France allows unvaccinated Brazilian students and researchers to enter country

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The French Embassy in Brazil announced this Friday (6) that Brazilian students and researchers could obtain a long-term visa even if they are not vaccinated against Covid-19 with a European Union-approved vaccine.

Those not fully vaccinated must follow a strict health protocol: RT-PCR testing upon departure from Brazil and upon arrival in France, and then a 14-day quarantine.

In addition, these researchers and professors will be facilitated to schedule immunization in France.

The immunization agents approved in the EU are Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca, and Janssen. Member states, for example, do not accept foreigners vaccinated with Coronavac, a vaccine produced by Instituto Butantan in collaboration with the Chinese laboratory Sinovac.

Since April, the French Embassy in Brazil has suspended visas to students and researchers accepted at French institutions. In June, France even relaxed entry requirements for travelers from some countries, but Brazil remained blocked because it was classified as a red zone country.

This ban worried hundreds of Brazilian students and researchers, who launched a campaign on social networks and appealed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to change this situation.