On the eve of the Bastille Day parade, the administrative court suspended the requirement to present a personalized QR code to access the public area on the Champs-Élysées. This measure, decided upon by the authorities to strengthen security around the ceremonies, was to be implemented for the first time at the 2026 parade, which was expected to be attended by numerous foreign heads of state and government. The Paris Administrative Court, seized as a matter of urgency by the Vigie Liberté association in summary proceedings, ordered the police prefect to no longer consider the presentation or absence of a personalized QR code as a requirement for granting access to the parade perimeter.
A personalized QR code obtained after online registration
The plan stipulated that spectators wishing to attend the military parade had to register beforehand on a website to obtain a personal QR code issued by the President's office. This document then had to be presented at the checkpoints set up around the Champs-Élysées. The stated objective of the authorities was to better control access to an event considered particularly sensitive from a security standpoint.
A decision motivated by the international context
The Paris police prefecture justified this exceptional procedure by citing a high threat level and the anticipated participation of a larger number of foreign leaders than at previous editions of the national parade. The checks were intended to secure the area around the Champs-Élysées before the arrival of official delegations and the passage of military units.
The court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs.
In its ruling, the administrative court held that this requirement could not be imposed under the conditions stipulated. It therefore ordered the police prefect to immediately cease requiring or even considering the presentation of a personalized QR code to access the area reserved for the public. The association that filed the appeal argued that this procedure constituted a serious and manifestly unlawful infringement on the freedom of movement. It denounced this unprecedented filtering process based on mandatory prior registration to attend a national ceremony open to the public.
The parade will proceed with enhanced security measures.
This court ruling does not affect the organization of the Bastille Day parade, which will proceed as planned. The significant security measures deployed around the Champs-Élysées remain in place, including security perimeters, identity checks, and searches at various access points. However, spectators will no longer be denied entry solely because they do not possess the personalized QR code initially required by the authorities.
