France Embassy: 202-944-6000 Paris GMT +1 hrs

Entry Requirements:
Visas not required for tourist/business stays up to 3 months (1 month in Polynesia).
HIV Test: Not required for tourists.
Vaccinations: None required.
Telephone Country Code: 33

Embassies/Consulates:
U.S. Embassy: 2, rue St. Florentin, Place de la Concorde, Paris. Tel: 01-43-12-22; Fax: 01-42 61 61 40; Web: www.amb-usa.fr; Consulates: Marseilles: 12, Blvd Paul Peytal; Tel: 4-91-54 92 00; Fax:4-91-55-09-47. Strasbourg: 15 Avenue d’Alsace; Tel:3-88-35-31-04; Fax:3-88-24-06-95.
Canadian Embassy: 4 Rue Jean Rey, Paris; Tel: 33-01-4059-3300/2; Fax:01 4059-3310.

Hospitals / Doctors:
The American Hospital, Paris; 63 Blvd. Victor Hugo, Neuilly-sur-Seine; Tel. (01) 47-47-70-15 for emergency advice as well physician or outpatient clinic referrals. All specialties; bilingual staff; 85% have had additional training in the United States; large corporate and international clientel; the hospital has angioplasty and coronary artery bypass grafting surgery (CABG) capability; emergency room with English-speaking doctors open 24 hours.
S.O.S. Doctors on Duty; will go to hotels or residences; Tel. (01) 47-07-77-77.
SOS 92: 24-hour house/hotel calls; serves primarily western Paris area (7th, 8th, 9th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, arrondissements); Tel. (01)-46-03-77-44.
Urgence Medicale de Paris (Medical Emergencies in Paris): Tel. (01) 48-28-40-04. Serves primarily the central Paris area. S.O.S. Dentists on Duty: Tel. (01) 43-37-51-00.
Outside Paris: If you have a medical problem, dial 15 on any telephone in France (including Paris) and this countrywide assistance service (similar to the 911 service in the USA, but more comprehensive) will evaluate your problem; if necessary, they will dispatch a physician, or doctor-staffed ambulance, to your hotel or residence.
AT&T Dial: 0-800-99-00-11 -- -- MCI Dial: 0-800-99-00-19

Current Advisories & Health Risks:

Hepatitis: Low risk. Hepatitis A vaccination is not considered necessary for routine travel to France but nonimmune travelers may wish to be immunized. Hepatitis E may occur, but endemic levels are unclear. The carrier rate of the hepatitis B virus in the general population is less than 1%. Vaccination against hepatitis B should be considered for stays over 3 months and by short-term travelers desiring maximum protection. Travelers should be aware that hepatitis B is often transmitted by unsafe sex and the use of contaminated needles and syringes.

Influenza: Influenza is transmitted from November through March. The flu vaccine is recommended for all travelers over age 50; all travelers with chronic disease or a weakened immune system; travelers of any age wishing to decrease the risk of this illness; pregnant women after the first trimester.

Leishmaniasis: Low risk, but visceral and cutaneous leishmaniasis do occur in rural areas of southern France, primarily in the departments of Bouche-de-Rhone, Provence, and Alpes-Maritimes, and on Corsica. Transmission occurs between May and November, peaking in July and August. Travelers should take measures to prevent insect (sandfly) bites.

Listeriosis: Outbreaks of listeriosis, caused by consumption of unpasteurized dairy products, especially soft cheeses, such as Brie, are reported. Some cases fatal. Young children, pregnant women, and travelers with compromised immunity should avoid soft cheese products.

Lyme Disease: Risk of transmission occurs throughout the country in wooded, brushy areas or in broadleaf (oak) forests. Risk is elevated in eastern France. Travelers to rural areas countrywide should take measures to avoid tick bites.

Mediterranean Spotted (Boutonneuse) Fever: Occurs in southern France in regions below 1,000 meters elevation. Peak transmission occurs July through September. The primary endemic areas are the southern Mediterranean coast (especially the vicinity of Marseille) and the island of Corsica. Disease may be acquired in and around tick-infested houses and terrain, but more than 95% of cases are associated with contact with tick-carrying dogs.

Other Diseases/Hazards: Brucellosis, echinococcosis, fascioliasis (cases reported from Orne and Manche Departments in Normandy), leptospirosis, legionellosis, giardiasis, hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, human alveolar echinococcosis (cases reported from the Franche-Comte region; the red foxe is the definitive host), tick-borne meningoencephalitis (due to Rickettsia slovaca; reported in central France/Pyrennes mountains), toxoplasmosis (from ingesting undercooked beef), trichinosis (outbreaks associated with consumption of poorly cooked horsemeat have occurred), pork and beef tapeworm disease, and typhoid fever(uncommon). Tick-borne encephalitis occurs; risk is elevated in the Alsace Region.

Rabies: No human cases are reported, but rabies is reported enzootic in the fox population. All unprovoked animal bites should be medically evaluated for possible rabies.