Coinciding with the intention of the Schengen area countries to reopen their internal borders on 15 June, France has announced it will grant entry to travellers from outside the area on 1 July. The right to entry will depend on the state of health in the country of origin. This announcement came in a joint statement by France’s foreign and interior ministers on Friday.
This follows Thursday’s EU statement recommending that external borders be opened to Balkan countries from the 1 July. The EU also advised its members and Schengen Area partners to ease all travel restrictions imposed to curb the spread of COVID19 by 15 June.
In their statement, Interior Minister Christophe Castaner and Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said:
“This opening will be gradual and will vary according to the health situation in each of the third countries, and in accordance with the arrangements that will have been agreed at European level by then.”
Although France will open its borders to its Schengen Area partners, travellers from Spain and Britain will have to quarantine for 14 days on arrival in a reciprocal step.
President Emmanuel Macron addressed the nation on TV announcing that France had achieved its “first victory” against COVID19. On the issue of the French borders with non-Schengen states, the President said that all French borders would be open with countries “where the epidemic has been controlled.”
The EU is formulating a set of guidelines for Schengen Area countries and member states so that the bloc is in sync when it comes to opening its external borders.
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