As of: November 8th, 2021 11:02 a.m.
In March 2020, the then US President Trump ordered an entry freeze for travelers from large parts of Europe. As of today, vaccinated foreigners are allowed back into the country. The airlines hope for high sales growth.
Foreigners are allowed to re-enter the USA with immediate effect after a full vaccination against the coronavirus with internationally recognized preparations. The corresponding regulation came into force today following a proclamation by US President Joe Biden. This means that even fully vaccinated foreign travelers from Germany and other Schengen countries can enter the country directly again. Until now, this required a special permit from the US government.
The then US President Donald Trump had ordered an entry ban 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.
Trump’s successor, Biden, stuck to the so-called Travel Ban, which was increasingly met with criticism in Germany and other EU countries, as trips from the USA to the EU were possible again much earlier. The entry bans have also recently been highly controversial in Mexico and Canada. In September, the White House announced that it would reopen the borders to vaccinated travelers in November.
A negative corona test is also required
According to the new regulation, vaccines that have received approval or emergency approval from the US FDA or the World Health Organization will be accepted. This currently applies to the preparations from BioNTech / Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, Sinopharm and Sinovac. A combination of two of these preparations is also possible.
Travelers must prove their vaccination status to the respective airline before boarding a plane to the United States, as the White House announced. In addition to proof of vaccination, you must present a negative corona test that is no more than three days old. In addition, personal information is required so that authorities can still reach you.
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.
Airlines are hoping for sales growth
In the morning, a whole fleet of passenger planes took off across the Atlantic from Germany’s largest airport in Frankfurt am Main. According to the flight schedule, 19 direct flights to the USA will be offered by noon, of which Lufthansa alone will operate twelve. Singapore Airlines kicked off at 8:20 a.m. According to the airline, the Boeing 777 was almost fully booked with 264 seats. Other providers are the US companies United, American and Delta as well as the German vacation airline Condor.
The airlines hope that the additional market opening for EU citizens will result in strong sales growth. Data from travel and analytics firm Cirium showed airlines increased flights between the UK and the US by 21 percent this month compared to the previous month. Delta boss Ed Bastian had reported that his company’s international flights to the USA were almost at full capacity. Despite the entry ban, groups of people such as US citizens, diplomats and people from various non-EU nations have been allowed to fly.
In Germany, the Association of German Mechanical and Plant Engineering welcomed the move. “This means that business travel between Europe and the USA is returning to normal,” said Ulrich Ackermann from the VDMA. The association pointed out that the USA was “the largest export market and investment location” for the industry. “That is why the travel bans were a particular challenge for many business travelers from Germany and other Schengen countries.”
Long lines expected at border crossings
The opening of the land borders with Mexico and Canada is particularly important. Along the southern border, many cities in the US states of Texas and California are struggling with economic problems due to trade barriers in the wake of the border closings and other corona measures.
On the Mexican side, the authorities have now warned of long lines at the border crossings. The imminent opening of the border also led to a dollar shortage in the exchange offices in Ciudad Juarez. The border town authorities introduced their own traffic control system and placed portable toilets on the bridges leading to the United States.