On August 10, the French government released instructions on how people vaccinated outside the European Union, including people vaccinated in Sri Lanka, may obtain a French Health Pass. Please see the instructions at Applying for a COVID certificate if you were vaccinated abroad (procedure for non-EU tourists) – Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (diplomatie.gouv.fr).
For now, the system is open for people age 18 and above who are already in France or who are traveling to France on or before August 15. (Until September 30, the health pass is only required for people age 18 and above.) These travelers must have been fully vaccinated with the Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson&Johnson, or AstraZeneca vaccines outside of the European Union.
Travelers should apply before they come to France. Each traveler must apply separately. They will need to submit a scanned copy (in .pdf, .jpg, or .png format) of the following:
- A vaccination certificate issued in accordance with the rules of their country of residence, demonstrating full vaccination with an approved vaccine;
- a valid passport;
- return airline tickets;
- an application form available on the website.
The email, with all attachments, cannot be over 10 MB in size.
Specific instructions are provided for how to format the request and where to send it. If these instructions are not followed exactly, the application will not be processed. Processing time will depend on the number of inquiries received. The French government asks that people do not send follow-up emails asking for the status of the request, as this will delay the request.
For questions, please see the information, including Frequently Asked Questions and an email address for assistance, at the Applying for a COVID certificate if you were vaccinated abroad (procedure for non-EU tourists) – Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (diplomatie.gouv.fr) website. The Embassy of Sri Lanka has no access to the French system, nor can we assist in this process.
A similar procedure is in place for French (including dual French/Sri Lankan) citizens and their dependents (ayant-droit) vaccinated outside of the EU.
In the meantime, if you are in France or coming to France imminently and need a health pass, please be advised that rapid antigen tests conducted in France (available on a walk-in basis at local pharmacies) serve as a health pass valid for 72 hours.
