Sep 15, 2021, 1:47 pm
Last edit by: NewbieRunner
New thread for discussing 1-day test requirements for travellers arriving in the US by air
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/coronavirus-travel/2060730-us-require-air-travelers-provide-negative-test-within-1-day-departure.html
Entry ban from eight southern African countries starting on November 29, 2021
Most non-U.S. citizens who have been in South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique or Malaw within the prior 14 days will not be allowed into the United States.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/11/26/a-proclamation-on-suspension-of-entry-as-immigrants-and-nonimmigrants-of-certain-additional-persons-who-pose-a-risk-of-transmitting-coronavirus-disease-2019/
Entry ban by air to be lifted on November 8, 2021 - All travelers should refer to CDC for travel requirements.
3 day pre-flight testing requirement will continue (US citizens/LPR not vaccinated will have to test no earlier than 1 day prior) Children under 2 years old do not need to test.
Children under 18 are exempt from vaccination requirement
Accepted vaccines will include:
There is a face mask mandate when flying to/from the USA, with effectively no exemptions, and including children two and above years old
Airlines need to provide some sort of contact tracing information for potential follow-up cases
Update on U.S. travel policy requiring COVID-19 vaccination
Last Updated: October 25, 2021
As announced by the White House today, the new travel policy requiring foreign nationals traveling to the United States to demonstrate proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 will take effect November 8. The CDC’s website explains that, for purposes of entry into the United States, the accepted vaccines will include FDA approved or authorized and WHO Emergency Use Listing vaccines.
COVID-19 Travel Restrictions and Exceptions - U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs
Last updated: October 25, 2021
The presidential proclamations described on this page will no longer be in effect on November 8, 2021. For additional information, please see Safely Resuming Travel by Vaccine Requirement and Rescission of Travel Restrictions on Brazil, China, India, Iran, Ireland, the Schengen Area, South Africa, and the United Kingdom (travel.state.gov).
To protect the public health, there are four presidential proclamations that suspend entry into the United States of all noncitizens who were physically present in any of 33 countries during the 14-day period preceding their entry or attempted entry into the United States. They are Presidential Proclamation 9984 (China); Presidential Proclamation 9992 (Iran); Presidential Proclamation 10143 (Schengen Area, United Kingdom, Ireland, Brazil, and South Africa); and Presidential Proclamation 10199 (India).
What we know so far is
- Confirmed to start on 8 November
- Children under 18 are exempt from the vaccine restrictions, so the varying international standards on jab ages won't be an issue here.
- Vaccines that are OK will include Pfizer, Moderna, AZ, J&J and the two Chinese vaccines.
- Some exemptions from vaccinations are potentially allowed, notably for US citizens, though my guess is airlines will be expecting to see vaccine certificates
- 3 day pre-flight testing requirement will continue, so this needs to be a documented antigen/Lateral Flow test or PCR.
- 3 days is potentially more than 72 hours, departure on a Friday afternoon means a test on Tuesday morning or thereafter.
- NHS Lateral Flows and PCRs can't be used.
- Children over 2 years old travelling with vaccinated travellers have to be tested on the same basis (3 days).
- 1 day testing for unvaccinated USA legal residents (testing on or the day before departure), including their children.
- All passengers need to sign an attestment to confirm their negative test result and also a statement to confirm full vaccination status.
- Children who are not vaccinated do not need to get vaccinated but do need to get a "viral test" 3 to 5 days after arrival in the USA
- As a result there is a separate attestion question for unvaccinated children to confirm that the viral test is arranged.
- Vaccination certificates must come from an official source. The NHS COVID Pass app and EU DCC are specifically mentioned as acceptable.
- Vaccination is counted as two weeks from dose2, or 2 weeks after the sole dose in the case of J&J.
- Antibody certification is not a replacement for the need for vaccination, at least for non USA residents.
- 14 clear days need to elapse before travel. So if jabbed on 1 October then 15 October is when you are good to go.
- Booster vaccinations are not a factor here, they don't count towards or against the primary dose process.
- There is a face mask mandate when flying to/from the USA, with effectively no exemptions, and including children two and above years old.
- Airlines need to provide some sort of contact tracing information for potential follow-up cases.
- These restrictions do not apply at the land border.
Note that a lot of interpretation onus falls on airlines. For example there is no language requirement for vaccine certificates as far as the CDC is concerned, however you can imagine Air France may be hesitant in accepting a vaccine certificate issued in the Welsh language, to take one example.
CDC link
https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2...el-System.html
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/coronavirus-travel/2060730-us-require-air-travelers-provide-negative-test-within-1-day-departure.html
Entry ban from eight southern African countries starting on November 29, 2021
Most non-U.S. citizens who have been in South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique or Malaw within the prior 14 days will not be allowed into the United States.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/11/26/a-proclamation-on-suspension-of-entry-as-immigrants-and-nonimmigrants-of-certain-additional-persons-who-pose-a-risk-of-transmitting-coronavirus-disease-2019/
Entry ban by air to be lifted on November 8, 2021 - All travelers should refer to CDC for travel requirements.
3 day pre-flight testing requirement will continue (US citizens/LPR not vaccinated will have to test no earlier than 1 day prior) Children under 2 years old do not need to test.
Children under 18 are exempt from vaccination requirement
Accepted vaccines will include:
- AstraZeneca
- BIBP/Sinopharm
- Covishield
- Janssen/J&J
- Moderna
- Pfizer-BioNTech
- Sinovac
There is a face mask mandate when flying to/from the USA, with effectively no exemptions, and including children two and above years old
Airlines need to provide some sort of contact tracing information for potential follow-up cases
Update on U.S. travel policy requiring COVID-19 vaccination
Last Updated: October 25, 2021
As announced by the White House today, the new travel policy requiring foreign nationals traveling to the United States to demonstrate proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 will take effect November 8. The CDC’s website explains that, for purposes of entry into the United States, the accepted vaccines will include FDA approved or authorized and WHO Emergency Use Listing vaccines.
COVID-19 Travel Restrictions and Exceptions - U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs
Last updated: October 25, 2021
The presidential proclamations described on this page will no longer be in effect on November 8, 2021. For additional information, please see Safely Resuming Travel by Vaccine Requirement and Rescission of Travel Restrictions on Brazil, China, India, Iran, Ireland, the Schengen Area, South Africa, and the United Kingdom (travel.state.gov).
To protect the public health, there are four presidential proclamations that suspend entry into the United States of all noncitizens who were physically present in any of 33 countries during the 14-day period preceding their entry or attempted entry into the United States. They are Presidential Proclamation 9984 (China); Presidential Proclamation 9992 (Iran); Presidential Proclamation 10143 (Schengen Area, United Kingdom, Ireland, Brazil, and South Africa); and Presidential Proclamation 10199 (India).
What we know so far is
- Confirmed to start on 8 November
- Children under 18 are exempt from the vaccine restrictions, so the varying international standards on jab ages won't be an issue here.
- Vaccines that are OK will include Pfizer, Moderna, AZ, J&J and the two Chinese vaccines.
- Some exemptions from vaccinations are potentially allowed, notably for US citizens, though my guess is airlines will be expecting to see vaccine certificates
- 3 day pre-flight testing requirement will continue, so this needs to be a documented antigen/Lateral Flow test or PCR.
- 3 days is potentially more than 72 hours, departure on a Friday afternoon means a test on Tuesday morning or thereafter.
- NHS Lateral Flows and PCRs can't be used.
- Children over 2 years old travelling with vaccinated travellers have to be tested on the same basis (3 days).
- 1 day testing for unvaccinated USA legal residents (testing on or the day before departure), including their children.
- All passengers need to sign an attestment to confirm their negative test result and also a statement to confirm full vaccination status.
- Children who are not vaccinated do not need to get vaccinated but do need to get a "viral test" 3 to 5 days after arrival in the USA
- As a result there is a separate attestion question for unvaccinated children to confirm that the viral test is arranged.
- Vaccination certificates must come from an official source. The NHS COVID Pass app and EU DCC are specifically mentioned as acceptable.
- Vaccination is counted as two weeks from dose2, or 2 weeks after the sole dose in the case of J&J.
- Antibody certification is not a replacement for the need for vaccination, at least for non USA residents.
- 14 clear days need to elapse before travel. So if jabbed on 1 October then 15 October is when you are good to go.
- Booster vaccinations are not a factor here, they don't count towards or against the primary dose process.
- There is a face mask mandate when flying to/from the USA, with effectively no exemptions, and including children two and above years old.
- Airlines need to provide some sort of contact tracing information for potential follow-up cases.
- These restrictions do not apply at the land border.
Note that a lot of interpretation onus falls on airlines. For example there is no language requirement for vaccine certificates as far as the CDC is concerned, however you can imagine Air France may be hesitant in accepting a vaccine certificate issued in the Welsh language, to take one example.
CDC link
https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2...el-System.html
US reopened on 8 November 2021 (& subsequent entry restrictions for non-citizens)
Aug 5, 2021, 9:03 am
#2041
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: ORF
Posts: 1,740
FWIW I am implacably opposed to the current US policy, I think it's way off base. But it's not a sign the US doesn't care about people or something driven by "bureaucrats". The biggest driver is that it is being driven by public health experts who are always going to be over the top cautious, and not getting enough pushback from politicians and actual bureaucrats.
Aug 5, 2021, 9:08 am
#2042
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 3,839
It's gotten quite dramatic in this thread. I would like to remind people none of this is personal. Every country has reviewed whatever facts and data they have on hand and made what they feel are appropriate decisions. Anyone is free to disagree with the conclusions but all the motives being ascribed are fairly ridiculous.
Aug 5, 2021, 9:13 am
#2043
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Canada, USA, Europe
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 31,452
Oh, I'm not taking this personally and I'm sorry if you think I'm being dramatic. But some countries clearly want foreign travellers much more than others do. Isn't it reasonable for me to notice that and to factor it into my travel plans?
I remember the first time I visited Calgary airport with my (then) young children in tow. We were met by a cheerful airport volunteer who welcomed us into the country, noticed how tired the children were, and offered them a ride in their electric buggy. The huge sense of welcome that we received coloured my impression of our entire holiday - and I've since returned to Canada more times than I can count. Why should I not feel the same about Spain, for example? My recent trip to Menorca was a fantastic example of a governemnt, airport, country and island doing everything it could to make things easier for travllers at a difficult time. In my heart, I'm drawn back by the welcome I received.
So the USA can do what it likes. I will go to New York if I am allowed; if not, I will take my wallet to a place that is eager for me to empty it.
I remember the first time I visited Calgary airport with my (then) young children in tow. We were met by a cheerful airport volunteer who welcomed us into the country, noticed how tired the children were, and offered them a ride in their electric buggy. The huge sense of welcome that we received coloured my impression of our entire holiday - and I've since returned to Canada more times than I can count. Why should I not feel the same about Spain, for example? My recent trip to Menorca was a fantastic example of a governemnt, airport, country and island doing everything it could to make things easier for travllers at a difficult time. In my heart, I'm drawn back by the welcome I received.
So the USA can do what it likes. I will go to New York if I am allowed; if not, I will take my wallet to a place that is eager for me to empty it.
Aug 5, 2021, 9:33 am
#2044
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 1,710
I also don't get all the drama in this thread. I am an American and I think our policy is stupid but I have had to cancel multiple trips to Asia over the last 18 months (most recently Japan later this month) because I couldn't enter the country but they could enter our country. Seems "unfair" to me but I didn't take it personally and I didn't get mad, life goes on. I will say all my trips so far for the remainder of 2021 and all of 2022 are to countries that have generally been more open to being open. This isn't an emotional decision but a business one as at this point I'll focus trips that are more likely to happen. Same will apply to 2023 because sadly I think there will be knock on effects even into that year. I am scheduled to go to Greece in September if they tell me to pound sand oh well. First world problems and all that.
Last edited by 36902BRF; Aug 5, 2021 at 11:22 am
Aug 5, 2021, 9:59 am
#2045
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Northern Ireland
Posts: 722
I also don't get all the drama in this thread. I am an American and I think our policy is stupid but I have had to cancel multiple trips to Asia over the last 18 months (most recently Japan later this month) because I couldn't enter the country but they could enter our country. Seems "unfair" to me but I didn't take it personally and I didn't get mad life, goes on. I will say all my trips so far for the remainder of 2021 and all of 2022 are to countries that have generally been more open to being open. This isn't an emotional decision but a business one as at this point I'll focus trips that are more likely to happen. Same will apply to 2023 because sadly I think there will be knock on effects even into that year. I am scheduled to go to Greece in September if they tell me to pound sand oh well. First world problems and all that.
Aug 5, 2021, 10:36 am
#2047
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: DTW
Programs: Marriott Platinum, SPG Platinum, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 394
Yeh so much bitterness in this thread. There are plenty of countries that I had plans to visit (Japan, China, and Australia) but will not allow me. I’m not somehow taking in personal but instead waiting until they open.
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/exc...al-2021-08-04/
Looks like the US has a plan to open to every country if they are vaccinated
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/exc...al-2021-08-04/
Looks like the US has a plan to open to every country if they are vaccinated
Aug 5, 2021, 10:51 am
#2048
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Chicago
Programs: AA Platinum, Hilton Gold, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 228
I think one's view/level of emotion is probably tied to the reasons for cancelling trips over the past 12–18 months. If I (British, on a nonimmigrant visa in the US) still lived in the UK and I was basically just being prevented from going on vacation but still had family and friends in the same country as me, that would be an annoyance but not serious and I probably wouldn't even be that bothered whether certain countries opened up to tourists or not—I'd likely find somewhere nice in Europe that was available and looked likely to not hit the red list any time soon and book at short notice if I fancied a break. But I've been prevented from seeing family and friends over the past 18 months or so. I'm lucky, in a sense, as I'm marrying an American next month so the restrictions will cease to apply to me, but I'd still like friends and family to be able to visit here, and most of them cannot, so it's not quite as simple as just looking at the situation coldly and saying "The US has a right to deny entry to people, let's just book trips elsewhere."
Aug 5, 2021, 11:07 am
#2049
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Chicago
Programs: AA Platinum, Hilton Gold, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 228
Aug 5, 2021, 11:18 am
#2050
Suspended
Join Date: Feb 2009
Programs: DL, UA, AA, VS
Posts: 5,226
How is the US going to validate foreign vaccine passports?
is it going to have passport control look at QR code’s from the EU digital pass or scan them for example?
Most of the foreigners arriving to the US would be from Canada, Mexico, and Latin America?
Guessing arrivals by air from South America and Caribbean would be greater than TATL?
Is DHS equipped to vet all these different types of documents?
Not to mention a lot of vaccination would be from AZ and Chinese vaccines.
is it going to have passport control look at QR code’s from the EU digital pass or scan them for example?
Most of the foreigners arriving to the US would be from Canada, Mexico, and Latin America?
Guessing arrivals by air from South America and Caribbean would be greater than TATL?
Is DHS equipped to vet all these different types of documents?
Not to mention a lot of vaccination would be from AZ and Chinese vaccines.
Aug 5, 2021, 11:34 am
#2052
Join Date: Oct 2019
Programs: OW Emerald / BAEC Gold
Posts: 472
[QUOTE=exp;33466740]How is the US going to validate foreign vaccine passports?/QUOTE]
It will be up to airlines. Just like in the UK
It will be up to airlines. Just like in the UK
Aug 5, 2021, 11:38 am
#2053
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Canada, USA, Europe
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 31,452
Aug 5, 2021, 12:12 pm
#2054
Join Date: Jan 2006
Programs: BA Gold, VS Silver
Posts: 399
How is the US going to validate foreign vaccine passports?
is it going to have passport control look at QR code’s from the EU digital pass or scan them for example?
Most of the foreigners arriving to the US would be from Canada, Mexico, and Latin America?
Guessing arrivals by air from South America and Caribbean would be greater than TATL?
Is DHS equipped to vet all these different types of documents?
Not to mention a lot of vaccination would be from AZ and Chinese vaccines.
is it going to have passport control look at QR code’s from the EU digital pass or scan them for example?
Most of the foreigners arriving to the US would be from Canada, Mexico, and Latin America?
Guessing arrivals by air from South America and Caribbean would be greater than TATL?
Is DHS equipped to vet all these different types of documents?
Not to mention a lot of vaccination would be from AZ and Chinese vaccines.
Aug 5, 2021, 12:19 pm
#2055
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Northern England
Posts: 1,531
How is the US going to validate foreign vaccine passports?
is it going to have passport control look at QR code’s from the EU digital pass or scan them for example?
Most of the foreigners arriving to the US would be from Canada, Mexico, and Latin America?
Guessing arrivals by air from South America and Caribbean would be greater than TATL?
Is DHS equipped to vet all these different types of documents?
Not to mention a lot of vaccination would be from AZ and Chinese vaccines.
is it going to have passport control look at QR code’s from the EU digital pass or scan them for example?
Most of the foreigners arriving to the US would be from Canada, Mexico, and Latin America?
Guessing arrivals by air from South America and Caribbean would be greater than TATL?
Is DHS equipped to vet all these different types of documents?
Not to mention a lot of vaccination would be from AZ and Chinese vaccines.
perhaps I’m just being too pessimistic, but this “announcement “ fills me with little hope.