Covid-19: Travel with confidence

When you travel you must: 

• wear a mask throughout your journey. If you don’t wear a mask, you are subject to a €135 fine.
• bring your ticket, your railcard or pass, and an ID.
• bring your health pass. If you can’t present a health pass, you are subject to a €135 fine.

Which trains require a health pass?

Since Monday 9 August, you must have a health pass to board any TGV INOUI, INTERCITÉS or OUIGO train to destinations in France, or any long-distance international train departing from France. These new requirements do not apply to RER or Transilien commuter trains, or TER regional trains operating in France.

What is the health pass?

You must present your health pass on paper or in digital format via the TousAntiCovid app. The health pass consists of at least one of these 3 documents:

• proof of full vaccination
• proof of a negative PCR or antigen test taken within the last 72 hours
• proof of a positive PCR or antigen test showing that you have recovered from Covid-19 in the last 6 months. This test must date from at least 11 days and no more than 6 months before travel.

Important: For travel in France, you are now considered fully vaccinated 7 days after you have received the second dose of a 2-dose vaccine, and 4 weeks after receiving the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

For travel outside France, you must continue to wait 14 days after your second dose to be considered fully vaccinated. For more information on the health pass, please visit the French government's website.

Who must present a health pass?

If you are over 12 years old and are travelling on one of the trains listed above, you must present a health pass.
For passengers ages 12 to 17 (inclusive), this requirement does not take effect until 30 September.

Should I arrive at the station early?

If you’re taking one of the trains listed above, we will be required to check health passes, and boarding will probably be slightly slower as a result. We therefore recommend arriving at the station a little earlier. Since the beginning of the Covid-19 crisis, we have announced platform numbers 30 minutes ahead of departure (10 minutes earlier than usual) to make boarding easier for our passengers.

Who will check my health pass? 

On the platform, your pass will be checked by SNCF representatives, such as station personnel, train managers, Railway Security officers, passenger information volunteers, and contract staff. Law enforcement officers may be called in if necessary.
Aboard your train, your pass will be checked by a dedicated team of train managers, accompanied by Railway Security officers or law enforcement.

Important: SNCF employees will not check proof of identity with your health pass—they will simply confirm that the name on your ticket matches the name on your pass. As required by the French government, if you cannot present a health pass on the platform, you will not be allowed to board. If you cannot present a health pass aboard your train, you will be fined €135.

What about travel outside France?

With your French health pass, you can travel to any country in the European Union, as well as Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Iceland, Norway, Monaco and Andorra. The same rules apply for French overseas départements and territories.
Outside the European Union, entry requirements vary from country to country. With Eurostar, for example, you can use your French health pass as proof of vaccination, but you must also show proof of a negative test taken within the last 72 hours. Another test is required when you reach your destination.

If you aren’t vaccinated, you must self-isolate for 10 days on arrival in the UK.

It’s up to all of us to follow public health guidelines, so that everyone can travel with confidence.

• All adults and all children ages 11 and older must wear a mask in our stations and aboard our trains. Law enforcement and Railway Security officers will check for compliance at the entrances to major stations, and if you do not wear a mask, you are subject to a €135 fine.
• You may purchase masks and hand sanitizer from vending machines and in-station shops. You’ll also find hand sanitizer in nearly 200 dispensers installed in 120 stations.
• The SNCF employees on hand during your journey will wear masks to protect everyone.
• The Ministry for Solidarity and Health also recommends downloading the TousAntiCovid app and using it to protect yourself and the people around you.

To keep you safe, we’ve adapted our in-station crowd flow measures and modified our boarding procedures. Here’s what’s new:

• Law enforcement and Railway Security officers are now positioned at station entrances to ensure that everyone wears a mask in stations and aboard trains.
• During boarding, SNCF employees and law enforcement officers will verify that each passenger has a health pass as required.
• In large stations, inbound and outbound foot traffic are kept separate.
• New floor markings promote social distancing in waiting areas, under the main departures and arrivals boards, at self-service machines, on escalators and on platforms, and we’ve installed queue management solutions in front of sales areas and shops.
• Posters and loudspeaker announcements remind everyone to practice social distancing.
• We’ve stepped up cleaning and disinfecting procedures in stations and aboard trains.

To avoid having to wait in the station, please buy your tickets remotely whenever you can, using the Assistant SNCF app and/or the OUI.sncf app and website.

To avoid having to wait in the station, please buy your tickets remotely whenever you can, using the Assistant SNCF app and/or the OUI.sncf app and website.

For detailed information on terms for exchanges and refunds, please visit the OUI.sncf website.

Access the latest information on exchanges and refunds