A special pass will be needed to circulate in some areas of Paris during the Olympics this summer. As online applications for the necessary QR code opened Monday, we look at who needs them, when, and the areas affected.
From 18 July and throughout the period of the Olympic Games (26 July to 11 August) some areas of the capital will be sectioned off into zones and you’ll need a “Pass Jeux” (Games Pass) to move around within them.
The pass takes the form of a QR code which can either be downloaded onto a smartphone or printed out.
The ministry of the interior platform went live on Monday, and passes will be issued following administrative checks by the Paris police prefecture.
For the moment applications concern only the Olympic opening ceremony on the river Seine on 26 July, but will be extended to the whole Olympic period shortly.
Who needs a QR code?
The QR codes apply mainly to people wanting to circulate in restricted areas in motorised vehicles (cars, motorbikes), such as taxi and delivery drivers, as well as people living near the opening ceremony and competition venues.
Pedestrians, cyclists, and riders of non-motorised scooters do not need a QR code to enter restricted areas.
Which areas are affected?
Four, coloured-codes perimeters will be set up around the sites – grey, black, red, blue.
They are laid out in the video below (in French) and maps can be found here.
Grey zones have the tightest security. They include the competition venues and in particular the 26 July Olympic opening ceremony on the River Seine, where some 300,000 spectators are expected.
Two six-kilometre stretches of the banks of the River Seine between Austerlitz and Iéna bridges will be designated an anti-terrorist protection perimeter (SILT).
Anyone wishing to enter the SILT zone must have either a ticket for the ceremony or a QR code, plus a form of ID.
Motorists – including residents with car parks in the SILT zone, delivery and emergency service vehicles – need a QR code to enter. After 13h on the day of the opening ceremony, no vehicles will be allowed through. Emergency service vehicles will be escorted by police if necessary.
Applicants will have to justify a legitimate reason to enter the SILT zone – either because they’re residents or hotel clients, and show “proof of address, a hotel reservation or a lease agreement for example” the prefet de police Laurent Nunez told France info.
Security checks will be carried out on everyone “to be sure the person does not represent a threat to national security” he said.
Restrictions on the SILT zone will come into effect as of 18 July, a week before the opening ceremony.
Black zones are the areas around competition venues where security checks are carried out on everyone entering the competition site.
Red zones are open to cyclists and pedestrians and they do not need a QR code.
They are closed to all vehicles and motorbikes. Motorised local residents, people visiting sick or vulnerable people, emergency and rescue services need to show a QR code.
Blue zones – motorists, including delivery delivers, need a QR code to go through these zones; cyclists and pedestrians can circulate freely.
Public transport
Some 15 metro stations – located within the anti-terrorist protection perimeter – will be closed from 18 July and throughout the Games, but the lines will operate normally. The overland RER C stops at Saint-Michel and Invalides will remain open.
