OBSOLETE COVID THREAD Travelling to France - Can I get Vaccine (Health) Pass at the airport pharmacy?

[Linda Fantillo]

All going well, will arrive at CDG on May 16th from Canada and then have a flight three and a half hours later to Pau. My question is, do I need to go through all the Tous Sanitaire stuff online or can I just arrive, go through customs, get my luggage and go to the pharmacy at CDG? I have had my shots and a booster and will have a negative PCR test with the results on the day I leave - May 15th. If anyone has had experience getting the Vaccine (Health) pass at the airport, was wondering what kind of wait time I could expect (know this can be variable of course).

 

[Vacajoe]

You MUST apply for the certificate in person at a French pharmacy as there is no longer an online option. Travelers on the Tripadvisor site have reported success at obtaining them at a CDG pharmacy (there are three of them there).

 

[Linda Fantillo]

Thanks, so much!

 

[J Willhaus]

I also saw a suggestion on another forum to make sure the app works before you leave the airport in case you need to go back to the pharmacy.

 

[jouffroy47]

All going well, will arrive at CDG on May 16th from Canada and then have a flight three and a half hours later to Pau. My question is, do I need to go through all the Tous Sanitaire stuff online or can I just arrive, go through customs, get my luggage and go to the pharmacy at CDG? I have had my shots and a booster and will have a negative PCR test with the results on the day I leave - May 15th. If anyone has had experience getting the Vaccine (Health) pass at the airport, was wondering what kind of wait time I could expect (know this can be variable of course).

You can download the Tous Anti Covid app now and add it then or later. As of now, any pharmacy at CDG can do it--they just gave me the paper pass, though, and I added the information myself to the app which is much more convenient. I already had two vaccines in there [one vaccine had expired] and then added the third one. This was at the end of January of 2022.

 

[JustinB]

Good info on the French COVID Passport https://fr.usembassy.gov/how-to-get-a-french-health-pass/

 

[CWBuff]

OK, so... to piggy-back on this
lets say all is well with obtaining French credentials. How does one go about Spanish one (and yes I do know about the SpHT site; let me explain)?
IIRC when we went to Barcelona last year I had to complete my registration on the said site within 48 hours of arrival to Spain (easy-peasy as I indicated that we flew EWR --> BCN and completed the form Thursday morning for the flight on Friday)
My current case is that (please see details in my Well.... all the ducks are lined up post) I am flying int CdG Thursday morning and technically do not cross into Spain until Sunday and obviously are doing it on foot from SJPdP
So... (not that I am trying to cut corners or do something illegal) who is going to ask me for Spanish QR Code in Pyrenees? Do I need it? How does one go about it given the fact that I'd be hiking from France?
Do I therefore have to still get on the site thus from while in Paris (or even when arrived to SJPdP) perhaps on Friday?
Many thanks in advance

 

[Kathor1]

Good info on the French COVID Passport https://fr.usembassy.gov/how-to-get-a-french-health-pass/

Fairly good info but some of it is outdated. They still write:

For travelers who are unable to convert their health pass, a temporary (72 hours) health pass can be obtained with a negative COVID test performed in France. Rapid antigen tests are available on a walk-in basis at many local pharmacies, with results in under 30 minutes. These results include a QR code that serves as the temporary pass. Once the pass expires, a new test can be taken to obtain a new 72-hour pass.​

This is no longer the case. You now need to present a vaccination pass (pass vaccinal), preferably converted to the French version, for travel on long-distance trains for example. The temporary 72-hours health pass (pass sanitaire) is no longer accepted.

 

[Kathor1]

So... (not that I am trying to cut corners or do something illegal) who is going to ask me for Spanish QR Code in Pyrenees? Do I need it? How does one go about it given the fact that I'd be hiking from France?

You can forget about all this. The French QR code for vaccination that you obtained after conversion of your vaccination data at a French pharmacy is good anywhere in the EU.

Currently, the pilgrim albergue in Roncesvalles in Spain will be pleased to see it. Obligatorio el pasaporte Covid, it says on their website. For now.

 

[J Willhaus]

OK, so... to piggy-back on this
lets say all is well with obtaining French credentials. How does one go about Spanish one (and yes I do know about the SpHT site; let me explain)?
IIRC when we went to Barcelona last year I had to complete my registration on the said site within 48 hours of arrival to Spain (easy-peasy as I indicated that we flew EWR --> BCN and completed the form Thursday morning for the flight on Friday)
My current case is that (please see details in my Well.... all the ducks are lined up post) I am flying int CdG Thursday morning and technically do not cross into Spain until Sunday and obviously are doing it on foot from SJPdP
So... (not that I am trying to cut corners or do something illegal) who is going to ask me for Spanish QR Code in Pyrenees? Do I need it? How does one go about it given the fact that I'd be hiking from France?
Do I therefore have to still get on the site thus from while in Paris (or even when arrived to SJPdP) perhaps on Friday?
Many thanks in advance

@CWBuff you will not pass through a "customs" walking into Spain. As long as you have some kind of documentation such as your CDC vaccine card most places will accept that. Some places will not ask you for it at all while others may. There is no universal Spanish app that you must have and each region will have different requirements based on numbers of cases in the area when you are walking through.

 

[Kathor1]

As long as you have some kind of documentation such as your CDC vaccine card most places will accept that.

It is certainly true, I don't doubt it. However, why use the CDC vaccine card when @CWBuff has its data converted to the French pass vaccinal?

The French pass vaccinal IS the EU Digital Covid Certificate, and where people use a verification app (and I think that they may do so by now even in Spanish regions), it just makes everything more convenient for everybody. PS: I see that some Spanish regions use the Covid Check app for verification. They started using it in December 2021. Catalonia uses VerificaCovid.

OTOH, by the time that @CWBuff arrives, it may no longer by a requirement, especially not in Spain.

Copied from the Roncesvalles albergue website:

 

[Linda Fantillo]

@CWBuff you will not pass through a "customs" walking into Spain. As long as you have some kind of documentation such as your CDC vaccine card most places will accept that. Some places will not ask you for it at all while others may. There is no universal Spanish app that you must have and each region will have different requirements based on numbers of cases in the area when you are walking through.

Am wondering what happens at the top of the Somport Pass, walking from France into Spain as you descend?? Am I to understand there is a Guardia there?

 

[J Willhaus]

Agree, this is acceptable. My phone is not always available or charged. I keep my CDC card in my passport which they will also ask to see when you check in if you are from the US.

 

[Kathor1]

Am wondering what happens at the top of the Somport Pass, walking from France into Spain as you descend?? Am I to understand there is a Guardia there?

There is no control at the land border between France and Spain. Despite the lack of control posts, you still have to comply with the law and carry a vaccination pass or proof of test if the law says so.

 

[Kathor1]

Agree, this is acceptable. My phone is not always available or charged. I keep my CDC card in my passport which they will also ask to see when you check in if you are from the US.

You can print out your French/EU QR vaccination code - as often as you want, btw - no worries that it gets dirty or that you lose it; no need to laminate it or carry it in a protective plastic sleeve; just print it again. I normally present it on my mobile phone but I carry a printout in my purse.

The excellent video description of the conversion process by forum member @WanderlustingLawyer who recently had her CDC card data converted to a French pass vaccinal indicates that you get a printed version, with QR code on paper, from the pharmacy in any case. You then scan it into the app and have both versions, printed and digital.

 

[CWBuff]

So... got my paper vaccination record card
1st shot - 03/15/21
2nd - 04/12/21 (both Pfizer)

did not get a booster

will it suffice or do i NEED a 'more current' stab (i.e. hence I have to go and get the booster)?

 

[VNwalking]

@Kathar1na will correct this if I am wrong but the information I can find says this:

Since February 1st, 2022, in order to continue to be considered as fully vaccinated, persons aged eighteen or over wishing to enter the national territory must have received a dose of complementary messenger RNA vaccine no later than 9 months following the injection of the last required dose.

So, yes. And note that it says the booster needs to be an mRNA vaccine. So Pfizer or Moderna are the ones to get.

 

[Eve Alexandra]

If I'm following this correctly, once I have visited the pharmacy in CDG , that certificate will suffice for both Spain and France? I'm trying to decide whether it makes more sense to fly into Madrid or CDG, in terms of the covid certificates. If I fly into Madrid and take trains/busses to SJPP, are there pharmacies in SJPP that will do the French conversion?

 

[Kathor1]

once I have visited the pharmacy in CDG , that certificate will suffice for both Spain and France?

Correct. And for Portugal, Italy, Switzerland ....

are there pharmacies in SJPP that will do the French conversion?

This pharmacy in SJPP has confirmed by email to several forum members that they do the conversion:

PHARMACIE NAFARROA FARMAZIA

Stéphanie FOURNIER et son équipe vous accueillent sur le site Internet de votre pharmacie pour vous dispenser le meilleur conseil au service de votre santé.

pharmacienafarroa.pharminfo.fr

 

[Eve Alexandra]

Correct. And for Portugal, Italy, Switzerland ....


This pharmacy in SJPP has confirmed by email to several forum members that they do the conversion:

PHARMACIE NAFARROA FARMAZIA

Stéphanie FOURNIER et son équipe vous accueillent sur le site Internet de votre pharmacie pour vous dispenser le meilleur conseil au service de votre santé.

pharmacienafarroa.pharminfo.fr

Excellent. Thank you!

 

[WanderlustingLawyer]

Am wondering what happens at the top of the Somport Pass, walking from France into Spain as you descend?? Am I to understand there is a Guardia there?

There wasn’t last summer! You just literally walk up a hill and then are in Somport.

 

[WanderlustingLawyer]

All going well, will arrive at CDG on May 16th from Canada and then have a flight three and a half hours later to Pau. My question is, do I need to go through all the Tous Sanitaire stuff online or can I just arrive, go through customs, get my luggage and go to the pharmacy at CDG? I have had my shots and a booster and will have a negative PCR test with the results on the day I leave - May 15th. If anyone has had experience getting the Vaccine (Health) pass at the airport, was wondering what kind of wait time I could expect (know this can be variable of course).

I made a short video about this whole process, which is current as of Dec 2021 (it’s just now the vaccine pass instead of the health pass). And yes try to have them scan the pass before you leave to make sure it’s valid.
Step by Step: a Vaccinated American’s Experience Obtaining the French Health Pass (Passe Sanitaire)

 

[Eve Alexandra]

Hey @WanderlustingLawyer nice to see you here. I’m the one on YouTube who asked you to make that video recently!

 

[WanderlustingLawyer]

Hey @WanderlustingLawyer nice to see you here. I’m the one on YouTube who asked you to make that video recently!

Oh yeah!! Hi!’

 

[Jim]

I will also need this pass, as am flying into Paris on April 16th. Once I have this pass in hand, will it be accepted in Italy, Portugal and Spain, or will I need separate passes for those countries?
Almost wished I never booked this trip for all the hassle it's going to be, but have too much in time and $ planning it out to back out without a firmer reason.

 

[Molly Cassidy]

I will also need this pass, as am flying into Paris on April 16th. Once I have this pass in hand, will it be accepted in Italy, Portugal and Spain, or will I need separate passes for those countries?
Almost wished I never booked this trip for all the hassle it's going to be, but have too much in time and $ planning it out to back out without a firmer reason.

Yes, you only need to do it once. It's valid all over Europe.

 

[Jim]

Yes, you only need to do it once. It's valid all over Europe.

Thank-you!

 

[ShaunH]

You MUST apply for the certificate in person at a French pharmacy as there is no longer an online option. Travelers on the Tripadvisor site have reported success at obtaining them at a CDG pharmacy (there are three of them there).

Do you know how long it takes to get a European Vaccine Passport at the Pharmacy inside the Charles De Gaulle Airport? From Canada, I arrive in Paris on March 29th at 9:45am and then need to catch the TGV Train departing for Hundaye at 12:38pm. By landing at 9:45am, do I have enough time to get to the pharmacy inside the CDG Airport, get my European Vaccine Passport processed, and then catch my TGV Train departure at 12:38pm?

 

[Vacajoe]

Minutes if there is no line. Plus they will email you the link, so you don’t need to wait around for the process. 3 hours? Should be enough time for the process AND a nice bottle of rosé….

 

[ShaunH]

You can download the Tous Anti Covid app now and add it then or later. As of now, any pharmacy at CDG can do it--they just gave me the paper pass, though, and I added the information myself to the app which is much more convenient. I already had two vaccines in there [one vaccine had expired] and then added the third one. This was at the end of January of 2022.

I just want to confirm with you what you said above, specifically .... So ANY and ALL Pharmacies at CDG are able to do the Vaccine Pass? I just want to verify this since I land at Terminal 2A 9:45am on March 29, 2002 from Canada ... And, I will definitely want to find the closest pharmacy to where my plane actually lands at CdG ... It's important for me to know that all pharmacies at CdG can do the Vaccine Pass since I also need to catch the TGV Train from CdG for Hendaye at 12:38pm. Thanks for any help or confirmation you can offer! SH

 

[taga_cebu]

I hope its ok to ask a question on this thread. My condition is for the other end of France. I will arrive in Madrid then on to San Sebastian on the last flight. I will cross to Hendaye from Irun and take the train from the latter to Bayonne then SJPdP. My question would be : Is there a Pharmacy in Gare Hendaye that can convert my CDC to an EU Vaccine QR Pass? And can i board the train from Irun-Colon (Spain) to Hendaye (France) with just the CDC card? Spain as far as I know accepts any vaccination card from third-countries including the US.

 

[Kathor1]

My condition is for the other end of France. I will arrive in Madrid then on to San Sebastian on the last flight. I will cross to Hendaye from Irun and take the train from the latter to Bayonne then SJPdP.

Not an answer to your question, just a bit of additional info: If you take a TER train from Hendaye to Bayonne, ie not a TGV, and then the train from Bayonne to SJPP which is also a TER train you are not required to have proof of vaccination.

TER stands for Transport Express Regional. Passengers on regional trains are exempt from the obligation to have a pass vaccinal. TGV are high-speed long-distance trains and proof of vaccination is currently obligatory for passengers.

Irun to Hendaye also appears to me as a connection that is exempt.

See also: https://www.sncf-connect.com/aide/situation-sanitaire-coronavirus (in French). Updated on 21 Feb 2022, read from L'essentiel à retenir.

 

[taga_cebu]

Not an answer to your question, just a bit of additional info: If you take a TER train from Hendaye to Bayonne, ie not a TGV, and then the train from Bayonne to SJPP which is also a TER train you are not required to have proof of vaccination.

TER stands for Transport Express Regional. Passengers on regional trains are exempt from the obligation to have a pass vaccinal. TGV are high-speed long-distance trains and proof of vaccination is currently obligatory for passengers.

Irun to Hendaye also appears to me as a connection that is exempt.

See also: https://www.sncf-connect.com/aide/situation-sanitaire-coronavirus (in French). Updated on 21 Feb 2022, read from L'essentiel à retenir.

Thank you so much. That is a big relief. Nevertheless so looking forward when all these hurdles would be in the past, and that is contingent upon a safe end to this pandemic. Merci!

 

[cardifflad52]

OK, so... to piggy-back on this
lets say all is well with obtaining French credentials. How does one go about Spanish one (and yes I do know about the SpHT site; let me explain)?
IIRC when we went to Barcelona last year I had to complete my registration on the said site within 48 hours of arrival to Spain (easy-peasy as I indicated that we flew EWR --> BCN and completed the form Thursday morning for the flight on Friday)
My current case is that (please see details in my Well.... all the ducks are lined up post) I am flying int CdG Thursday morning and technically do not cross into Spain until Sunday and obviously are doing it on foot from SJPdP
So... (not that I am trying to cut corners or do something illegal) who is going to ask me for Spanish QR Code in Pyrenees? Do I need it? How does one go about it given the fact that I'd be hiking from France?
Do I therefore have to still get on the site thus from while in Paris (or even when arrived to SJPdP) perhaps on Friday?
Many thanks in advance

I am flying out of the UK in three weeks time for the Camino at SJPDP ..I already downloaded my covid passport to my boarding pass which is all I needed to enter France then printed a copy off for the train to SJPDP .my understanding when crossing over into Spain at anytime and my covid passport is out of date all I have to do is log into the website and it be valid for 30 days..so my understanding is that the Spanish rules be same as the French saying that we could be stopped anywhere along the route .

 

[Kathor1]

I am flying out of the UK in three weeks time for the Camino at SJPDP ..I already downloaded my covid passport to my boarding pass which is all I needed to enter France then printed a copy off for the train to SJPDP .my understanding when crossing over into Spain at anytime and my covid passport is out of date all I have to do is log into the website and it be valid for 30 days..so my understanding is that the Spanish rules be same as the French saying that we could be stopped anywhere along the route .

Erm ... this may cause some new confusion.

The French aren't saying that you could be stopped anywhere along the route. They are saying your vaccination certificate should, or will, be scanned and checked anytime you board a long-distance train or enter a restaurant in France. That's for now. What will be in three weeks' time, towards the end of March, is anyone's guess.

You have a UK/NHS vaccination certificate/booster certificate. The 30 days validity that you mention is a feature of the UK/NHS system. The French/EU certificates don't have this. In the UK, I'm told, digital vaccination certificates are always valid only for 30 days, then you have to download a new copy that is automatically renewed for another 30 days. However, UK/NHS certificates are compatible with the French/EU system, ie. can be read by a scanner, and there's no need to convert them.

This does not concern anyone who has a French or other EU vaccination certificate, either original or converted in a French pharmacy.

 

[cardifflad52]

Erm ... this may cause some new confusion.

The French aren't saying that you could be stopped anywhere along the route. They are saying your vaccination certificate should, or will, be scanned and checked anytime you board a long-distance train or enter a restaurant in France. That's for now. What will be in three weeks' time, towards the end of March, is anyone's guess.

You have a UK/NHS vaccination certificate/booster certificate. The 30 days validity that you mention is a feature of the UK/NHS system. The French/EU certificates don't have this. In the UK, I'm told, digital vaccination certificates are always valid only for 30 days, then you have to download a new copy that is automatically renewed for another 30 days. However, UK/NHS certificates are compatible with the French/EU system, ie. can be read by a scanner, and there's no need to convert them.

This does not concern anyone who has a French or other EU vaccination certificate, either original or converted in a French pharmacy.

All one can do is just wait and see ..only a two months ago I was looking to do the Del Norte as the French authorities banned British tourism then they said visitors were welcomed providing they had a negative result within 48 hours of arriving but now they only require the vaccination certificate ...
I am sure all be fine if you have the right documentation .
But it would not surprise me if we are stopped and asked to show our certificates at anytime even at some of the places we plan to stay in as an extra precaution....

 

[Kathor1]

All one can do is just wait and see ..only a two months ago I was looking to do the Del Norte as the French authorities banned British tourism then they said visitors were welcomed providing they had a negative result within 48 hours of arriving but now they only require the vaccination certificate ...

Which is why it is best to forget about the rules of two months ago, not worry about the rules in two months, concentrate on the rules of this week and next week if we are about to travel right now and otherwise be secure in the knowledge that we don't have to worry about anything when we had our two shots plus the third one.

Buen Camino!

 

[cardifflad52]

Which is why it is best to forget about the rules of two months ago, not worry about the rules in two months, concentrate on the rules of this week and next week if we are about to travel right now and otherwise be secure in the knowledge that we don't have to worry about anything when we had our two shots plus the third one.

Buen Camino!

Very much so , anyway no one should allow the rules to get in their way or worry about them but just make sure they have the right documentations with them on the day and enjoy the freedom from their normal day to day routine...oh I wish I could go tomorrow lol

 

[davebugg]

This is a YouTube video, published a month ago, which also provides a clear explanation about how to obtain the health pass as an American arriving in France. I imagine that this information will change as time moves on.

 

[cardifflad52]

All going well, will arrive at CDG on May 16th from Canada and then have a flight three and a half hours later to Pau. My question is, do I need to go through all the Tous Sanitaire stuff online or can I just arrive, go through customs, get my luggage and go to the pharmacy at CDG? I have had my shots and a booster and will have a negative PCR test with the results on the day I leave - May 15th. If anyone has had experience getting the Vaccine (Health) pass at the airport, was wondering what kind of wait time I could expect (know this can be variable of course).

Watch this space ..latest news from French Prime Minister Jean Castex has announced that from 14th March vaccine passports would no longer be needed to access Venues hence won't be long before the covid passports will no longer be needed to enter the country

 

[CWBuff]

that would be very nice..... now... God Willing we may even move to where we don't need the Digital EU Passport and (probably even more important) the 24-hr negative test to come back home (makes it very hard to scramble for one on Sunday if one plans to fly back to US on Monday...)

 

[Vacajoe]

US travel agencies are pressuring the US govt to drop the return Cocid test - hopefully it changes, even if only for vaccinated folks. As other countries drop their requirements and wind down their testing capacity, it will get more difficult to secure that test abroad

 

[CWBuff]

If all works out - I got until July for any laws\requirements to change in regards to not having to take a return test. Certainly enough time for being hopefully optimistic (or is it optimistically hopeful? )

 

[trecile]

that would be very nice..... now... God Willing we may even move to where we don't need the Digital EU Passport and (probably even more important) the 24-hr negative test to come back home (makes it very hard to scramble for one on Sunday if one plans to fly back to US on Monday...)

Have you thought about bringing the tests with you?
You need to order the version of antigen test kits that include a telehealth component like these

eMed | Travel

Test for COVID at home and receive travel-valid results in 15 minutes. eMed lab reports are CDC-accepted and valid for international travel. | eMed

www.emed.com

@Susan Peacock talked about using one in this post

Yes, I too used the Abbott Binax test from Emed when returning from Spain. It was very easy. Just don't break the seal or open any part of the test until directed to do so. They will walk you through the entire test. You phone camera must stay on the test kit for 15 minutes and a timer will be seen on your screen. At the end of the 15 minutes you indicate that you are ready to have the test read. They will then send you the test results by email as well as the app.
Also, note that the original kits expired in 6 months, but the FDA extended these dates another 6 months. It is possible to have a kit that looks like it has expired but it has not. A list of these can be found online. The kit I took in October had an expiration date before my November return date, but I was fine.

 

[CWBuff]

@trecile
I checked some pharmacies in Madrid (as that is were I will be flying home from). There are number of pharmacies that are indeed open on Sunday, so I guess it is 'doable'...but I will take a look at the test you mention (just something else to 'worry' about while hiking....)

 

[JabbaPapa]

You MUST apply for the certificate in person at a French pharmacy as there is no longer an online option. Travelers on the Tripadvisor site have reported success at obtaining them at a CDG pharmacy (there are three of them there).

There is a degree of misunderstanding here, that is persistent and widespread -- and so not your fault nor anyone else's, it's just a wrong impression for understandable reasons.

The vaccination pass is fundamentally the requirement to present vaccination (or recovery) status in order to gain access to certain places or services.

The smartphone app is one way to do so, and perhaps a convenient one ; but equivalent paper documentation also constitutes the pass.

So there's no "must" -- but rather, for those who want the ease of the smartphone version, that is how to gain access to it.

 

[JabbaPapa]

There is no control at the land border between France and Spain.

That depends on how you are travelling, and in which direction.

You can come upon controls if you are crossing on a long-distance train, and if crossing into France, you can get put off before the border if your covid pass is not up to date. Also, you can come to border crossings, even on foot, where officers, in plain sight or undercover, can check you out to try and determine if you're not carrying illegal drugs, or seeking to purchase them, or are attempting illegal immigration. I have come across most of these scenarios on my current Camino, and have heard first-hand testimony about people being put off trains.

Contrariwise, crossing the border on foot from Cerbère to Portbou last year, all I came across was a totally deserted old be-graffiti'd border post, and a couple of gentlemen clearing leaves from a driveway. ¡Holà! ¡Bom dia!

What remains true though is that if you're crossing on foot as a Pilgrim of the Way of Saint James from SJPP to Roncesvalles, nobody will bother you, except maybe to wish a Buen Camino, unless you are very, very, very unlucky.

 

[ShaunH]

Watch this space ..latest news from French Prime Minister Jean Castex has announced that from 14th March vaccine passports would no longer be needed to access Venues hence won't be long before the covid passports will no longer be needed to enter the country

Any update on whether vaccine passports are still required to access public venues or TGV Trains in France?

 

[JabbaPapa]

Any update on whether vaccine passports are still required to access public venues or TGV Trains in France?

They are not.

 

[ShaunH]

They are not.

Thanks for that... Do you have a website or official source where this information is posted? Thanks!

 

[JabbaPapa]

Thanks for that... Do you have a website or official source where this information is posted? Thanks!

See this thread :

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/french-vaccination-pass-ending-on-march-14th-2022.73390/

 

[cardifflad52]

From my prospective I understand that I only need a copy of my covid passport to board my flight from UK to France which I have already printed off and put it with my main passport so I just hand over both when I check in .. going with Ryanair they sent me an email advising me to upgrade to fast track priority boarding to avoid the security checks ..mmmm I thought at 4:30am I cannot see that many ppl going through passport control ..think they only after more money ..