Last edit by: snic
NOTE: The French government website for applying for a Pass Sanitaire is no longer functional. The information in the Wiki therefore no longer applies. Current advice is to go to a French pharmacy to get your CDC vaccination card converted to a Pass Sanitaire, and in the process be relieved of 36 Euros you didn't really need anyway.
What is a Pass Sanitaire and why would I want one?
The Pass Sanitaire is France's version of the EU Digital Covid Certificate. The Certificate is an electronic pass that shows either that the bearer has been vaccinated against Covid-19 or that the bearer has recently tested negative for Covid-19. It can be used to enter restaurants, lodgings, entertainment venues, museums, public transit, etc. Because it uses the EU standard, holders of the Pass Sanitaire can use it for these purposes all over Europe and in some non-EU countries (see the link above for details).
I'm vaccinated but not a French citizen or a citizen of a country that issues EU Digital Covid Certificates. Can I get a Pass Sanitaire showing I've been vaccinated?
Yes, if you have a travel ticket to France. See details below.
Do I really need a Pass Sanitaire? Can't I just show my American CDC vaccination record or my country's equivalent?
There are many reports of people being able to use their CDC record to enter restaurants, museums etc in France and other parts of Europe, especially in heavily touristed areas. However, there are a few reports of the CDC card being refused. As of this writing, some EU countries have requirements that those who have not been vaccinated must get tested for Covid-19 and show evidence of a recent test in order to enter restaurants etc. If a venue refuses to recognize your foreign certificate, in order to enter you would have to get a Covid test which would be valid for 2 to 3 days.
How do I get a Pass Sanitaire?
1. Go to this website and set up an account.
2. Answer the questions regarding your name, "foreign" address (that is, foreign to France - in other words, your home address outside of France), birth date, travel dates to France, and vaccination details. Upload the required documents, making sure the files are not too big (keep them under a few hundred kb). PDF files work fine. You will need images of:
-your passport
-your travel ticket showing dates of entry and exit from France
-your vaccination record
3. For the very last field ("fait a" - completed at), enter the date, time, and your location
4. Do NOT submit the application yet! See the next section, "When should I submit my application?"
When should I submit my application?
If you submit your application outside of the hours of 6 am to about noon Paris time, most likely your application will sit for weeks before it is reviewed. However, many people have had their applications approved almost instantaneously by submitting between 6 am and noon (12 am to 6 am Eastern time). If your application does not move to review within about 5 minutes after you submit it, simply start a new application and submit that one.
How do I start a new application? Do I need to use a new email address? And how do I submit an additional application for someone else, like a family member?
After you submit your application, click on "Dossiers" on the top of the page. Next to each application you've submitted, there is a link labelled "Actions". Click that and select the option to add a new application. The system will ask you to verify that you really want to do that rather than go to the existing application. Fill out the additional application as described above and submit it. You can use this process to either re-submit an existing application or submit an application for someone else, without having to set up a new account.
How do I know my application was approved?
You will receive an email. Also, in the "Dossiers" list, the status will say "Approved"
My application was approved on the second try. What do I do with the previous application that is still waiting for approval?
Just go to Dossiers, click the Action link, and choose delete (the trash can icon).
My application was approved. Now what do I do?
Your email will contain a link to a PDF file (also available for download from the "Dossiers" page). The file contains a QR code and your vaccination details. This is your Pass Sanitaire. You could just print this out and show it on demand, and/or you can make a digital version that is stored on your phone (see below). It's probably a good idea to print out a copy to take with you even if you make a digital version, in case your phone gets lost, stolen or damaged.
How do I upload the Pass Sanitaire to my phone?
To make a digital version, you have several options. Each country in Europe has its own app that allows its citizens to store a digital version of their EU Digital Covid Certificate. Some of these are only available to the country's citizens because you have to enter your medical ID number in order to add the Certificate. However, a few countries have apps that anyone can use. France's "TousAntiCovid" app is one of them - you can download it from the Apple or Google app store even in the US. It will allow you to scan the QR code on the Pass Sanitaire you downloaded, and then it will store the code and info for you to display when needed.
Alternatively, you can store your Pass Sanitaire in your Apple Wallet or a third-party wallet app. An easy way to do this is to go to https://www.getcovidpass.eu/ on your phone's web browser and follow the instructions to scan your Certificate. It will then store the pass in your Apple Wallet or, if you use Android, prompt you to download the "YourPass" app that provides the same functionality.
Using either the TousAntiCovid or wallet apps, or the paper certificate, you should be able to use your Pass Sanitaire throughout Europe, not just in France.
Does the Pass expire? Can I use it for multiple trips?
The website of the French consulate in Washington states that the pass for visitors does not expire. You should be able to use it for multiple trips. However, keep in mind that the authorities may change the vaccination requirements in the future (e.g., requiring a third vaccine injection). Your Pass will show only the vaccines you've received prior to submitting your application, so it would be rejected if your vaccines no longer meet the requirements.
I'm not visiting France. Are there other ways for non-Europeans to get a EU Digital Covid Certificate?
Yes. Some ways that have been reported to work:
1. Ask a pharmacist in Germany to convert your CDC card to a EU QR code. There are mixed reports of success with this; see the Germany forum and the top of this thread.
2. Upload your CDC card to the health department of a Swiss canton. There are reports of people getting a QR code without even even sending proof of a stay in Switzerland. See the same thread linked to just above, posts starting around October 16, 2021.
What is a Pass Sanitaire and why would I want one?
The Pass Sanitaire is France's version of the EU Digital Covid Certificate. The Certificate is an electronic pass that shows either that the bearer has been vaccinated against Covid-19 or that the bearer has recently tested negative for Covid-19. It can be used to enter restaurants, lodgings, entertainment venues, museums, public transit, etc. Because it uses the EU standard, holders of the Pass Sanitaire can use it for these purposes all over Europe and in some non-EU countries (see the link above for details).
I'm vaccinated but not a French citizen or a citizen of a country that issues EU Digital Covid Certificates. Can I get a Pass Sanitaire showing I've been vaccinated?
Yes, if you have a travel ticket to France. See details below.
Do I really need a Pass Sanitaire? Can't I just show my American CDC vaccination record or my country's equivalent?
There are many reports of people being able to use their CDC record to enter restaurants, museums etc in France and other parts of Europe, especially in heavily touristed areas. However, there are a few reports of the CDC card being refused. As of this writing, some EU countries have requirements that those who have not been vaccinated must get tested for Covid-19 and show evidence of a recent test in order to enter restaurants etc. If a venue refuses to recognize your foreign certificate, in order to enter you would have to get a Covid test which would be valid for 2 to 3 days.
How do I get a Pass Sanitaire?
1. Go to this website and set up an account.
2. Answer the questions regarding your name, "foreign" address (that is, foreign to France - in other words, your home address outside of France), birth date, travel dates to France, and vaccination details. Upload the required documents, making sure the files are not too big (keep them under a few hundred kb). PDF files work fine. You will need images of:
-your passport
-your travel ticket showing dates of entry and exit from France
-your vaccination record
3. For the very last field ("fait a" - completed at), enter the date, time, and your location
4. Do NOT submit the application yet! See the next section, "When should I submit my application?"
When should I submit my application?
If you submit your application outside of the hours of 6 am to about noon Paris time, most likely your application will sit for weeks before it is reviewed. However, many people have had their applications approved almost instantaneously by submitting between 6 am and noon (12 am to 6 am Eastern time). If your application does not move to review within about 5 minutes after you submit it, simply start a new application and submit that one.
How do I start a new application? Do I need to use a new email address? And how do I submit an additional application for someone else, like a family member?
After you submit your application, click on "Dossiers" on the top of the page. Next to each application you've submitted, there is a link labelled "Actions". Click that and select the option to add a new application. The system will ask you to verify that you really want to do that rather than go to the existing application. Fill out the additional application as described above and submit it. You can use this process to either re-submit an existing application or submit an application for someone else, without having to set up a new account.
How do I know my application was approved?
You will receive an email. Also, in the "Dossiers" list, the status will say "Approved"
My application was approved on the second try. What do I do with the previous application that is still waiting for approval?
Just go to Dossiers, click the Action link, and choose delete (the trash can icon).
My application was approved. Now what do I do?
Your email will contain a link to a PDF file (also available for download from the "Dossiers" page). The file contains a QR code and your vaccination details. This is your Pass Sanitaire. You could just print this out and show it on demand, and/or you can make a digital version that is stored on your phone (see below). It's probably a good idea to print out a copy to take with you even if you make a digital version, in case your phone gets lost, stolen or damaged.
How do I upload the Pass Sanitaire to my phone?
To make a digital version, you have several options. Each country in Europe has its own app that allows its citizens to store a digital version of their EU Digital Covid Certificate. Some of these are only available to the country's citizens because you have to enter your medical ID number in order to add the Certificate. However, a few countries have apps that anyone can use. France's "TousAntiCovid" app is one of them - you can download it from the Apple or Google app store even in the US. It will allow you to scan the QR code on the Pass Sanitaire you downloaded, and then it will store the code and info for you to display when needed.
Alternatively, you can store your Pass Sanitaire in your Apple Wallet or a third-party wallet app. An easy way to do this is to go to https://www.getcovidpass.eu/ on your phone's web browser and follow the instructions to scan your Certificate. It will then store the pass in your Apple Wallet or, if you use Android, prompt you to download the "YourPass" app that provides the same functionality.
Using either the TousAntiCovid or wallet apps, or the paper certificate, you should be able to use your Pass Sanitaire throughout Europe, not just in France.
Does the Pass expire? Can I use it for multiple trips?
The website of the French consulate in Washington states that the pass for visitors does not expire. You should be able to use it for multiple trips. However, keep in mind that the authorities may change the vaccination requirements in the future (e.g., requiring a third vaccine injection). Your Pass will show only the vaccines you've received prior to submitting your application, so it would be rejected if your vaccines no longer meet the requirements.
I'm not visiting France. Are there other ways for non-Europeans to get a EU Digital Covid Certificate?
Yes. Some ways that have been reported to work:
1. Ask a pharmacist in Germany to convert your CDC card to a EU QR code. There are mixed reports of success with this; see the Germany forum and the top of this thread.
2. Upload your CDC card to the health department of a Swiss canton. There are reports of people getting a QR code without even even sending proof of a stay in Switzerland. See the same thread linked to just above, posts starting around October 16, 2021.
Expansion of the pass sanitaire
#1051
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Paris, France
Programs: Flying Blue, Accor Silver
Posts: 306
More seriously, they have probably received at least 500 questions since the announcement and they will be lucky to find adequate replies to everything before 15 December. We just need to hunker down and wait until further notice.
#1053
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 60
been to a multitude of restaurants, two hotels, Eiffel Tower, two museums. All fine with the cdc card. All they check is what vaccine you got and you’re good to go.
Pretty much checked off every place that would ask and be strict.
#1054
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: 4éme
Posts: 12,019
Just returned yesterday from Paris. Have you noticed the lines of people at pharmacies getting covid tests?
#1055
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Wesley Chapel, FL
Programs: American Airlines
Posts: 29,970
This is good to know. Although the concierge at the Hilton Opera said the pharmacy will process a pass sanitaire right away (still waiting for my application submitted in September ) for 36 euros I think I'm going to try out a few places with my CDC card at some museums and restaurants. I'm only there for 2 full days.
#1056
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Chicago
Posts: 318
For anyone interested, I was able to get a Swiss Covid Cert online for me and my wife in less than 24 hours. The QR code works across the EU.
All you have to do is submit your ID, CDC card, and a hotel confirmation to show where you’re staying in Switzerland. It costs ~$30 for processing.
Nothing stopping folks from making a refundable/non-prepay hotel reservation…
All you have to do is submit your ID, CDC card, and a hotel confirmation to show where you’re staying in Switzerland. It costs ~$30 for processing.
Nothing stopping folks from making a refundable/non-prepay hotel reservation…
#1057
Join Date: Dec 2016
Posts: 94
For anyone interested, I was able to get a Swiss Covid Cert online for me and my wife in less than 24 hours. The QR code works across the EU.
All you have to do is submit your ID, CDC card, and a hotel confirmation to show where you’re staying in Switzerland. It costs ~$30 for processing.
Nothing stopping folks from making a refundable/non-prepay hotel reservation…
All you have to do is submit your ID, CDC card, and a hotel confirmation to show where you’re staying in Switzerland. It costs ~$30 for processing.
Nothing stopping folks from making a refundable/non-prepay hotel reservation…
#1058
Join Date: May 2009
Location: South Park, CO
Programs: Tegridy Elite
Posts: 5,678
FWIW, my wife submitted her application online for the Pass Sanitaire on 27 Oct. Surprisingly, today she received the approval and QR code email. So for those who submitted one before the website was shut down, it may yet get processed...or it may not, the bureaucracy being what it is.
#1060
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 845
how about trains? Will be going to Nice and day tripping via train. CDC card ok?
#1061
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 845
FWIW, my wife submitted her application online for the Pass Sanitaire on 27 Oct. Surprisingly, today she received the approval and QR code email. So for those who submitted one before the website was shut down, it may yet get processed...or it may not, the bureaucracy being what it is.
#1062
Join Date: Dec 2016
Posts: 94
Thoughts on travelling WITHOUT the white CDC card. Just got to the airport and realized forgot it at home. Will be flying into Munich, staying 4 days, then going onto Paris for 4 days. Fully vaccinated, I have a pic of it on my phone, and I also have the Swiss covid app. In addition I have a negative test that was just taken on Monday. Debating on if it is necessary to catch a Uber home and back. Flight boards in 2 hours.
#1063
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 845
Thoughts on travelling WITHOUT the white CDC card. Just got to the airport and realized forgot it at home. Will be flying into Munich, staying 4 days, then going onto Paris for 4 days. Fully vaccinated, I have a pic of it on my phone, and I also have the Swiss covid app. In addition I have a negative test that was just taken on Monday. Debating on if it is necessary to catch a Uber home and back. Flight boards in 2 hours.
#1064
Join Date: Dec 2016
Posts: 94
Update: I called the closest CVS pharmacy and they were able to look up my records. They seemed reluctant but she said she would give me a duplicate. I rook a Lyft from the airport, ~10 min ride to CVS. She had it ready for me. Lyft back to the airport, though security again, and 40 mins to spare before boarding. I will be sure to report back on which places ask to see the actual card and where I have success w/ the Swiss app.
#1065
Join Date: Feb 2016
Posts: 244
For anyone interested, I was able to get a Swiss Covid Cert online for me and my wife in less than 24 hours. The QR code works across the EU.
All you have to do is submit your ID, CDC card, and a hotel confirmation to show where you’re staying in Switzerland. It costs ~$30 for processing.
Nothing stopping folks from making a refundable/non-prepay hotel reservation…
All you have to do is submit your ID, CDC card, and a hotel confirmation to show where you’re staying in Switzerland. It costs ~$30 for processing.
Nothing stopping folks from making a refundable/non-prepay hotel reservation…