Monday, October 25, 2021
Negative test also necessary
Travel to the USA for vaccinated persons possible from November
At the beginning of the corona pandemic, the USA issued a general entry ban, including for Europeans. This will be lifted after more than a year and a half. From November 8th, the United States will again accept tourists from abroad – under certain conditions.
From November 8, foreigners can re-enter the USA if they are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus with internationally recognized preparations. Vaccines that have received approval or emergency approval from the US FDA or the World Health Organization (WHO) would be accepted, the White House said. This currently applies to the preparations from Biontech / Pfizer, Astrazeneca, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, Sinopharm and Sinovac.
Travelers would have to prove their vaccination status to the respective airline before boarding a plane to the United States, it said. A complete vaccination against the coronavirus is a prerequisite. According to this, people are considered fully vaccinated at least two weeks after receiving their last required injection. The White House emphasized that a combination of two different vaccines would also be accepted here – provided the preparations were approved by the FDA or the WHO.
There are only a few exceptions to the vaccination requirement for international travelers, for example for children or people who cannot be vaccinated for health reasons. US citizens are exempt from the vaccination requirements for entry anyway. According to the US government, travelers must generally present a negative corona test no longer than three days old in addition to their vaccination certificate. For unvaccinated persons who fall under the permitted exemptions, the test must not be older than one day. The airlines would also have to keep the contact information of passengers so that they can be notified of any corona cases, it said.
The EU eased for US-Americans in June
The easing comes after more than a year and a half of widespread entry bans for people from numerous countries, including residents of the EU and the UK. The then US President Donald Trump had ordered an entry freeze for foreigners from large parts of Europe in March 2020, at the beginning of the corona pandemic. Entry from the Schengen area, Great Britain and Ireland was prohibited with a few exceptions. The USA also imposed extensive entry bans on foreigners from India, China, Brazil, South Africa and Iran because of the pandemic and rigorously maintained them for many months.
The EU, on the other hand, had already asked its member states in June to gradually lift restrictions on travelers from the USA and several other countries. Germany then again allowed entries from the USA, among others, also for holidaymakers. This means that Americans could re-enter Germany from June 20 if they could prove a vaccination, a survived Covid disease or a negative test. Germany and other EU states had also hoped for a relaxation in return from Washington, but had to wait a long time. That caused some frustration among Europeans.
The extensive entry ban has so far not only separated families and friends. It also plagued business and tourism. In September, the US government finally announced that it would allow international travelers to enter the country on a large scale again from the beginning of November, provided they were vaccinated. The White House initially left many details open. They have now been delivered.