The deconfinement continues. France "will proceed to a gradual opening of its Schengen external borders from July 1," Foreign Ministers Jean-Yves Le Drian and Interior Ministers Christophe Castaner announced on Friday in a joint statement.
The decision was taken in accordance with the recommendations of the European Commission presented on Thursday and "this opening will be carried out in a gradual and differentiated manner according to the health situation of the different third countries, and in accordance with the procedures which will have been adopted at European level by then ", They said.
International students will be allowed, regardless of their country of origin, to come to France and their reception arrangements will be favored. Their visa and residence permit applications will be processed as a priority. With regard to European internal borders, the ministers confirm that France will lift all traffic restrictions put in place to combat the Covid-19 pandemic on June 15 at midnight.
A fortnight recommended but not compulsory
People from European countries (member states of the European Union as well as Andorra, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, San Marino, Switzerland and Vatican) will therefore be able to enter French territory without restrictions on with the exception of Spain and the United Kingdom.
These two countries applying restrictions, France will continue to apply reciprocity. Thus, Spain having chosen to maintain until June 21 its traffic restrictions as well as a fortnight for air passengers from Europe, air passengers from Spain will in turn be invited to perform a fortnight upon their arrival in France until June 21.
Passengers from the United Kingdom will no longer be subject to restrictions on entry to France from June 15 but will remain, "until further notice", invited to observe around fourteen on their arrival. France and Germany had been calling for two weeks to reopen the borders between European countries as quickly as possible, after several weeks of closure due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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