Many visitors come to France by train, including overland from bordering countries, and through the Channel Tunnel from the UK.
The European Travel Authorisation System for Europe (ETIAS) will soon become an entry requirement for foreign nationals entering the Schengen Area. This means that third-country nationals, including British citizens, will need to register for an ETIAS for France.
This raises the important issue of whether the ETIAS will be required to board a train to France. Will you need the ETIAS to travel on the Eurostar, or will it only be necessary for air travel between the UK and France?
Will ETIAS be needed when travelling by train to France?
It will depend on where you board the train to France. Specifically, it depends on whether you are travelling from a country within or outside the Schengen Area.
In most cases, passengers will not need an ETIAS visa waiver to enter France by train. This is because most trains entering France arrive from other Schengen countries.
All sovereign states that share a land border with France are also part of the Schengen Area. The ETIAS will not be required to travel between member states; it is only needed to enter a Schengen country from a non-Schengen country.
However, there are certain long-distance services from non-Schengen countries to France, such as the overnight Moscow-Paris train.
Passengers on these trains will need an ETIAS. This must be shown on arrival in France.
There are also services from the England via the Channel Tunnel. This is one of the most important routes between the UK and France. The Eurostar service connects London and Kent with Calais, Lille, Paris, and other European destinations.
Will you need to show the ETIAS to board a train?
Passengers travelling by overland train from a country outside the Schengen Area will not be required to show the ETIAS to board the train.
However, they will be asked to show it on arrival.
The one possible exception to this is the Channel Tunnel from the United Kingdom to France.
Will ETIAS be required for Eurostar?
When the European Travel Authorisation System for Europe is implemented, Eurostar passengers will need to register for the ETIAS visa waiver.
To get the ETIAS for the Eurostar, travellers will simply need to complete a short online form. This includes registering the details of their passport as well as basic information like their name, nationality, and date of birth.
The France ETIAS application will take a matter of minutes to fill in. The journey on the Eurostar will then be authorised.
Will I need to show the ETIAS to board the Eurostar?
EU authorities are considering making Eurostar check that passengers have the ETIAS before boarding.
However, there are logistical issues implementing this. Performing checks on so many passengers is time-consuming. Eurostar and Getlink (the company that owns and manages the Eurotunnel) say that there is no space for machines to take the biometric information required by the European Union Entry and Exit System (EES).
This may mean that travellers might only have to show the visa waiver on arrival, as with other trains to France.
The final decision has not yet been made. This page will be updated as more information becomes available.
Do I need ETIAS to travel with Eurostar now?
Passengers do not currently need ETIAS to travel with Eurostar, as the ETIAS platform has not yet been launched and is not an entry requirement at present.
What travel documents do I need for the Eurostar?
Passengers must have the required travel documents for Eurostar to board the train in the UK.
British citizens travelling to France on the Eurostar must have the following documents:
- Valid passport
- France ETIAS for UK citizens (from [date_etias])
- Visa (if staying more than 90 days in a 180-day period or if travelling for non-tourist or business purposes)
The passenger’s British passport must meet the following conditions:
- Valid for 3 months on the departure date of the Schengen Area
- Less than 10 years old
- Have at least one clear page for stamping
Citizens of EU and/or Schengen countries entering France on the Eurostar need only their EU/Schengen passport.
Travellers of other citizenships going from the UK to France via the Eurostar must also have a valid passport and meet the visa requirements for their nationalities.
France entry points from the UK
The Channel Tunnel provides the only land-based transport service between the UK and France. Trains such as the Eurostar allow passengers to board in London or Kent and travel overland, through the undersea tunnel, and then overland once more in France.
Travellers on the Eurostar can disembark at Calais, Lille, or Paris. Passengers can change at Paris to reach other French destinations.
Other entry points into France from the UK include:
- International airports, such as Paris Charles de Gaulles
- Seaports with ferry services to and from the United Kingdom
Popular entry points by ferry include Calais, Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, Saint-Malo, and Roscoff.
