France visa and entry requirements

Service-Public says a foreigner must have a passport issued less than 10 years ago and valid for at least 3 months beyond the planned date of departure.

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No official source we read lists a vaccination certificate required for entry.

Service-Public lists, among the conditions a foreigner must all meet when crossing the border, insurance covering medical and hospital costs for care you might receive in France, with minimum cover of €30,000. The EU Visa Code requires Schengen visa applicants to hold travel medical insurance valid throughout the Member States for the entire intended stay, with minimum coverage of EUR 30,000.

No official source we could read makes a return or onward ticket a condition of entry in itself. Under the Schengen Borders Code (Annex I), the supporting documents for journeys for tourism or private reasons include, as regards return, a return or round-trip ticket. The UK government tells British travellers they may be asked at French border control to show a return or onward ticket.

Service-Public says a foreigner must have sufficient resources, and that the level required per day of stay in France depends on the proof of accommodation: €32.50 with an attestation d'accueil (host certificate), €65 with proof of a hotel reservation, and €120 without proof of a hotel reservation.

• EES — Entry/Exit System (biometric registration) — The UK government says that when you travel into the Schengen area for short stays you may need to register biometric details such as fingerprints and a photo, that on your first visit you may be asked to register at a special booth before the immigration desk, and that there is no cost for EES registration. The EU's EES site says passport control officers will take a photo of your face and/or scan your fingerprints. (at the border on first entry) travel-europe.europa.eu ↗(opens in a new tab)
• ETIAS — European Travel Information and Authorization System — The EU says ETIAS is the new travel authorisation for visa-exempt travellers to enter 30 European countries, that it is currently not in operation and no applications are collected at this point, and that it will announce the start date several months before launch. The official EU site is travel-europe.europa.eu. (before travel, once etias starts) travel-europe.europa.eu ↗(opens in a new tab)

The French government's page on the obligation to leave French territory (OQTF) lists this case: a person entered France lawfully but stayed beyond the validity of their visa, or, if visa-exempt, more than 3 months after entry. A ban on return (IRTF) is imposed after an OQTF if the person stayed in France beyond the 30 days granted for voluntary departure. It lasts at most 5 years from the person's actual departure and bars return to France and to every Schengen country.

• Taxe de séjour (tourist tax) — 2026 national scale, per person per night (minimum to maximum): Palace EUR 0.70 to 4.90; hotel, tourist residence or furnished tourist let rated 5 stars EUR 0.70 to 3.60, 4 stars EUR 0.70 to 2.60, 3 stars EUR 0.50 to 1.70, 2 stars EUR 0.30 to 1.00, 1 star EUR 0.20 to 0.80; holiday village rated 4 or 5 stars EUR 0.30 to 1.00, 1 to 3 stars EUR 0.20 to 0.80; bed and breakfast (chambre d'hôtes) EUR 0.20 to 0.80; group hostel (auberge collective) EUR 0.20 to 0.80; campsites and similar outdoor sites rated 3 to 5 stars EUR 0.20 to 0.60, 1 or 2 stars EUR 0.20. Unclassified accommodation (other than the types in the table): 1% to 5% of the cost per person per night, within the highest rate adopted by the local authority. In Île-de-France an additional tax of 200% is added. Paid at the accommodation.

  Some communes may ask holidaymakers staying in their area to pay a tourist tax. It is due per person per night and is paid to the host, the hotel, the owner, or the online booking service acting for them. The 2026 national scale runs from EUR 0.20 to 4.90 per person per night depending on accommodation type and rating; unclassified accommodation pays 1% to 5% of the nightly cost per person. Children under 18, seasonal workers employed in the commune, people in emergency accommodation or temporary rehousing, and occupants of premises with a rent below a level set by the municipal council are exempt. In Île-de-France an additional tax of 200% is added.

  Exemptions: Children under 18; holders of a seasonal employment contract working in the commune; people in emergency accommodation or temporary rehousing; people occupying premises whose rent is below an amount set by the municipal council.

Your Europe (EU) says that if you plan to enter or leave the EU with €10,000 in cash (or its equivalent in other currencies), you must declare it to the customs authorities in the EU country you are entering or leaving.

• Your Europe (EU) says that when you enter the EU from a non-EU country you can bring, free of VAT and excise duties, 1 litre of spirits over 22% vol. (among other alcohol allowances), 200 cigarettes where the higher tobacco limit applies, and other goods up to a value of €300 per traveller or €430 for travellers by air and sea.
• Your Europe (EU) says that for alcohol and tobacco bought in another EU country for your own use no further payments are due, and that each EU country sets guideline values that may not be lower than, for example, 800 cigarettes or 10 litres of spirits; if customs suspect goods are not for your own use, you may be asked to prove that they are.