Paris 2024 Olympic Games: perimeters, exceptions, date… Everything you need to know about the QR code to bypass it

They were waiting for him. The famous QR code, which will be required under certain conditions to travel within clearly defined zones during the Olympic Games, will be provided and distributed from Monday, Laurent Nunez reported on the Franceinfo website on Friday. This Olympic QR code will be available on the platform presented “throughout the day” this Friday, but registration will only be possible from Monday.

When asked about the similarity of this device to the traffic restrictions imposed during the Covid-19 epidemic, the police prefect replied that this Olympic QR code would in no way resemble a quarantine pass. What exactly to expect? Le Parisien sums it up.

What is a QR code used for?

This QR code will allow you to travel by motorized vehicle in areas classified as “red”. and generally move around – all mobility taken together – within the ILA perimeter, for “internal security and the fight against terrorism.”

Initially, precious sesame will be required between July 18 and July 26 (inclusive) to access these highly secure perimeters, mainly distributed around the Seine, the site of the opening ceremony, which will take place on Friday, July 26. It will be in demand again between July 26 and August 11 for the Olympic Games and August 28 to September 8 for the Paralympic Games.

What areas are we talking about?

For the entire period of the Games and even in the week leading up to the opening ceremony, four security perimeters are set up around the Olympic and Paralympic venues. A QR code will be required to access two of them, the most secure:

• The “red” perimeter prohibits motorized road traffic unless an exception can be justified;
• The “black” perimeter (or ILT, for “Internal Security and Counter-Terrorism”) prohibits all types of movement without presenting a pass.

To gain access to the Olympic venues, only accreditation is required (for athletes, organizers and journalists) or a competition pass.

These perimeters change depending on the dates. One week prior to the opening ceremony, a QR code must be provided to law enforcement to access the SILT perimeter regardless of mobility. A QR code will also be required to enter the “red” perimeter with a motorized vehicle, Laurent Nunez recalled this Friday.

On opening day, restrictions will tighten: the QR code will need to circulate within the “gray” and “red” perimeters, as well as within the perimeter extending across most of the north-west of the capital. Purpose: “to ensure the safety of the heads of state present that day on the Esplanade Trocadéro.” This perimeter will apply throughout D-Day and until “a few hours after the ceremony,” the prefect indicated in our columns.

During the competition, the same “red” perimeter deployed around each event site will again require the presentation of a QR code for motorized transport. The “grey” perimeter, denser around stadiums, will require a QR code for all audiences, all mobility combined, unless they present an event ticket or accreditation.

Who will need a QR code?

Residents of the affected areas, tourists staying in hotels or renting apartments in these areas, couriers, doctors, traders in these areas, etc. All people who want to be able to travel within the controlled areas must register on the platform. A comprehensive list of people authorized to request this QR code (about forty categories in total) can be found on the Police Headquarters website.

To complete registration, the applicant must provide documents justifying the need to enter this territory. This could be a lease agreement for your apartment if you live in the area, a lease agreement if you rented there, or even confirmation from your employer if you work there.

The digital platform for professionals is already online. Called Joptimiz, it offers several tools for Olympic and Paralympic supply planning, including QR code generator CirQliz.

How long is a QR code valid?

Its service life varies depending on requests. Residents, for example, will only need one request for the entire period of the Games.

How long will it take to receive your QR code?

During Olympic and Paralympic competitions, requests for a QR code to enter the “red” perimeter in a motorized vehicle should be satisfied “almost instantly”, the prefect said. However, for requests made between July 18 and July 26, QR codes will only be issued following an administrative investigation conducted against each applicant in the name of “national security” in the context of a significant terrorist threat. Therefore, it may take “a little more time.”

What to do if you don’t have a smartphone?

The police chief has not yet provided details on this matter. However, it is possible that the answer provided is similar to the answer from Paris 2024 regarding access to Olympic venues without a smartphone, while all tickets will be digital: considering the problem to be “marginal”, the organizers of the Games indicated that they would make very rare exceptions on a case-by-case basis, not saying more for now.