France eases travel restrictions for 7 countries, including S'pore

However, a negative Covid-19 PCR test would be needed, taken less than 72 hours before departure.

Lean Jinghui | March 12, 2021, 12:21 PM

Follow us on Telegram for the latest updates: https://t.me/mothershipsg

More good news for those hungry to travel again: France announced yesterday (Mar. 11) that it would be relaxing travel rules for seven countries, including Singapore.

This means that individuals will no longer need to have a "compelling reason" to travel to or from "Australia, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea or the United Kingdom".

What changed

France had earlier banned all travel outside the EU without an essential reason, in efforts to curb rapidly worsening Covid-19 numbers.

According to France24, French Tourism Minister Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne announced that the recent easing was due to the improving health situation in the seven countries.

However, travellers arriving in France from the seven countries would still have to present a negative Covid-19 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test, taken less than 72 hours before departure.

Travellers were also strongly advised to still track the travel advice website and limit international travel as much as possible.

The French foreign ministry added that it would extend the list of compelling, personal reasons to include all family relations, and will allow couples to reunite and children to return to school.

Templates for the exceptional international travel declarations would be updated accordingly.

Travel to resume soon?

International Air Transport Association (IATA) chief, Alexandre de Juniac, also made waves yesterday (Mar. 11) when he made a prediction that holiday-deprived people could possibly start flying again from May or June 2021.

Iata said that it planned to work with 33 states and territories around the world on border reopening and international flights, to address the pent-up demand for air travel.

It currently has 290 global carrier members, including French national carrier Air France, and represents 82 per cent of global traffic.

Top image via Unsplash