Visitors Will Need France's Digital Health Pass to Climb the Eiffel Tower This Summer
Major French monuments like the Eiffel Tower now require proof of vaccination on the country's health pass app, TousAntiCovid, in order to enter.
This week, Eiffel Tower employees began scanning QR codes for digital health passes before visitors could enter. Those who weren't vaccinated lined up for a rapid COVID-19 test, the Associated Press reported. In order to get France's pandemic pass, visitors and residents must show that they are either fully vaccinated, recently tested negative, or recovered from COVID-19.
However, according to the U.S. embassy, it is unclear if American travelers can obtain the pass.
"While some people have been able to have their information entered into the French system by a French doctor or pharmacist, others have been told this is not possible," the U.S. Embassy website reads. "At this time, the Embassy is not aware of the extent to which it is still possible to have the U.S. information entered into the French system."
The national monument only reopened to the public last week, after a nine-month close due to the pandemic.
BERTRAND GUAY/AFP via Getty Images Employees of the Eiffel Tower check clients' health passes before they visit the attraction on July 21.
French President Emmanuel Macron has proposed that the COVID pass requirement be extended to other parts of daily life, like to get into restaurants or any place with more than 50 people inside. The bill is still being debated in French parliament.
Fully vaccinated Americans are allowed to enter the country without a pre-departure COVID-19 test or mandatory quarantine. However unvaccinated Americans must take a PCR or rapid test within 72 hours prior to departure. France is still under a Level 3 warning, with the State Department advising against all non-essential travel at this time.
About 46% of the French population is fully vaccinated. And of the 18,000 new coronavirus cases reported in the country on Tuesday, 96% were people who were unvaccinated.
Cailey Rizzo is a contributing writer for Travel + Leisure, currently based in Brooklyn. You can find her on Twitter, Instagram, or at caileyrizzo.com.
