Complete Travel Guidelines for the US, Explained

The US is all set to lift previously-enforced restrictions on fully vaccinated international travellers, effective November 8, 2021 at 12:01am EST (5:01am GMT). 

The new guidelines have been shared by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the national public health agency of the US, and details on the vaccination and testing requirements can be checked below:

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Vaccination Requirements

The accepted vaccines for travel to the US include FDA-approved or authorized and WHO Emergency Use Listing vaccines. For Indian travellers, Covishield is an approved vaccine.

Travellers are considered fully vaccinated if:

• Two weeks have passed after their second dose in a two-dose series, such as the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines, or
• Two 2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine

More information about CDC’s recommendations on vaccinations can be found here.

Testing Requirements

All non-U.S. citizens, non-U.S. immigrants travelling by air must carry a proof of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Additionally, before boarding the flight, travellers must show one of the following:

• If fully vaccinated: Proof of vaccination and a negative COVID-19 test report with the test taken no more than three days before travel.

• If not fully vaccinated: A negative COVID-19 test report, with the test taken no more than one day before travel. Please note that this is applicable only for travellers in the exempted list, which can be checked here.

• Children under two years of age do not need testing. There are also exceptions for people who have documented recovery from COVID-19 in the past 90 days. Read more about these requirements.

• After entering the US, all travellers who are not fully vaccinated and have travelled under the exempted category (mentioned above) are required to get tested with a COVID-19 viral test 3-5 days after arrival and self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms. For other travellers, this step is recommended.

• After arriving in the US, travellers are expected to follow essential post-travel requirements, which include following their respective state’s health guidelines amongst others.

You can also check all the guidelines issued by the CDC for international travellers here.

Please note: Travel guidelines are subject to change on short notice. To avoid inconvenience, please also re-confirm these entry requirements with your respective airlines before flying.

Have a safe trip!