Long lines in France due to restrictions on flights from Brazil, Chile and Argentina

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The tightening of entry rules for travelers from Brazil, Chile, Argentina, South Africa, and India came into force this Saturday, April 24, and further slowed down passenger waiting times, Air France airline sources told EFE.

This morning, the first flights arrived at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris from New Delhi (India), Johannesburg (South Africa), and Santiago de Chile.

According to Air France, all passengers were notified by cell phone message of the new rules, which caused longer queues than usual due to the absence of document scanning.

“We are waiting for IATA (the International Air Transport Association) and the EU, in cooperation with the French government, to implement digital certification,” said the sources, referring to the application that stores and certifies tests and vaccinations.

These five countries, plus the overseas territory of French Guyana (bordering Brazil), are considered high risk due to the new variants circulating in their respective territories.

Among the new rules, only European Union citizens residing in France and French nationals will be allowed to enter the country this Saturday.

Also, passengers boarding from these five countries will have to show a negative PCR test performed within a maximum of 36 hours and not 72 hours as before. Upon arrival in France, they will be subjected to an antigen test.

A stricter quarantine has also been put in place in the country, where the authorities will closely monitor the passenger and, in case of non-compliance, the fine will be €1,500.

Source: efe