Europe's Coronavirus Measures: France Imposes Nightly Curfew
In recent updates, the ongoing COVID-19 situation in France, Spain, and Germany has been under close scrutiny. Here's a breakdown of the current state of affairs in these countries, focusing on travel restrictions, infection rates, and plans for the winter holiday season.
France
As of August 2025, France has lifted all COVID-19 restrictions and entry requirements for foreign visitors. This means travelers no longer need vaccination, testing, or health attestation to enter the country. However, the French government reserves the right to reinstate restrictions if the situation worsens or new variants emerge. Mask mandates on flights may still apply based on airline rules.
However, the optimism is tempered as French Prime Minister Jean Castex admitted that there have been no improvements in the situation for a week, and the number of new cases is increasing, not decreasing. As winter approaches, France is implementing a curfew instead of a lockdown, starting from December 15, according to Almaty.tv and Euronews. The curfew will be from 8 PM until morning, with exceptions allowed for valid reasons.
The reopening of non-food stores in France in late November had an immediate impact on statistics, but many non-food stores are now open, and inter-regional travel restrictions will be lifted on December 15.
Spain and Germany
In Spain and Germany, while there were no direct search results detailing their current COVID-19 restrictions, the general trend in the EU throughout 2025, including neighboring France and Italy, has been towards lifting most travel restrictions and COVID-19 health mandates. For example, Italy requires only standard travel documents without COVID-19 vaccination or testing requirements for entry. This suggests similar relaxed approaches may be in place for Spain and Germany, but you should verify with up-to-date official sources for precise local rules.
In Spain, infection rates are currently declining, with an average of fewer than 300 cases per 100,000 people. Many regions in Spain are cautiously allowing shopping centers, bars, and gyms to reopen. However, Fernando Simón, director of the coordinating center of Spain's health ministry, warns against complacency, stating that while the trend is downward, there are still many obstacles ahead.
In Germany, the number of new COVID-19 cases has reached a record high since the start of the pandemic, with over 23,679 new cases reported over the past 24 hours. There are calls to close shops throughout the winter holidays until mid-January and extend school holidays by the same period.
Winter Holidays
Regarding plans for winter holidays, no announced COVID-19 restrictions or specific policy announcements have been made. However, given that France broadly lifted restrictions in August 2025 and continues normal operations including allowing holidays in August, it is reasonable to expect that the winter holiday season will similarly proceed without major COVID-19 mandates barring new developments.
It is advised to monitor official government and health agency websites in these countries for any last-minute policy changes, especially as the winter approaches. Travelers should remain vigilant and follow any guidelines provided by their airlines and governments to ensure a safe and enjoyable holiday season.
In light of France's increasing number of new COVID-19 cases and the upcoming winter curfew, it's crucial for health-and-wellness to stay vigilant and follow guidelines, especially during the winter holiday season. Meanwhile, Germany is currently dealing with a record high of new COVID-19 cases, which has led to calls for shops to close during winter holidays and school holidays to be extended. In contrast, Spain's infection rates are declining, but health officials continue to stress the importance of science in managing medical-conditions like COVID-19.
