Riad Islam: France is opening its borders with other European countries at midnight for the first time since shutting them amid virus fears three months ago, and will start opening up to visitors from other continents July 1.
It’s among several European countries opening borders first thing Monday — though it’s not clear how many Europeans are ready to travel again.
The French government has urged fellow EU members to coordinate their border rules, and is sticking to calendar recommendations from the European Commission last week.
“Given the favourable evolution of the health situation in France and in Europe,” the French government said in a statement it’s opening its borders to all arrivals from the EU and countries in the border-free Schengen zone Monday.
People arriving from inside Europe won’t need to undergo quarantine. But France will apply different rules to visitors from Spain and Britain because those countries established different opening schedules.
France will gradually allow visitors from outside Europe starting July 1, based on the virus situation in countries of origin.
The French government promised to ease entry for foreign students in particular ahead of the new academic year.
