The third article in the Olympia 2024 series is dedicated to the topic of entry. It looks at the individual steps that a fictitious traveller has to consider before he/she can take part in the festivities in France.

The start of the Olympic Games in Paris 2024 is drawing closer. Thousands of people are already flocking to France to cheer on the best of the best in the most important quadrennial sporting event in the run-up to the Games, but no later than the start of the Games and competitions on 26 July. And, of course, to partake, as that is the Olympic Idea.

In order to shed light on the often not-so-clear steps that precede the excitement and euphoria, this article uses an imaginary Jane Doe to look at the before and during of the entry process, so that the traveller can, in addition to sporting competitions. indulge in picturesque panoramas, a stroll along the Seine, coq au vin from a maître de cuisine and perhaps a little l’amour along the Avenue des Champs-Élysées,

Before the journey

Jane Doe is a US citizen and flies from Los Angeles (US: LAX) via Montreal (CA: YUL) to Paris (FR: ORY). Questions she asks herself in advance are: What identification document do I need? Are there entry forms? Do I need a visa? While the first questions can be answered with “passport”, “no” (entry forms) and “no” (visa), there are other regulations to consider that Jane doesn’t immediately think of. For example, the entry requirements of each country also include the topic of health. Jane is not required to be vaccinated if she wants to travel to France, but the WHO recommends a number of vaccinations that should always be updated. Health insurance is also important, as this is compulsory when travelling to some countries. However, none of this applies to France.

At departure

As soon as they leave the USA, entry restrictions may also apply during transit in Montreal. However, apart from a mandatory passport, there are no restrictions for travellers from the USA in transit.

On arrival

Finally, before Jane is allowed to leave the airport, the import and customs regulations apply. In addition to a ban on entering the country with animal products, regulations apply to the import of medicines, alcohol and tobacco. Jane is also not allowed to carry more than the equivalent of EUR 10,000 in cash when travelling to the EU. If she wants to do this anyway, a declaration is mandatory.

If she follows all these steps, she has, voilà, arrived in Paris.

Other regulations

During her stay, she heard plenty of anecdotes about entry stories that didn’t go as smoothly as Jane’s did. She learnt from fans from Egypt, Thailand and India that they were not visa-free. In many cases, it was necessary to go to the embassy and pay a fee of the equivalent of €90 in order to apply for an entry permit to the Schengen area. In some cases, additional visas were required for transit, such as in Australia. The list of countries that are allowed to travel to the EU without a visa includes 61 sovereign states and a further 21 territories with partial sovereignty (overseas territories). There are also multilateral agreements which, for example, allow citizens of certain countries to enter the EU even with expired identity documents. A3M has created the Destination Manager – an information tool that provides travellers from all over the world with a clear and well-researched overview of everything that is important for entering a country or transiting through another. Thanks to this product, travellers will no longer miss any changes to complex entry regulations. With the Destination Manager, nothing stands in the way of a well-prepared and safe journey.