air France makes plans to restore several flights between the U.S. and Paris in the coming months starting with flights between New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport and Paris Orly International Airport as well as flights between Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and Charles de Gaulle International Airport.

Alison Fox is a contributing writer for Travel + Leisure. When she's not in New York City, she likes to spend her time at the beach or exploring new destinations and hopes to visit every country in the world. Follow her adventures on Instagram.