Against variant found in India, France has new curbs on UK travelers from May 31

All passengers arriving from the UK will also be required to show a negative Covid test administered no more than 48 hours prior to departure and will have to self-quarantine for seven days after arrival.

France unveiled extra restrictions for passengers coming from the UK, applicable from May 31, to fend off the coronavirus variant first identified in India.

A traveler wears a protective mask while on a Grupo Aeromexico aircraft at Benito Juarez International Airport (MEX) in Mexico City, Mexico, on Tuesday, May 25, 2021. Mexico's aviation-safety ranking has been downgraded by the U.S., prohibiting an expansion of flights from the nations carriers to its northern neighbor. Photographer: Luis Antonio Rojas/Bloomberg (Bloomberg)

The move will curtail entry of those who aren’t either French citizens or residents, requiring that they show an overwhelming reason why they need to travel to the country, the government spokesman’s office said in a statement. All passengers arriving from the UK will also be required to show a negative Covid test administered no more than 48 hours prior to departure and will have to self-quarantine for seven days after arrival.

At the moment, people from the UK arriving in France don’t need to justify the reason for their trip, but they already must show a negative Covid test and commit to self-isolate for a week, even if they’ve been vaccinated.

The restrictions could have been tougher. The French government said it wouldn’t subject travelers to home checks to make sure they are isolating, given the low rate of Covid in the UK.