Tips for Brits travelling to France - 5 things you need to know!
Who doesn’t miss travelling?
If you’re anything like us, then over the past year and a half, you’ve been itching to start travelling again - whether that’s to go on lots of action packed adventures or to relax on a sandy beach under the palm trees and hot sun. Travelling abroad is looking now possible with restrictions slowly easing for many Brits and if you are double vaccinated then it’s even easier to travel as you do not have to quarantine upon returning from amber list countries! For full information on the list of countries in the different traffic light system you can read the government guidance on their website.
France has been moved to the amber list country recently and it may be the perfect destination for a little get away that you have been craving! A lot of things have changed for travellers from Covid regulations to Brexit which can make preparing for a trip more hassle than you’re ready for. We’ve compiled a handy list of 5 important things that you, as a UK citizen, need to know if you’re travelling to France! Hopefully this will help you get a few steps closer to organising your trip.
1. COVID-19 entry restrictions - Vaccination proof
As we mentioned, France is currently on the amber list which means no quarantine needed for fully vaccinated adults (just a lateral flow test) but if you’re not vaccinated or fully vaccinated then you’re still required to do a 10-day quarantine with PCR tests on day 2 and day 8. However, you need to keep a look out as any country can easily change to a red or green list and the entry requirements rules can also change so it’s best to be prepared for these scenarios.
Entry requirements are different in each traffic light category depending on whether you are fully vaccinated or not, including types of supporting documents, requirements for isolation, requirements for PCR or antigen test, etc. Here is a full guidance on quarantine rules for amber list countries which currently applies to France.
If you are fully vaccinated and travelling to France it’s crucial that you have your proof of vaccination not only for departure but for events and other things whilst you’re in France! You'll need the NHS COVID Pass to prove your vaccination status when applying for a France visa and whilst entering and departing both the UK and France. You can download the NHS app on the app store or google play and login which shows your proof of vaccination. Also, scan your NHS COVID Pass in AntiCovid App to get a Health pass, which allows you to go to restaurants and events in France.
2. Tax- free shopping now available in EU countries
You may not be aware but Brits are now eligible for tax-free shopping in the EU meaning you can get tax-refunds on your shopping whilst you travel and explore these countries! This is due to Brexit as we no longer have to pay for VAT on items in EU countries as we are no longer part of the EU. This new perk is something that’s well worth taking advantage of as you could be saving up to 20% on the goods you purchase over in the EU compared to the UK. It may be a great time to splurge on some nice designer items you’ve had your eye on or buy some holiday gifts as you’ll be saving lots of money. It may be something you have little or no experience in and it can be a little confusing at first when trying to get a vat-refund but we want to make it as simple as possible for you to understand so you can take advantage of this.
There are 2 main ways you can get a vat-refund: one is by asking the store for tax-refund forms which will have to be filled out for every store and purchase (you’ll need to spend a minimum of 100 EUR per store). The other method is using a digital service such as Wevat which allows you to do paperless refunds by uploading all your invoices on the app and producing the tax-refund form for you! You can find more about how to claim your refund at the departure point after you have got your forms here.
3. Brexit changes - applying for a VISA
Due to Brexit, some rules on VISA and the length of stay in the EU have changed which you need to be aware of. The maximum length of stay in the EU without a VISA is a maximum of 90 days per 180-day period. Any longer than this you will need to apply for a travel permit or a visa for that country.
We have a blog here that explains thoroughly what you need to know about travelling to Europe after Brexit!
4. Learn some helpful French phrases
It’s incredibly useful to learn some French phrases before you travel there - it can be as simple as learning some polite hello and thank yous to learning how to order or asking for directions. Even though they’ll most likely help you out by speaking English, they’ll appreciate you attempting as it shows some respect whilst you’re in France! Especially if you travel to more rural areas in France, you can’t expect everyone to speak English fluently.
Some simple and useful phrases to learn such as: Bonjour (hello), S’il vous plait (please) Pardon (pardon/sorry), Merci (Thanks) and Au Revoir (goodbye). These can get you some simple brownie points!
5. Do lots of shopping and eating
The French are world-renowned for their exquisite cuisine and luxury shopping districts so you’d be missing out if you don’t explore this wonderful opportunity. When you’re dining out be aware that lunch services are usually from 12-2 pm whilst dinner services usually won’t start until 7:30 pm! It’s important you have good table manners whilst dining and once you’re finished with the meal, you’ll have to ask for the bill as they will not just bring it over assuming you’re done. Whilst the service is usually added onto the bill, feel free to leave an extra tip if you enjoy the meal and service!
Busy outdoor street cafes at sunset on the cobblestones of Arras, Pas de calais, France on 30 September 2019
There are plenty of shopping streets to explore in France so give yourself plenty of time to do this. As mentioned earlier, you can now also get tax-free shopping so you should be ready to shop till you drop! Paris is known for being the fashion capital and many of the most visited shopping streets are right here!
Here are some great places to shop:
Avenue des Champs Elysées - the world famous street filled with tourists where you’ll find a range of high street stores and high end luxury stores to lots of restaurants and cafes too
Boulevard Haussmann - you’ll find big department stores, including Galeries Lafayette and Printemps
The Golden Triangle
Avenue Montaigne - lots of luxury brands here!
These are just some things that will hopefully better help you plan your trip to France! Reach out to us at wevatapp on our socials or email us if you have any questions or queries about tax-free shopping - we are here to help!
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About Wevat App:
Wevat - a new digital tax refund app that makes it easy for travellers to save money on their shopping in France! We are a community of people who love travelling, shopping and saving money. Since our launch in 2019, we've helped refund travellers from 88 countries more than €18 million on their shopping!
Compared with in-store VAT refund providers, Wevat gives you up to 23% more VAT back and with no minimum spending requirements on each purchase. With Wevat, you can simply snap a picture of your purchase invoices then generate and scan your barcode when you leave France. There are no paper forms, repeated scanning or dropping off forms required with us. Our super-friendly, multilingual customer support team will be always on hand to support you throughout your trip via our app.
We are fully regulated by both French and UK customs.
Download Wevat now to start saving money on your shopping!
Please download before purchase to validate shopping.