Reader question: How can I add a non-EU booster shot to my French health pass?
Booster shots are now required in order to have a valid health or vaccine pass in France, but is it possible to add booster shots received in the USA, Canada or other non-EU countries to the French health pass?
Question: I'm Canadian and travelled to France over the summer, when I got a French health pass. I've since had my booster back in Canada but I can't seem to add the booster shot to the French health pass, which means it will shortly deactivate. How do I keep the pass up to date?
France's health pass - shortly to become a vaccine pass - works with vaccination certificates from any EU or Schengen zone country, or the UK.
However those who were vaccinated outside of Europe must convert their vaccination certificates to an EU-compatible code in order to use the French pass.
The system for how to do this has changed several times since health passes were introduced over the summer, and now requires a trip to a pharmacy in France - click HERE for the full details.
However there is a new wrinkle - booster shots are now required in order to keep the health pass activated and there is a timetable for deactivating the passes of people who are eligible for a booster shot but don't get one - click here for the full schedule.
If you got your booster shot in France, the EU, Schengen zone or UK then adding the booster shot to the health pass is easy - just scan in the code on the certificate.
If, however, your booster was received in a non-EU country, you will need to take the booster shot certificate to a French pharmacy in order the get the QR code needed to upload it to the app.
If your pass deactivates before you can get back to France this is not a problem, simply uploading the new certificate code will reactivate it.
But how do you get into France in order to visit the pharmacy and get the code if your pass has already expired?
This is important - the booster shot requirement refers only to the domestic French health pass that you use to get into bars, cafés etc.
In order to enter the country no booster is currently required. You need only to show proof of two doses of AstraZeneca, Pfizer or Moderna, or a single dose of Johnson & Johnson (Janssen).
At the border you can show your home country's vaccination certificate (eg the Canadian certificate), there is no requirement to have the French QR code.
Once you're in France, you then head to the pharmacy to get the code to give you access to France's excellent restaurants, cafés and cultural venues.
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Question: I'm Canadian and travelled to France over the summer, when I got a French health pass. I've since had my booster back in Canada but I can't seem to add the booster shot to the French health pass, which means it will shortly deactivate. How do I keep the pass up to date?
France's health pass - shortly to become a vaccine pass - works with vaccination certificates from any EU or Schengen zone country, or the UK.
However those who were vaccinated outside of Europe must convert their vaccination certificates to an EU-compatible code in order to use the French pass.
The system for how to do this has changed several times since health passes were introduced over the summer, and now requires a trip to a pharmacy in France - click HERE for the full details.
However there is a new wrinkle - booster shots are now required in order to keep the health pass activated and there is a timetable for deactivating the passes of people who are eligible for a booster shot but don't get one - click here for the full schedule.
If you got your booster shot in France, the EU, Schengen zone or UK then adding the booster shot to the health pass is easy - just scan in the code on the certificate.
If, however, your booster was received in a non-EU country, you will need to take the booster shot certificate to a French pharmacy in order the get the QR code needed to upload it to the app.
If your pass deactivates before you can get back to France this is not a problem, simply uploading the new certificate code will reactivate it.
But how do you get into France in order to visit the pharmacy and get the code if your pass has already expired?
This is important - the booster shot requirement refers only to the domestic French health pass that you use to get into bars, cafés etc.
In order to enter the country no booster is currently required. You need only to show proof of two doses of AstraZeneca, Pfizer or Moderna, or a single dose of Johnson & Johnson (Janssen).
At the border you can show your home country's vaccination certificate (eg the Canadian certificate), there is no requirement to have the French QR code.
Once you're in France, you then head to the pharmacy to get the code to give you access to France's excellent restaurants, cafés and cultural venues.
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