France has introduced strict new travel rules for all non-EU members in light of the new Covid variant, Omicron. 

The new restrictions mean all non-EU travellers aged 12 years old or over, whether vaccinated or not, will have to show proof of a negative Covid test upon arrival to France.

The test has to be taken within 24 hours of departure and France will only accept rapid-result antigen tests that “are those that are able to detect protein N of Sars-Cov2”.

Details on whether both antigen and PCR tests will be accepted are yet to be announced.

The UK officially left the EU on January 31 2020. 

A tweet from the French Consulate in London read: "Following the announcement of new travel conditions to France soon to be put in place, we will update the website of the Consulate General of France in London as soon as the details of these measures (entry into force, type and validity of tests) will be known."

Government spokesman Gabriel Attal confirmed that flights from countries in southern Africa, would remain suspended until Friday December 3.

From Saturday December 4, flights would resume for travellers returning to their main residences, he said.

The UK is on France's amber list, meaning those who enter the country must have a "compelling" reason and complete a sworn declaration form confirming they have not been in contact with confirmed cases in the preceding fortnight, and that they will self-isolate for seven days after arrival. 

In France, there were 225,062 cases in the week leading up to December 1 and nearly 105 million vaccination doses have been administered.