smartraveller.gov.au - Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
It's a must see destination.
It's a must see destination.
France
| France overall | This Advice is current for Saturday, 09 August 2008. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Be alert to own security | Exercise caution | High degree of caution | Reconsider your need to travel | Do not travel |
This advice has been reviewed and reissued. It contains new information under Crime (credit card and ATM fraud). The overall level of the advice has not changed.
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We advise you to exercise caution and monitor developments that might affect your safety in France because of the risk of terrorist attack. Pay close attention to your personal security and monitor the media for information about possible new safety or security risks.
Terrorism is a threat throughout the world. You can find more information about this threat in our General Advice to Australian Travellers.
Following the bombings in London in July 2005, the French Government heightened security measures across a range of public venues including airports, train stations, local public transport systems, government ministries, popular tourist sites and foreign embassies and consulates across the country. The French police are also conducting random identity checks, particularly at border crossings.
You should avoid protests, demonstrations, political rallies and large public celebrations as they may turn violent. You should also avoid, particularly at night, the outlying neighbourhoods of large cities where in the past there has been civil unrest and clashes between local youths and police forces.
Corsica/Nice: The National Front for the Liberation of Corsica (FLNC) has been conducting a sporadic bombing campaign in Corsica for several years. Although French government buildings have been the main targets, installations associated with tourism, such as holiday complexes, have also been targeted in the past. The FLNC has also targeted French government buildings in Nice.
There is a high incidence of petty crime, especially bag snatching and pickpocketing, throughout France particularly on the streets of larger cities such as Paris, Marseilles and Nice. Airports, public transport, tourist areas, hotel lobbies and beaches are prime targets for thieves who frequently work in gangs using a variety of methods to distract potential victims. There are frequent reports of crime, including robbery and muggings, on the train system servicing Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle and Orly Airports. Increasingly, such crime is being accompanied by acts or threats of violence.
There is a growing incidence of violent attacks against tourists by groups of young people, usually occurring late at night around major tourist attractions such as the Champs-Elysees, the Les Halles district and the Latin Quarter in central Paris.
There have been increasing reports of crimes targeting vehicles, such as purse snatching from cars stopped in traffic, particularly in the south of France between the cities of Perpignan (near the Spanish border) and Menton (near the Italian border). You should be particularly vigilant at isolated automated service stations and avoid sleeping in rest areas beside autoroutes (motorways) and major roads.
Credit card and ATM fraud involving 'skimming' machines which can store card data is rising, particularly at automated service stations.
You should be wary of strangers that invite you for a complimentary drink or show at a private club. Some foreigners who have accepted such offers have had large sums debited from their credit cards before they have been permitted to leave the venue.
Australians wanting to drive in France must have a valid Australian driver's licence and a valid International driver's licence.
Passengers on international flights to and from Australia are only allowed to carry a small amount of liquids (including aerosols and gels) in their carry-on baggage. You can find out more information at the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government website. Similar restrictions apply to flights in an increasing number of countries. Contact your airline for further information.
If you have concerns about the safety standards of a particular airline or aircraft, we recommend you research the airline or aircraft through organisations such as Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government has published fact sheets on security for air travellers. When staff at Australia's overseas missions are advised not to use particular airlines due to safety concerns, this will be included in the travel advisory.
The European Union (EU) has published a list of airlines that are subject to operating bans or restrictions within the EU. The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) through its foreign assessment program focuses on a country's ability, not the individual airline, to adhere to international standards and recommended practices for aircraft operations and maintenance established by ICAO.
Avalanches and mudslides are a danger in some mountain areas. There have been a number of fatalities in recent years. If you are skiing or mountaineering you should monitor advice on weather and safety conditions. It is highly dangerous to move off marked slopes or trails.
During the summer months, forest and grass fires are a regular occurrence, particularly along the Mediterranean coast and on Corsica.
If a natural disaster occurs, follow the advice of local authorities.
Before you go, organise a variety of ways to access your money overseas, such as credit cards, travellers' cheques, cash, debit cards or cash cards. Check with your bank whether your ATM card will work overseas. Thefts at ATMs, ATM scams and credit card fraud, such as double billing, are increasingly common in France.
Make two photocopies of valuables such as your passport, tickets, visas and travellers' cheques. Keep one copy with you in a separate place to the original and leave another copy with someone at home.
While travelling, don't carry too much cash and remember that expensive watches, jewellery and cameras may be tempting targets for thieves.
As a sensible precaution against luggage tampering, including theft, lock your luggage. Information on luggage safety is available from Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority.
Your passport is a valuable document that is attractive to criminals who may try to use your identity to commit crimes. It should always be kept in a safe place. You are required by Australian law to report a lost or stolen passport. If your passport is lost or stolen overseas, report it online or contact the nearest Australian Embassy, High Commission or Consulate as soon as possible.
You are required to pay an additional fee to have a lost or stolen passport replaced. In some cases, the Government may also restrict the length of validity or type of replacement passports.
If you are planning on placing your children in schools or childcare facilities overseas we encourage you to research the standards of security, care and staff training within those establishments. You should exercise the same precautions you would take before placing children into schools or childcare facilities in Australia.
Ideas on how to select childcare providers are available from the smartraveller Children's Issues page, Child Wise and the National Childcare Accreditation Council.
When you are in France be aware that local laws and penalties, including ones that appear harsh by Australian standards, do apply to you. If you are arrested or jailed, the Australian Government will do what it can to help you but we can't get you out of trouble or out of jail.
Information on what Australian consular officers can and cannot do to help Australians in trouble overseas is available from the Consular Services Charter.
In France, failing to offer assistance to 'a person in danger' is illegal. This means that if you fail to stop upon witnessing a motor accident, fail to report such an accident to emergency services, or ignore appeals for help or urgent assistance, you may be charged. Penalties include suspended prison sentence and fines. The law does not apply in situations where to answer an appeal for help might endanger your life or the lives of others.
Under French law you are required to carry your passport at all times.
It is illegal to photograph security services, including police. Penalties may include detention and confiscation of film and/or camera.
Some Australian criminal laws, such as those relating to money laundering, bribery of foreign public officials, terrorism and child sex tourism, apply to Australians overseas. Australians who commit these offences while overseas may be prosecuted in Australia.
Australian authorities are committed to combating sexual exploitation of children by Australians overseas. Australians may be prosecuted at home under Australian child sex tourism laws. These laws provide severe penalties of up to 17 years imprisonment for Australians who engage in sexual activity with children under 16 while outside of Australia.
Our Travel Information for Dual Nationals brochure provides further information.
Visa and other entry and exit conditions (such as currency, customs and quarantine regulations) change regularly. Contact the nearest Embassy or Consulate of France for the most up to date information.
Australians cannot apply for a visa for France inside French territory.
France is a party to the Schengen Convention, along with 23 other European countries, which allows Australians to enter France without a visa in some circumstances. Australian tourists may qualify for entry into France under the 90-day visa waiver program within the Schengen Zone. See our travel bulletin on the Schengen Convention for more information.
People travelling directly to or from a country outside the European Union (EU) who are carrying 10,000 euros or more (or the equivalent in another currency) are required to declare the cash at the place of their arrival or departure from the EU. Travellers failing to declare the cash or providing incomplete or incorrect information will incur a fine. In France, this requirement also extends to people travelling to or from another EU country. Failure to declare such funds, or incorrect declarations, can result in prosecution.
We strongly recommend that you take out comprehensive travel insurance that will cover any overseas medical costs, before you depart. Confirm that your insurance covers you for the whole time you'll be away and check what circumstances and activities are not included in your policy. Remember, regardless of how healthy and fit you are, if you can't afford travel insurance, you can't afford to travel.
Your doctor or travel clinic is the best source of information about preventive measures, immunisations (including booster doses of childhood vaccinations) and disease outbreaks overseas. The World Health Organization (WHO) provides information for travellers and our 'Travelling Well' brochure also provides useful tips for travelling with medicines and staying healthy while overseas.
The standard of medical facilities is high. Costs per day in a public hospital range between $A1,350 to $A3,350, depending upon the treatment.
The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) has confirmed cases of avian influenza in birds in a number of countries throughout the world, including France. For a list of these countries, visit the OIE website. For information on our advice to Australians on how to reduce the risk of infection and on Australian Government precautions see our travel bulletin on avian influenza.
In France, you can obtain consular assistance from the:
Australian Embassy
4 Rue Jean Rey,
75015 Paris FRANCE
Telephone: (33 1) 4059 3301
Facsimile: (33 1) 4059 3315
Website: http://www.france.embassy.gov.au/
For emergency assistance, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, telephone (33 1) 4059 3301.
If you are travelling to France, whatever the reason and however long you'll be there, we encourage you to register with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. You can register online or in person at any Australian Embassy, High Commission or Consulate. The information you provide will help us to contact you in an emergency - whether it is a natural disaster, civil disturbance or a family issue.
In a consular emergency if you are unable to contact the Embassy you can contact the 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre on +61 2 6261 3305 or 1300 555 135 within Australia.
In Australia, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Canberra may be contacted on (02) 6261 3305.
While every care has been taken in preparing this travel information for travellers, neither the Australian Government nor its agents or employees including any member of Australia's consular staff abroad, can accept liability for injury, loss or damage arising in respect of any statement contained therein.
