Everything British and European travelers need to know about reopening the United States for tourism

Share the article

Last update 1 minute ago

Travelers from the UK and EU who have been fully vaccinated will be able to travel to the US for non-discretionary reasons such as tourism from Monday, November 8.

While we now know this official reopening date, some questions from travelers remain unanswered. From travelers with mixed vaccine doses to the age limits for these restrictions, here’s everything we know so far about reopening the United States for tourism.

What are the restrictions for travelers from November 8?

The ban on travel to the United States has been lifted for fully vaccinated travelers from the 26 countries of the Schengen area as well as Ireland, Brazil, China, India, Iran, Africa from the South and the United Kingdom.

To enter the United States from any of the countries listed above, you will need:

• Complete proof of vaccination with those approved by the CDC or WHO
• Proof of a negative Covid test carried out 72 hours before departure

Authorities have yet to release details on how foreign travelers can present their vaccination status upon check-in. There is no news yet as to whether a digital or paper format will be accepted as evidence.

To be considered fully vaccinated, travelers must have received their last required dose of vaccine at least two weeks before travel.

Will minors be subject to entry restrictions into the United States?

At the time of writing, the travel vaccination policy will only apply to adult travelers coming to the United States. As for testing, the policy since January has been that travelers aged 2 and over must show a negative antigen test result before travel.

Yes, travelers with mixed vaccine doses will be allowed to enter the United States

The CDC announced last Friday that mixed vaccination doses would be accepted for travel to the United States. The news was a relief for many international travelers, including those from Canada, the UK and across the EU who received two different doses of the vaccine. Until recently, the United States did not recognize the Covid vaccine mix.

There has been some uncertainty and concern among travelers who have stayed at home and are waiting to return once the countries reopen. Many people in Europe have been vaccinated with at least one dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine, as well as the Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines.

“Although the CDC has not recommended mixing vaccine types in a primary series, we recognize that this is increasingly common in other countries and therefore should be accepted for interpretation of vaccine records.” , said a spokesperson for the CDC.

Vaccinations accepted for travel to the United States

To clear things up for you, here is the full list of vaccines accepted for travel to the United States:

FDA Approved Vaccines:

• Moderna
• Pfizer
• Janssen (Johnson & Johnson)

Vaccines approved by the World Health Organization:

• Moderna
• Pfizer / BioNTech
• Janssen
• AstraZeneca, including Covidshield
• Sinopharm (Beijing)
• Sinovac

“People who have a two-dose combination of a two-dose series of COVID-19 approved / cleared by the FDA or listed by the WHO for emergency use are considered fully vaccinated,” the CDC added. .

At present, the Sputnik V vaccine is still not approved by the WHO. Neither does Covaxin, which is one of the main Covid vaccines distributed in India. The removal of the entry ban for travelers from the EU will not apply to those who have received the Sputnik V vaccine.

By October 25, the CDC plans to issue a contact tracing order that will apply to international air visitors.

Will proof of pickup be accepted for entry?

In some cases, proof of recovery from Covid with a positive test result has been accepted for travel. So far there has been no mention of accepting a positive / recovery Covid test instead of proof of vaccination, so this will not be an option at this time for UK and European travelers wishing to visit United States.

Travel searches increase since reopening announcement

In other news, searches for flights and hotels to the United States have increased significantly since the official reopening date was announced last week. A number of travel search engines like Kayak and Expedia have announced an increase in traveler searches across Europe, as reported by Reuters.

Read more:

Travel insurance that covers Covid-19

Dominican Republic will remain open to tourism without any testing or vaccination requirements

Join the community ↓

The Travel Off Path Community FB Group has all the latest reopening news, conversations and Q&A every day!

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR LATEST ARTICLES

Enter your email address to subscribe to the latest travel news from Travel Off Path, straight to your inbox

Disclaimer: Current Travel Rules and Restrictions may change without notice. The decision to travel is ultimately your responsibility. Contact your consulate and / or local authorities to confirm entry of your nationality and / or any change in travel conditions before traveling. Travel Off Path does not approve travel against government advice