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)
#2717
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: LON, between FAB and EGTD
Programs: OWS - AA Lifetime Platinum, BA nobody (blue)
Posts: 862
I don't think the testing wording is different after Nov 8th. from what it is now and has been for months. I used Chronomonics for my last trip, which is unsupervised.
I would say -- use verifly. Then you get 3 days leeway if the test is not accepted. And if verifly accepts the test, that's likely to be the last time anyone looks at it.
I would say -- use verifly. Then you get 3 days leeway if the test is not accepted. And if verifly accepts the test, that's likely to be the last time anyone looks at it.
#2718
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 5,041
There's an amend order dated October 30
This Amended Order supersedes the previous Order signed by the CDC Director on October 25,
2021, implementing the President’s direction.
https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/cruis...10-30-21-p.pdf
This Amended Order supersedes the previous Order signed by the CDC Director on October 25,
2021, implementing the President’s direction.
https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/cruis...10-30-21-p.pdf
#2719
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 63,791
What that amendment does is provide the attestation that needs to be signed by passengers. There are two parts, one essentially covering the test status, and the other to attest vaccination status.
The first attestation is (ignoring all the side options):
I attest that I am fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and have received a negative pre-departure test result for COVID-19. This test was a viral test that was conducted on a specimen collected from me no more than 3 days before this flight's departure.
The second document simply requires to you sign
I attest that I am fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Elsewhere in the revision there is clarity on the situation of unvaccinated children under 18 years accompanying vaccinated parents / carers.
- There is no requirement for children to get vaccinated
- They do have the same pre-departure testing and attestation process, the latter signed off by the parents / carers
- They don't have to self isolate(the wording essentially says that is impractical)
- However there is a requirement for the unvaccinated children to do another test 3 to 5 days after arrival. If that proves positive then self isolation is required. This is on page 6 of the link above, but there are no other specific details, so it will be up to parents / carers to arrange a test in the USA that conforms with this.
- As a result there is a different attestation question for them on page 19 where the signature person attests that they have made arrangements to get a viral test 3 to 5 days after arrival, unless there is documentation of a "recovered from COVID" statement from a healthcare professional in the previous 90 days.
- Vaccinated children can travel on the same basis as adults, so don't need the post arrival test.
The first attestation is (ignoring all the side options):
I attest that I am fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and have received a negative pre-departure test result for COVID-19. This test was a viral test that was conducted on a specimen collected from me no more than 3 days before this flight's departure.
The second document simply requires to you sign
I attest that I am fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Elsewhere in the revision there is clarity on the situation of unvaccinated children under 18 years accompanying vaccinated parents / carers.
- There is no requirement for children to get vaccinated
- They do have the same pre-departure testing and attestation process, the latter signed off by the parents / carers
- They don't have to self isolate(the wording essentially says that is impractical)
- However there is a requirement for the unvaccinated children to do another test 3 to 5 days after arrival. If that proves positive then self isolation is required. This is on page 6 of the link above, but there are no other specific details, so it will be up to parents / carers to arrange a test in the USA that conforms with this.
- As a result there is a different attestation question for them on page 19 where the signature person attests that they have made arrangements to get a viral test 3 to 5 days after arrival, unless there is documentation of a "recovered from COVID" statement from a healthcare professional in the previous 90 days.
- Vaccinated children can travel on the same basis as adults, so don't need the post arrival test.
#2720
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: BRS/EXT
Programs: BA
Posts: 78
LHR T5 Expresstest
I'm flying BA to Orlando 30 November, staying the night before at the Sofitel. For convenience, I was planning to use the Expresstest facility at T5 for my antigen test on the 29th but it seems you can't make a booking beyond the 12th. Is it closed down after then? If so, does anyone have any advice as to which alternative at/near LHR is the better one to use? I'll be in a car.
#2721
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Kent, UK
Programs: M&S Elite+
Posts: 3,654
I'm flying BA to Orlando 30 November, staying the night before at the Sofitel. For convenience, I was planning to use the Expresstest facility at T5 for my antigen test on the 29th but it seems you can't make a booking beyond the 12th. Is it closed down after then? If so, does anyone have any advice as to which alternative at/near LHR is the better one to use? I'll be in a car.
#2722
Join Date: Oct 2019
Programs: OW Emerald / BAEC Gold
Posts: 472
Hi guys, I think I know the answer but I just want to be double sure - the one only two requirements for 18+ adult is fully completed vaccination and negative PCR test taken 3 days before departure flight. There are no green/red/amber etc. list of countries that might restrict the availability of travel to the USA from next week right? I am asking because here in CZE the covid+ cases are skyrocketing and I am more and more nervous before my Dec flight to LAX.
#2723
Join Date: May 2016
Location: YUL
Programs: Aeroplan, NEXUS
Posts: 433
Hi guys, I think I know the answer but I just want to be double sure - the one only two requirements for 18+ adult is fully completed vaccination and negative PCR test taken 3 days before departure flight. There are no green/red/amber etc. list of countries that might restrict the availability of travel to the USA from next week right? I am asking because here in CZE the covid+ cases are skyrocketing and I am more and more nervous before my Dec flight to LAX.
#2724
Join Date: Oct 2019
Programs: OW Emerald / BAEC Gold
Posts: 472
Really?? So just the (certified) rapid/antigen test when you have the results withing 15 minutes are just fine for CBP check as well? Ok that is terrific news if there will be no restriction for some specific countries etc.
By any chance you know what are the (covid test) rules for transiting through LHR?
By any chance you know what are the (covid test) rules for transiting through LHR?
#2725
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: NYC
Programs: AA 2MM, Bonvoy LTT, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 14,636
Really?? So just the (certified) rapid/antigen test when you have the results withing 15 minutes are just fine for CBP check as well? Ok that is terrific news if there will be no restriction for some specific countries etc.
By any chance you know what are the (covid test) rules for transiting through LHR?
By any chance you know what are the (covid test) rules for transiting through LHR?
#2726
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: 4éme
Posts: 12,038
At most there MIGHT be a random CDC test check as you deplane from an INTL flight but I've only encountered that once in the past 4 months.
#2727
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 559
Really?? So just the (certified) rapid/antigen test when you have the results withing 15 minutes are just fine for CBP check as well? Ok that is terrific news if there will be no restriction for some specific countries etc.
By any chance you know what are the (covid test) rules for transiting through LHR?
By any chance you know what are the (covid test) rules for transiting through LHR?
#2728
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Kent, UK
Programs: M&S Elite+
Posts: 3,654
Really?? So just the (certified) rapid/antigen test when you have the results withing 15 minutes are just fine for CBP check as well? Ok that is terrific news if there will be no restriction for some specific countries etc.
By any chance you know what are the (covid test) rules for transiting through LHR?
By any chance you know what are the (covid test) rules for transiting through LHR?
#2729
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: where lions are led by donkeys...
Programs: Lifetime Gold, Global Entry, Hertz PC, and my wallet
Posts: 20,340
There are anecdotal reports that so long as the test has your identity and test result confirmed that it is accepted once uploaded or otherwise shown to the airlines. What my concern is that I do not want to get stuck into a "your test result does not say it was observed". I'm not sure if certificates/test results show "observed" or something similar. It would be nice to know.
#2730
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 559
I'm in the same situation - so am just paying the extra £10 for this trip for it to be observed.Better safe than sorry I say.