How are the United States' rules for international travel changing?

By Tali Arbel -

More than a year and a half after concerns about COVID-19 caused the United States to close its borders to international travelers from countries such as Brazil, China, India, South Africa, the United Kingdom and much of Europe, the restrictions are in place. changing to focus on vaccination status. 

As of Monday, the bans on traveling from certain countries will end.

The United States will allow the entry of international visitors who must be vaccinated and only some exceptions will be considered.

The country is also reopening land borders with Canada and Mexico for fully immunized people.

Most travel from both countries to the US is by land and not by air.

The measures will go into effect on November 8. Grant Faint / Getty Images

Here we answer some questions and answers about the requirements: 

Why are these changes occurring?

The goal is to achieve greater normality in travel while controlling the spread of COVID-19, according to the Government.

The airline tourism industry and European allies have lobbied for an end to country bans.

Americans have been allowed to fly to Europe for months, and Europeans have been pressuring the country to change its policies.

[Airports in the country are getting ready to receive up to three times as many travelers as in December 2020]

In 2019, before the pandemic, about a fifth of the roughly 79 million visitors to the United States came from Europe.

What are the main requirements?

• All adult foreigners traveling to the United States must be fully vaccinated before boarding their flight.

As before, travelers will need to show a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours prior to leaving the US. 

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Should everyone get vaccinated?

• Yes, with a few exceptions.

  Those under 18 will not have this requirement

  , but they must undergo the screening test.

  Children 2 years and younger are exempt from both requirements. 

What about adults who are not vaccinated?

• With half the world still unvaccinated, and vaccine distribution has shifted toward rich countries, the Biden administration is making

  room for people who live in places where vaccines are scarce.

  That list includes about 50 countries in which less than 10%

  of the population

  has been vaccinated

  .

  Travelers from those countries will need a permit from the US Government to travel, and it cannot be just for tourism or business travel.

[The United States reopens its borders for vaccinated foreigners and families meet again]

Long lines at the US-Mexico border within hours of reopening for vaccinated foreigners

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The US government says it will allow unvaccinated international visitors into the country if there is a humanitarian or emergency reason, such as an urgent medical evaluation.

These exceptions will apply "extremely narrowly" and will require approval from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

There could also be a medical exception, with documentation from a professional. 

What will the Americans have to do?

• Americans who are not vaccinated will need to submit a negative COVID-19 test within one day before traveling abroad.

  If they are vaccinated, they have to be tested within three days of their departure, both for Americans and for citizens of other countries.

  This does not apply to flights within the US.

Who is going to enforce the vaccination regulations?

• That depends on the airlines.

  They will have to verify the vaccination records and match them against the identity document

  , and if they do not, they could face fines of up to almost $ 35,000 per violation.

Airlines will also collect information about passengers to keep track of their contacts in the event of an infection.

There will be CDC workers who will verify compliance with the requirements by travelers in the United States.

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What vaccines will be allowed to enter?

• Most, but not all.

  Any COVID-19 vaccine approved for emergency use by the World Health Organization (WHO), including the Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines used in the U.S., as well as most of those used abroad, such as AstraZeneca and China Sinovac.

The Russian Sputnik V vaccine, which is licensed in 70 countries, is currently not allowed.

The WHO is reviewing Sputnik but has not yet approved it.

What happens if you enter by road from Mexico or Canada or if you travel on a ferry?

• Land borders have only been open for "essential" travel.

  Now,

  anyone can enter if they are vaccinated against COVID-19.

  Be prepared to show proof of the vaccine to Customs and Border Protection agents.

  Children are exempt from this requirement.

Marta Marques hugs her grandson, whom she has not seen in nearly two years, near the Gateway to the Americas border crossing in Laredo, Texas, on November 8, 2021. PU YING HUANG / REUTERS

How will this affect travel?

• Although the Administration is calling this a reopening, some people who were technically allowed to fly to the US early in the pandemic are now on lockdown due to their vaccination status.

Other obstacles to resuming normal travel include

which people in most countries need to visit the U.S. for business and tourism, and restrictions in other countries that make travel difficult.

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For example, although people from China will now be allowed to enter the US, many are not expected to travel due to restrictions in their country.

Before the pandemic, Chinese tourists were a lucrative market for the American tourism industry.

Industry experts expect a large influx of people flying from Europe, and are confident that a broader recovery in travel

will take place as more people get vaccinated around the world, visa processing in the US accelerates. In the US, other countries lift their own restrictions and people are less afraid of COVID-19 when traveling.