The United States’ new international travel policies are set to launch on Nov. 8, nearly 20 months after the U.S. began enforcing travel restrictions to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The new policies apply to both land and air travel.
The Friday announcement from the White House comes as a relief to many would-be travelers who have been waiting for a firm date since plans to implement a new international air travel system were announced on Sept. 20.
Here’s what we know so far about the new travel requirements:
Who can travel?
Starting Nov. 8, the new system will allow entry for foreign nationals only with vaccinations approved by the World Health Organization. Travelers will also need to show a negative COVID-19 test taken within three days of travel before they can board a plane to the U.S.
Travelers from countries that are listed on the U.S. travel ban, which prohibits entry for travelers who have been in any of the regions within the past 14 days, will be able to enter the U.S. The travel bans took effect in early 2020 and included China, Iran, the European Schengen area, the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, Brazil, South Africa and India.
Travelers arriving from other countries will be subjected to stricter entry requirements beginning Nov. 8.
Which vaccines are accepted?
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed that vaccines approved for emergency use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and WHO will be accepted for entry into the United States.
Vaccines with approval include Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech, Oxford-AstraZeneca/Covishield, Sinopharm and Sinovac.
The CDC said Friday that travelers who have received any combination of FDA or WHO-approved vaccines will be considered fully vaccinated.
What about the unvaccinated and children?
Unvaccinated Americans can still reenter the U.S. but will face more stringent testing requirements for air travel, including taking a COVID-19 test within one day of their flight’s departure for the U.S. and an additional test when they return.
Unvaccinated people traveling from countries not affected by travel bans who are currently permitted to fly into the U.S., such as Mexico and Canada, will be denied entry as of November 8.
While little has been said about children in the new international travel system, Jen Psaki, White House press secretary, suggested on Sept. 20 that the stricter air travel rules that apply to unvaccinated Americans “at this point, would obviously apply to children as well.”
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