U.S. Relaxes Entry Requirements For Vaccinated Travelers From Abroad

WASHINGTON—The Biden administration said foreigners will be able to enter the U.S. with proof of vaccination and a negative COVID-19 test beginning in November, marking a substantial loosening of entry restrictions put in place at the start of the pandemic.

The new roadmap, announced Sept. 20 by White House COVID Response Coordinator Jeffrey Zients, will open up U.S. travel to citizens in 33 countries from which non-essential travel had been banned, including the U.K. and most of the EU.

The policy will replace the previous patchwork of regulations enacted by the Trump administration. By implementing a uniform set of requirements for the first time, the Biden administration is seeking to establish a safe and evidence-based framework that will re-open the country without jeopardizing progress made battling the pandemic.

Beginning in “early November,” non-citizens traveling to the U.S. will have to display proof of full vaccination and a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of departure, Zients said. Unvaccinated citizens returning to the U.S. from abroad will need to test one day prior to departure and one day after returning.

Zients said that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will also work with airlines to collect passenger information to assist with contract tracing efforts.

“In the coming weeks, the CDC will be issuing a contact tracing order requiring airlines to collect current information for U.S.-bound travelers, including their phone number and email address,” Zients said.

While the new framework comes as a welcome relief to airlines and the travel industry, it does not change the fact that many Americans still remain banned from traveling to many parts of the world. The EU recently recommended that its 27 member countries reinstate restrictions on unvaccinated American travelers, although it will be left to individual countries to decide whether to follow through.

Moody’s Investors Service said that the relaxation of entry requirements should boost both leisure and business travel during the winter holiday season and into 2022.

“Leisure bookings for the holidays from inbound tourist visits and non-U.S. citizens visiting friends and relatives will accelerate in upcoming weeks,” said Moody’s SVP Jonathan Root. “We also now expect a stronger increase in business travel by the first quarter of 2022 than would have occurred if the borders remained closed.”

 News of the Biden administration’s move to loosen international travel restrictions was welcomed by the airline, tourism and hospitality industries, which have lobbied for months to implement clear and uniform standards to safely reopen the U.S. to travel and tourism. 

“U.S. airlines have been strong advocates for a stringent, consistent policy and are eager to safely reunite the countless families, friends and colleagues who have not seen each other in nearly two years, if not longer,” Airlines for America CEO Nicholas Calio said in a statement. “Today’s announcement marks a positive step in our nation’s recovery, and we look forward to working with the administration over the coming weeks to implement this new global system.”

“We are encouraged by this latest step that responds to our request for a plan to restore international travel, which is so critical in ensuring a robust economic recovery across the aviation industry,” Airports Council International-North America CEO Kevin Burke said. “By requiring strict safety protocols on a more individual basis, the administration has provided the aviation industry with a clearer roadmap to recovery.”