On Monday, September 20, the White House announced that fully vaccinated travelers, regardless of where they are from, will be welcome to travel to the United States from November. At this time, the White House has not provided the official date.
Key Changes
Individuals who wish to travel to the United States will have to:
- Show proof of full vaccination with an approved vaccine following CDC guidance;
- Provide negative COVID-19 test results taken in the previous 3 days;
- Wear a mask while traveling;
- Provide an email address and phone number for contact tracing
Travelers who are fully vaccinated will not have to quarantine upon arrival in the United States.
In the announcement, White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients said that unvaccinated US citizens will have to provide a negative COVID-19 test result taken 1 day before returning to the US and following their arrival.
The announcement from the Biden administration ends 18 months of strict travel restrictions which barred entry to the United States for all individuals without US citizenship, green cards, or those who had been in the UK, Ireland, the Schengen area, China, India, Iran, South Africa or Brazil in the previous 14 days.
“This new system allows us to implement strict protocols to prevent the spread of Covid from passengers flying internationally to the United States. Requiring foreign nationals traveling to the United States be fully vaccinated is based on public health,” said Zients. “This is based on individuals rather than a country-based approach.”
The Biden administration announced earlier this summer that it was evaluating a path forward for more open borders, and was working with its counterparts in Canada and Mexico, the EU, and the UK. The first widespread US COVID-19 travel restrictions were introduced on March 13, 2020.