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France Pass Sanitaire

I have booked a 2 + week trip to France beginning the middle of April. I am concerned about the ease of obtaining a Pass Sanitaire. I've seen the list of pharmacies that provide this service but a traveller on another group mentioned getting their pass at CDG. Can anyone confirm this? How do I get from CDG to my hotel if I don't have my pass? Originally the pass was temporary (72hrs.) Can someone confirm if this has been extended? TIA

Posted by
13809 posts

The Pass Sanitaire (or Pass Vaccinal which one of the French residents indicates it will be changed to soon) is not needed for local transportation, hotels, grocery stores. It is needed for restaurants, museums, events and for the TGV trains (long distance fast trains).

You can get it at a pharmacy at CDG BUT you can also wait until you get to your hotel and get it at a pharmacy in the neighborhood. It should all be the same price - 36E. The pharmacies at CDG are on the Departures level so if you want to do it there, you'd go thru Immigration and Customs, then once you dump out into the public area, find the elevator to go upstairs to the Departures level.

IF you are vaccinated and boosted the Pass Sanitaire does not expire unless they change the requirements. For instance, I got one in August for travel in Sept/Oct based on my being fully vaccinated at the time. That was good until they implemented the rule saying you needed to be boosted, then it showed expired. To renew it, when I next go to Paris, I'll take my CDC card with the booster jab information to a pharmacie near my hotel, pay my fee and have an unlimited Pass Sanitaire/Vaccinal.

Here is a link to the thread where the Pass Vaccinal is mentioned:

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/france/as-of-today-1-15-you-must-have-a-booster-shot-to-get-a-pass-sanitaire

Posted by
3 posts

Thank for this information. This helps a great deal. I arrive at CDG at 7 am so I think the pharmacies at CDG won't be open. Now I'm wondering about getting food once we get to our hotel. They serve breakfast in their own dining room but I am presuming we won't be able to eat because I won't have my pass yet. I'll check with the hotel. I'll also have to find the nearest pharmacy and determine their hours of operation.

Posted by
820 posts

When one obtains the pass at a pharmacy after arrival in France, other than my proof of vaccines received, do I have to load an app or anything on to my phone beforehand, or does the pharmacy "do its thing" and voila, I have the pass?

Posted by
4324 posts

you'll get a QR code on your phone that you flash everywhere, or in my case I had a paper printout with the code which I preferred

Posted by
13809 posts

You can download the TousAntiCovid app and scan in the QR code you receive from the pharmacy. I somehow was also able to add it to my Apple Watch face, lol. The pharmacy should also give you a paper print out as well as sending you an email. Make sure everyone in your group has their own separate email address.

When you receive the email with the QR code you can also screenshot that so it’s easily available in your photos.

For the OP, you can google street view the neighborhood around your hotel and will probably see the green cross sign somewhere nearby that denotes a pharmacie. The person at the front desk of your hotel can also easily point you in the right direction. They know everything, lol. If you land at 7 you may not get to your hotel until 10 or so. Most pharmacies open by 9 or 10 based on the ones I looked at.

I’ll add that not all hotels will ask for the Pass before you have breakfast. None of the hotels I stayed in in Sept/Oct asked for it and I ate in every breakfast room. There have been some forum members who reported being asked for it which is why I mentioned it.

Posted by
3 posts

Thank-you to everyone that replied. All the information was very useful. I'm feeling much better about my upcoming trip. FYI I am fully vaccinated and boosted. 👍😊👍