Effective December 6, 2021, all airline passengers to the United States ages two years and older, regardless of vaccination status or citizenship, must provide a negative COVID-19 viral test taken within one calendar day of travel. Alternatively, travelers to the United States may provide documentation from a licensed health care provider of having recovered from COVID-19 in the 90 days preceding travel. Check the CDC website for additional information and Frequently Asked Questions.
This policy prioritizes public health, protecting U.S. citizens and residents as well as those who come to visit us. Because it puts public health first, exceptions to this policy will be extremely limited: including children under 18 and certain individuals in countries where vaccines are not yet readily accessible.
The updated travel guidelines also include new protocols around testing. To further strengthen protections, unvaccinated travelers – whether U.S. Citizens, lawful permanent residents (LPRs), or the small number of excepted unvaccinated foreign nationals – will now need to test within one day of departure.
For those who are vaccinated, the testing requirement remains three days before their flight. Ensure that you are ready to travel internationally and return by reviewing the information at COVID-19 Traveler Information (state.gov) and at cdc.gov.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
- Proclamation: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/10/25/a-proclamation-on-advancing-the-safe-resumption-of-global-travel-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/
- Vaccine order: https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/order-safe-travel.html
- Amended testing order: https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/fr-proof-negative-test.html
- Contact tracing: https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/order-collect-contact-info.html
- Regs landing page: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cdcresponse/laws-regulations.html
- CDC Press Release: CDC Issues Orders Operationalizing the President’s Safer, More Stringent International Travel System | CDC Online Newsroom | CDC
Updated FAQs
https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/fr-proof-negative-test.html
https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/fr-airline-faqs.html
https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/order-safe-travel.html
https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/order-safe-travel/technical-instructions.html
https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/order-safe-travel/airline-faqs.html
https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/order-collect-contact-info.html
On the CDC COVID site:
Travel | CDC
International Travel | CDC
Non-U.S. citizen, Non-U.S. immigrants: Air Travel to the United States | CDC
Requirement for Proof of Negative COVID-19 Test or Documentation of Recovery from COVID-19 | CDC