U.S. eases travel restrictions for EU countries in a bid to move travel policy away from country-specific to vaccination oriented to attract more travellers.
Travellers to Europe will need to apply for the ETIAS visa waiver in order to visit the Schengen area from the end of 2022 onwards. The ETIAS visa waiver allows visitors short stays of up to 90 days in the Schengen area depending on the purpose of their visit. It also allows international travellers to apply for the visa waiver online and receive it electronically via email, eliminating the need to visit an embassy or consulate. Further information about the application process will be made available closer to the launch of the ETIAS visa waiver next year.
Last week, the U.S. introduced new vaccine requirements for international visitors whilst simultaneously removing country-specific travel restrictions with an aim to promote an air policy that relies on the vaccination status of travellers. This is also accompanied by new rules that airlines will need to follow to determine the vaccination status of foreign visitors to the U.S. before they board a flight for the country. These new rules go into effect on November 8, 2021.
This new policy shift has been welcomed by leaders across the EU and the rest of the world as it signals an easing of COVID-19 restrictions and further opening of the tourism industry in the U.S. Millions of visitors from countries such as, China, India, Iran, South Africa, Brazil, Mexico, Canada and several European countries can now travel to the U.S. due to this recent shift in travel policy from country-related to vaccination status-oriented.
The U.S. Center for Disease Control has also introduced new contact tracing measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 variants by requiring airlines to maintain passenger details for 30 days after each flight. This is in addition to the requirement for all arriving visitors to be fully vaccinated before traveling to the U.S. Vaccines that have been authorized for emergency use by the U.S. Food & Drugs Administration or by the World Health Organization will be accepted by the C.D.C. from foreign travellers entering the U.S. These vaccines include:
- Pfizer-BioNTech
- Moderna
- Johnson & Johnson
- Oxford-AstraZeneca/Covishield
- Sinopharm
- Sinovac
Currently, the C.D.C. requires international travellers to provide a negative COVID-19 test in addition to a proof of vaccination to enter the country. Foreign visitors who are not fully vaccinated will not be allowed to enter the United States unless they have a documented vaccine exemption. Travellers from around 50 countries with low vaccine availability that need to travel to the U.S. for emergency or humanitarian reasons will also be exempt from the vaccination requirement. However, they will need to comply with public health mandates in place in the U.S. and agree to be vaccinated if they are staying for more than 60 days.
Exemptions will also be given to people who have had a severe reaction to the COVID-19 vaccines in the past or those unable to receive the vaccine due to medical reasons. The C.D.C. is currently not giving vaccine exemptions to international travellers based on religious or moral grounds. Children under 18 years of age do not need to provide proof of vaccination for travel to the U.S. However, children aged 2-17 will need to test negative for COVID-19 before traveling to the country.
U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents attempting to travel back to the country are not required to show proof of vaccination. However, they must provide a negative COVID-19 test result taken at least 24 hours before boarding a flight for the U.S. if they are unvaccinated. Unvaccinated U.S. Citizens must also test for COVID-19 again after arriving in the country within 3-5 days and must quarantine for 7 days upon arrival. Travellers who have recently recovered from COVID-19 will need to provide a positive COVID-19 test taken within the last 90 days and a letter from a licensed health care professional clearing them for travel.
The C.D.C. considers individuals fully vaccinated after 14 days of receiving a single-dose vaccine or the second dose of an approved vaccine series. However, the C.D.C. will also accept mixed doses of any two U.S./W.H.O. approved vaccines received at least 17 days apart. In some instances, participants in a vaccine trial will be considered fully vaccinated by the C.D.C. Fully vaccinated foreign travellers will need to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test result taken at least 3 days before boarding a flight for the U.S.
The new U.S. air travel policy also means that international visitors need to prepare documentation ahead of their travel to the country as the COVID-19 testing and vaccination checks become stricter for foreign arrivals. Digital or printed vaccination records will be accepted if they meet U.S. vaccination requirements. Airlines will be responsible for verifying the authenticity of passenger vaccination records and COVID-19 test results. Travellers should also have vaccine/COVID-19 test documentation on hand to present to C.B.P. officials when prompted.
