For a year and a half, the Germans’ favorite long-haul travel destination was almost inaccessible. In March 2020, the then US President Donald Trump imposed a far-reaching entry ban because of the corona pandemic, his successor Joe Biden confirmed it in January 2021. Before Corona, around two million holidaymakers flew from Germany to New York and San Francisco every year Grand Canyon or Yellowstone National Park, Florida or California, drove in a rental car along the Pacific or Atlantic coast or across the whole country. Now they should be allowed to come again: The US government wants to relax the strict rules. But for whom and under what conditions? The most important changes at a glance.
Who can go back to the USA
The injection against the coronavirus is the ticket: Air passengers from the EU and a number of other countries will be able to re-enter the USA with full vaccination protection. A negative corona test is also required. Having survived a Covid 19 infection is not enough: those who have recovered must also provide evidence of the vaccination. The new rules are due to come into force at the beginning of November, the exact date is not yet known. The details are currently being worked out, it said from the White House. The answer to the question of whether there should be exceptions for children under the age of twelve who cannot yet be vaccinated has not yet been answered.
What evidence is required
When traveling in Europe, reaching for the cell phone with the EU vaccination certificate is already routine. Whether it will be recognized upon entry into the USA is one of the details of the implementation that has yet to be clarified. There are also unanswered questions about vaccines. In the USA, the preparations from Biontech / Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson are approved, but not the vaccine from Astra Zeneca, which was still often administered in Germany in the first months of the vaccination campaign. Statements by the US health authority CDC indicate that these immunizations will still be accepted after the World Health Organization (WHO) deems them effective. In the USA, unlike in Germany, those who have recovered are only considered fully vaccinated after two injections with the Moderna and Biontech vaccines – here, too, it is not yet known to what extent the German practice is recognized.
In addition to their vaccination certificate, travelers will have to provide their contact details. The airlines are supposed to save them for 30 days.
Important when returning to Germany: The federal government closed the United States in August because of the high number of infections classified as a high risk area. It is therefore mandatory to register online at before the return flight www.einreiseanmeldung.de, in addition, one of the three Gs – vaccinated, tested, recovered – must be proven. With a vaccination or convalescence card, you evade the quarantine requirement, otherwise it ends after five days at the earliest.
How the airlines and tour operators react
No sooner had the good news made the rounds than the first advertising mails were in the e-mail inbox. Apparently a good strategy: The demand for flights to the USA has more than doubled, according to Condor, and Lufthansa reports an increase of 40 percent. The tour operator Canusa Touristik, which specializes in North America, is also registering significantly more interest: “After the opening was announced, we had as many inquiries within one day as we normally would in two weeks,” says Managing Director Tilo Krause-Dünow. The high demand is certainly related to the fact that many long-term destinations cannot yet be reached again: “That helps.” The majority of customers do not want to travel straight away, but plan in advance: The focus is on trips from April next year, with motorhome vacations and round trips by car in particular in demand.
Airlines and tour operators are hoping for the revival of a business that has largely been on the floor, after all, not only holidays, but also business trips were canceled for 18 months. Far fewer flight connections are still offered than before the start of the pandemic. At Condor, however, they are already planning an increase: From November 11, there will be five direct connections a week from Frankfurt to New York. Lufthansa currently has 200 connections per week between Europe and the USA. The offer “can be expanded at short notice if necessary”.
What doesn’t change
Vaccination card, passport – but wasn’t there something else? For visa-free entry to the USA, vacationers need an ESTA travel authorization, and the Corona rules have not changed that. It must be made at least 72 hours before departure can be requested online. On the official website https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov that costs $ 14 per registration. If you google the keyword “Esta” instead and use one of the numerous pages on offer, you may pay significantly more: There are many private providers who usually do not do more than transmit the entered data – but charge a high service fee .