Vaccinations:

Under a federal policy that begins Nov. 8, foreign nationals flying to the United States must be fully vaccinated and show proof of vaccination prior to boarding a U.S.-bound airplane. The new international air travel policy will also require other COVID-19 mitigation strategies – enhanced testing, contact tracing and masking. Children under 18 are exempt from the vaccination requirement for foreign national travelers. More information can be found at the CDC website for International Travel.

Testing: 

Fully vaccinated travelers will still need to complete pre-departure testing within three days prior to departing for the United States and show proof of a negative test. Unvaccinated travelers returning to the United States will need to test within one day of departure and will be required to test again after their arrival.

Children between the ages of 2 and 17 are required to take a pre-departure test. If they are not fully vaccinated, and traveling with a fully vaccinated adult, they can test three days prior to departure. If a child is traveling alone or with unvaccinated adults, they will have to test within one day of departure.

Children under two years of age are excepted from this requirement.

Contact Tracing:

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is expected to issue a contact tracing order that requires airlines to collect current information from each traveler bound for the U.S., including their phone number and email address. This will allow CDC and state and local public health officials to follow-up with inbound travelers and those around them if someone has potentially been exposed to COVID-19.

Mask Requirement:

The U.S. government has extended the mask requirement on airplanes and TSA has doubled fines for passengers who refuse to wear a mask.

You can find additional information about enhancing the safety of air travel at FlyHealthy.gov.