QR code strategy/hack

Benjamin posted a similar report today, maybe after reading this post. Great tip!

I'm going to wait another week and if I dont have a QR Code by then I'll try this. We dont travel until October 25th so we still have plenty of time. I did send an email (yesterday) asking about the status of my file. I havent received a reply.

Mu husband got his approval without a PDF attachment of the QRC, an no answer to our email yet. We leave tomorrow :/

Woke up this morning and my QRC was in my inbox. The site says 16 days for processing and thats about how long it took. I did send an email a couple of days ago asking for a status update. Maybe that prompted them to take a look at my application? So, give them time to get it done, maybe nudge them with an email or try what the OP suggest. I would def get your application in sooner rather than later.

This hack worked! I have been waiting a week for my QR code. I just sent another request about 10 minutes ago and got my QR code about a minute later. Wow!

That's awesome! I'm glad it's working for other people.

My husband’s was in our email this morning. Applied about a month ago. I didn’t get mine. Logged in and it said it was denied because of an error I made. I submitted a new form and had my QR code within ten minutes.

Worked for me, also. I've been in France for nearly two weeks without the pass. My wife had hers before we left. I tried several different strategies, but this was the only one that worked.

@ Plectrude- just curious, why do you recommend that specific time window? What if I submit it like around 1 in the morning Pacific time which would be 10 Paris time? Do you think submitting it close to their office closing gives the review process an inside track? Thanks!

That time window has worked for myself and 5-6 other people.

I initially applied at around 1pm local time in Paris in early September and got no response. I've heard other people have had success with applying at morning Paris time (right after 9am Paris time) so that might work as well.

I had my health pass several days ago, after posting a message asking that it be expedited. The same messaging did nothing to expedite my wife's health pass. Yesterday at 3:30 am EDT (9:30 am Paris time) I submitted a new application for her. Her health pass arrived at 11:00 am EDT (5:00 pm Paris time). It was for the new application. I deleted the old "in construction" file.
Thanks for the suggestions and posts. What a wacky system...

I submitted mine and my husband's on the same day, in the late afternoon for our time zone so definitely during their off hours. I woke up the next morning to my health pass in my email inbox, nothing for my husband thought. Three weeks later when his was still sitting in the received status, I used the messaging tool within the file to send a message asking if any additional information was needed -- I used Google Translate to compose the message in French. We received his pass the very next day. So I think that just messaging them instead of submitting a whole new file may work too.

curious -- what 'error' got it denied?

Wacky is an understatement! Thanks for this posting and thread. I suspect it does have a lot to do with their office hours.

This worked for me, too. I was resubmitting to revise my application because I changed my hotel, but happened to do it while the office was open, and got my approval within 5 minutes.

Submitting when their office is open worked for me too. I had originally submitted our two applications on September 4 but they were still in construction. Today at 3:00 a.m. eastern time I submitted new applications. One was approved within an hour but the other was not. I submitted another new application at 8:00 a.m. and it was approved within an hour. I did note on the new applications that our trip begins tomorrow.

Hi - I just re-submitted at midnight pacific time (8am Paris time) but no word back yet. My first one was Sept 3. I also updated the notes a few times since on that one and sent an email but no response. I went and added a little bit more to the notes on the new one as well to "refresh". Will see if it works. My trip is on Oct 2 but Id still like the QR now since travel date didnt seem to matter as much!
I may try the 440-pm once more later this week if AM didnt work!

I would note that their hours are 9 am to 6 pm local time in France, IE 3:00 am to noon Eastern standard time.

I would advise against sending your application before or after their business hours.

How exactly are people resubmitting? Starting from scratch with a new account? Doing an application from the same account? Something else?

Same account, just like on the oval "Actions" button and then "Start another file."

Just returned from two weeks in France this week. We got our QR code at a local pharmacy. I cost 29 euros and took ten minutes. Although we had the code on our phones we used a color copy of our passport photo page and the original CDC Card. We were not denied entrance to any tourists sites, restaurants, hotels or other public buildings.

We submitted Sept 2. My husb received his code last week still dead air for mine. I have sent a couple of inquiry messages with no reply yet. I plan to resubmit tomorrow morning during open office hours. I am still confused about the process to re apply. I am not seeing the “action” option in my file that is described above. Appreciate your help. We leave Sept 26.

Here's an image of what I'm referring to. You sign into the French website and it takes you to this screen with your submitted files. You go to "actions" and select "Start another file." Hope this helps!

Got it. Thanks so much Plectrude!

Hi All - I just followed Plectrudes instructions this am and submitted at 4:21pm Paris time... 20 min later I got my QR Code.

Note: I tried 2 other times - originally on Sept 3, and again Sept 20th at 9am Paris time. Nothing on either... do it at 4:20-4:40 PM Weekday Paris office hour time! PS... My trip is for Oct 3 so do it now for anything in next 6 weeks.

I didn't know whether I should tack on to this thread or start a new one.... anyways here's my question.

I'm fretting that I filled the thing out incorrectly. For the vaccine receipts, it had an option for 1/1, 2/2, 3/3. I clicked 2/2 (understanding that to mean I've had two doses of a vaccine that requires two doses), and uploaded my receipt for the 2nd dose. Keep in mind as an Ontarian I have 8 1/2 x 11 printouts, not a CDC card. On that 2nd dose receipt it says "you have received two valid doses".

Did I misunderstand? Should I have also clicked 1/1 and uploaded my first receipt?

Thanks for anything you can share!

Question for tmbuergi…. I have submitted twice with no response on sept 3 and 21. Im going to try again tomorrow using the 4:20 time slot. Im curious if on your third try you set up a whole new account or added a third file to your existing account by clicking actions? We leave Sun so frustrating. My husb got his code last week 🤷

I clicked 2/2 (understanding that to mean I've had two doses of a vaccine that requires two doses), and uploaded my receipt for the 2nd dose.

Andrea, you did it correctly.

I have resubmitted , sent messages. etc. Nothing seems to work. We are in France right now. And thankfully it’s actually ZERO problem without the pass on your phone. We have our certificates in my purse and if the restaurant asks about 90% of them ask we show them the paper and we say. “2 dose pzifer” and I’m not even certain they even attempt to read the English paper. They nod and all is well. I was very worried about not having the French pass QR code but I can confidently advise everyone that this is not a issue. At all!! No one had balked even in the slightest at our certificates.

Thanks Travellinggirl!

And thanks Kim!

Hi @sherilmiller - I resubmitted the same way as the earlier two with the same account. No need to make a new account. Just do it at 4:20pm week day! non holiday!

Tried this. Nothing yet. We leave nxt Fri. May try 3’d attempt nxt week? Our first submission we saw where they messed up our bithdates. What are they doing?

I just did it and it worked! The timestamps on email 1, confirming I submitted a new file, to the email 4, telling me to download my Covid certificate, were 3 minutes apart! I'm on Eastern time, puts Paris time at 3:35pm. I'm getting the others in my party to re-submit. Thank you Plectrude!

A question for those who have resubmitted, did you delete your original submission (either after or before the new submission), so you only have one application?

Ok folks got my QR code in 20 minutes after submitting my third application at 4:20pm Paris time. It really works. Thank you fellow travelers!

That’s great! I’m in Paris right now and I would be bummed out not having the pass.

Update:
My husband submitted a new application, right after me, so ~3:30pm Paris time, and they accepted very quickly, but there was no link to his QR code. Employee error I'm guessing? We did a 3rd application at ~5:45pm Paris time, and we just got it, 8 minutes later!

We had an accepted file and a new file at the same time and we still got the new file accepted. So it doesn't appear you have to delete older files.

But, my mom-in-law redid it earlier, ~4:15pm Paris time, and nothing came back.

Hi bikerchick… Just add another file to your existing account by clicking on action. Do it at 4:20 Paris time. I know it sounds crazy but it worked for me and others 😁

Worked for us this morning. My husband submitted 3rd application at 4:20 Paris time. Acceptance and QR code arrived within 15 minutes. We leave for the airport in 2 hours! Thanks for all the good advice!

Is there a form in English?

I must have missed it.
I went and translated the form hoping I do it right.

My husband cannot seem to figure out how to create a new file? He has only resubmitted original file once. Or….he can’t see where to click on “action” that a couple people mentioned doing?

I had the same confusion. Go into your account and click on dossier at the top. Your filed application(s) will be listed. You need to scroll way over to the right and you will see the action button. Click on action and select new file. Then use the sweet hack of sending your application in at 4:20 Paris time. Sounds cooky but it works! Got my code in 15 minutes.

Well, I just resubmitted my application. We leave on Sunday and two of the five of us don't have the QRC yet. We applied on 9/6 and at the time the site was stating a 15 day turnaround. I notice now it's 20! I guess I've done the best I can do and we'll have to use our CDC cards and hope for the best. Thank you to all here who have been so helpful with this at times confusing bureaucracy. Bon Chance to all!

We were waiting for my husband's QR code (we applied three weeks ago, mine was issued two weeks ago... do not know why his was taking so long) and are leaving tonight for Paris. Based on the information in this thread, we sent a message via the portal in French letting them know that we were leaving today and asked if they could expedite his request because we would be arriving in Paris tomorrow. We sent the message at 10:15 a.m. EST (4:15p in France) consistent with the hacks suggested here. He got his QR code within 20 minutes.

I speak minimally passable French but we used the Translate app to help craft the message. Just wanted to share in case anyone else was on the fence about the advice of re-submitting at around 4:20p Paris time. I think it works!

I must be doing something wrong, because both my husband and I resubmitted the application this AM East Coast time - about 4 PM Paris time. Nothing. We leave Sunday night, so we'll arrive at CDG Monday AM with no code. C'est la vie!

We tried the 4:20 Paris (10:20 est) this morning. Nope. Nada. Maybe everybody else was also trying….and it was late Fri afternoon and closing up shop early for wknd? We still have one week from now!!? Will try again Mon morning. Same time..same place.

This was great advice. I think that the application queue only processes the requests that come in during working hours. I made my initial submission in early Sept well in advance of our trip, but sent it in from the USA daytime hours, which was after work hours in France. That request has still not been processed. I made my husband's application from LHR, an hour before we boarded the flight to CDG, during normal work hours, and it was accepted immediately. I redid an entirely new application for myself once we arrived at CDG, again during normal work hours, and it was also processed right away. We were asked for this at every museum, hotel and restaurant. Even to see the wrapped Arc de Triomphe. I was glad that I had it, and thankful for Plectrude's great suggestion.

ps... having time stamps not sync up correctly has stymied several applications that I've needed to use in my job, such as the hospital email system, or the electronic health records system.....so I guess that the code for the Pass Sanitaire has missed this part....

That’s great information Julie….thanks!

Just used my QR code to get into Christo wrapped Arc de Triomphe area myself, Julie.

Great to hear this is helping people with their trips.

I don't believe time of submission makes any difference. Here's what happened with ours. I attempted to use the original process submitting our applications from the US on 16 Aug. Received nothing but the auto response that they were working on it. Flew to Switzerland 27 Aug and about a week later got an email saying they were giving up on that process and to use the FranceConnect outfit. Thankfully, I had saved all the original attachments to a thumb drive and brought it with me. On 10 Sep while in Lucerne at about 2 in the afternoon I used a PC at our hotel and set up an acct with FranceConnect then submitted my new application. They sent an email saying it had been received but not processed. Also asked did I want to submit another which I did for my husband answering all the questions the same way though with his info. Logged off the computer and went upstairs. By they time I got there I'd received emails that his had been received, then that it was being processed and then the actual approval and QR code - ALL within about 3 minutes.

The next morning - also during European business hours I used their message feature to ask about mine. No response. Tried again about a week later with the same results. Nothing until Sep when I got the email that it was being processed then a minute later that it had been approved with my QR code. I looked at the actual time stamps of the email and they are exactly 1 minute apart. No human could have read thru all the answers and checked the attachments in that time frame.

Coincidentally (or not) that was the morning our group had taken our covid tests for our return flights on the 24th. Was there something about the tech entering the results that triggered this? I have no idea. But given what I went through I don't think time of day has any impact nor that an actual human being has much if any involvement in this process. Though for a computer process it's pretty darn inefficient and/or random.

Fortunately, I never had an instance during 2 weeks in France where I needed anything but my CDC card. We started at Versailles, went thru the Loire valley, Brittany, Normandy and finally Paris. Most restaurants and tour sites asked for it and I only once heard of someone in our group where a restaurant wouldn't accept it.

You didn’t try my strategy so I don’t think your experience invalidates the fact that it seems to work.

I started a file as soon as the website was available, but didn't submit an application until we had airplane tickets, which was two weeks ago. I submitted at about 22:00 Paris time and was approved at about 6:00 Paris time.

My wife didn't start the process until we had the tickets. She submitted the same time I did, around 22:00 Paris time two weeks ago. Nothing happened. We then started a new file and submitted a new application at about 9:15 Paris time. She had a QR code about an hour later. We then deleted her original file.

We both have our QR codes. We are in Paris and not one person has mentioned it. I feel good having it but its seems like business as usual here. Beautiful weather today.

Update- we were asked at one restaurant which was more up scale and at the Pantheon for our pass Sanitaire. I feel like they would have accepted CDC card but not totally sure. The French are very happy to have tourists back so I think they are being flexible.

I was not a member of Rick's travel forum until a minute ago, but wanted to join just to say a huge THANK YOU to Plectrude and everybody else who posted about this QR code strategy/hack. I had applied for the pass sanitaire 2 weeks ago and heard nothing. When I read all this stuff about resubmitting at 4:20 PM Paris time I thought (1) this is just ridiculous, and (2) on the other hand why not. So I did it yesterday. Within 40 minutes I had my husband's QR code, and this morning my own arrived too -- and I owe it all to this forum. THANK YOU! (Also, Rick Steves is the best. Thank you Rick for your New Yorker interview, and for all you do.)
scathers1

Aimee, people are saying it's not needed because approximately everywhere accepts the CDC card in lieu of the pass sanitaire, so if you have a CDC card you do not need the PS. Have you found places that would not accept the CDC card?

I submitted new applications yesterday at precisely 4:20pm Paris time. Nothing! We leave next week!

Oh well, if it doesn't come we will have to rely on our vaccine paperwork. In my province it is just a 8 1/2 x 11 print out. I'm sure it will be OK; so many reports of it not being an issue.

The good thing about our paperwork, just like the IDP, is that being Canadian it is all in English and French, so no translation issues, should anyone wish to examine it further.

I might try contacting them if there's no movement by Monday.

Try again Friday Morning 9:15am Paris time tomorrow.

9:15 Paris time! I'd have to get up to do that at 3:15 am! Might be worth it...

Can anyone confirm when filling out the pass sanitaire form do you note your home address or the address of the hotel or residence you will be staying in when traveling to France? Thanks

I submitted mine last Monday (Sept 20) at 9:20 AM Paris time. Nothing yet.

jcb, home address.

I logged into my application account today and there is no longer an 'action' function to be found....I looked on Edit Page, Summary Page,my profile...nada.

This strategy 100% worked for me!!! Thank you so much! I was getting desperate waiting weeks for my application to be approved and then bam, in 5 minutes it was processed!!!

I just tried the above, but right when I assume their offices open. Had originally submitted a request on 9/26 for myself and wife. Just tried submitting a new application again today @ 3:10 AM EST.

My pass was approved within 10 minutes!!! I've canceled my old application now, as I've confirmed the QR code loaded successfully into the app.
My wife's, unfortunately, still has no status change.. will wait and see later.

[edit] I have no idea how this system works. About an hr later @ 3:50 AM, right before going to bed, I submitted yet ANOTHER application for my wife. This went into "pending" status almost 1 minute after submission, and then approved again 5 mins later. And so I just went back and deleted the application I submitted at 3:10 AM.

Either way, passes are now in hand.... and no idea how this system works except... it might really be worth it to just try again, and again?

I am really happy to see how motivated you all are when it comes to jumping through the hoops to visit France! And shaking my head in disbelief at the sheer incompetence of our government in implementing what should be a reasonably simple process...

Does this strategy work if we submit 3 applications from the same account? Or should we create 3 different ones and apply?

@DallasMom I did 2 applications (mine & wife's) from the same 1 account.

So at one point I had 5 applications: 1 myself from sept, 1 myself from yesterday morning, 1 wife from sept, 1 wife from yesterday morning, and 1 wife from 50 mins after that

2 were approved minutes after submission, and then I went back and cancelled everything else.

We are in France now and yesterday our passes arrived. Truly it's been no problem whatsoever without them. A cursory glance at our paperwork (and sometimes not even that) seems to suffice.

It took us 2 times for my wife and 3 times for me to get the pass. 100% you need to submit during French business hours and I would not wait more than 15-20 minutes to submit again. Both of ours were approved within 10 minutes of submission on the successful attempts. We deleted the old ones and don't know if they would have ever gotten approved but don't care. This works so why wait on a single attempt. Thanks to the forum for making this easy.

We leave in 2 days for France and finally just got our two QR Codes. We first applied on 9/10. Starting 9/28 we checked often and followed the advice in this thread. On 10/8 one QR Code arrived. Today at 8:55am France time we again checked, wrote a comment, and 10 min later got our 2nd one.

Thank you for this thread and helpful tips Plectrude. We would have gone to France without and just used our CDC cards but having the Code on an app on our phone is much easier than carrying around our CDC cards.

Excellent, so glad you got your codes, Susan. Hooray !

Thanks Kim! Hope to see you soon.

I’m glad this worked for more people. I’m sorry if you couldn’t get the system to work for you. My advice is to keep submitting new applications, during French business hours (maybe not the middle of the day there) and delete your old applications once you get the QR code.

I’m back from my trip to France now so I’m not quite as personally invested so this will be my final word on the subject I think. Enjoy your trips to France!

For those that have been to France did you screen shot your pass and put it on your Lock Screen? Or do they make you open the app every time they ask for it.