You don’t need to go through your French doctor to get an appointment – you can book directly with the centres, either by calling up or using an online booking service such as Doctolib.

You are unlikely to have to travel far or wait very long. If it’s not advertised as being possible without an appointment, it’s a good idea to call ahead and check – most pharmacies will fit you in the same day, even if they don’t allow drop-ins.įor those used to the UK testing system, where Covid tests for travel need to be pre-booked and appointments can fill up quickly, rest assured that Covid tests are very easy to come by in France. The nasal swab will be sent off to a lab, and you will receive your results by email or text message within 48 hours.įor Antigen tests, you often don’t need an appointment – these tests are most commonly performed at pharmacies and pop-up test centres, which will often advertise ‘ sans rendez-vous’ (without appointment). The most commonly offered tests in France are PCR tests ( un test PCR) or Antigen tests ( un test antigénique), and many pharmacies and drop-in centres only offer the latter, so be sure to check if you need a PCR.įor PCR tests, these are normally only performed in test centres, and an appointment is typically required (but not always, so it’s worth checking). It depends upon the type of test and where you take it. If all else fails, you can call your French doctor or simply pop into your local pharmacy – chances are they offer Covid tests, but if not, they will likely be able to advise you on the closest test centre.

You will need to download the app or open the website on your desktop, set up an account (you don’t need a Carte Vitale, and you don’t need to be a resident for this), then search for “ dépistage Covid”. You can equally search or make appointments for a Covid-19 test on Doctolib. Many airports and large travel hubs have test centres on-site, so if you need a test for travel, be sure to check this first – they will normally be listed on the airport website. Simply choose your department from the drop-down menu, and you will find a full list. , the French government’s health website, maintain a full list of ‘lieux de dépistage COVID-19’ (covid test locations), which you can search for here. Covid-19 tests ( dépistage COVID-19 or simply ‘ test Covid’) are offered at pharmacies, test centres, private practices, and clinics all around the country.

Tbas testing locations