The news we’ve all been waiting for has finally arrived, the date from which the USA is reopening to double-vaccinated international travellers has been confirmed. From the 8th of November all international travellers who have been double jabbed will be able to once again visit the United States. Here is all you need to know about what you’ll need for your next trip across the Atlantic.
When can I travel to the USA from?
From the 8th of November international travellers will once again be able to enter the USA for leisure purposes.
Do I need to be fully vaccinated to enter the USA?
Yes, all travellers will need to be double vaccinated against Covid-19 at least 14 days prior to departure after your second dose of an accepted 2-dose series COVID-19 vaccine, or the single dose of an accepted single-dose COVID-19 vaccine.
Which Covid-19 vaccines will be accepted for travel to the USA?
| Vaccines Approved or Authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration | Vaccines Listed for Emergency Use (EUL) by the World Health Organization | |
| Single-dose | – Janssen/J&J | – Janssen/J&J |
| 2-dose series | – Pfizer-BioNTech – Moderna | – Pfizer-BioNTech – Moderna – AstraZeneca – Covishield – BIBP/Sinopharm – Sinovac |
What documents will I need to enter the USA?
All travellers will need to prove their vaccination status. In addition, those entering the U.S. will need to show a negative Covid-19 test taken within 1 day of travel, as well as participate in contact tracing and of course wear a mask on their flights.
What type of test will I need to enter the USA?
The CDC has recently announced that all passengers, 2 years or older, must be tested with a viral test that could be either an antigen test or a nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT). Examples of available NAATs for SARS-CoV-2 include but are not restricted to reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP), transcription-mediated amplification (TMA), nicking enzyme amplification reaction (NEAR), and helicase-dependent amplification (HDA). The test used must be authorised for use by the relevant national authority for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in the country where the test is administered. Rapid tests are also acceptable as long as they are a viral test and meet the requirements set out by the CDC. More information can be found on the CDC, www.cdc.gov.
What are the requirements for children entering the USA?
As long as they are travelling accompanied by fully vaccinated parents or guardians, children between the ages of 2 and 17 who are not fully vaccinated may still travel to the United States simply with a negative pre-departure COVID-19 viral test conducted no more than 3 days before departure.
What do I need to do before returning to the UK?
For the most up to date information please visit www.gov.uk where you will find the latest testing and quarantine rules when you travel back to the UK from the USA. We always recommend checking what the requirements are closer to your departure, for example if you are planning to travel to the US in February 2022 the requirements may be different compared to what they are currently.
Do I need a visa to travel to the USA?
To travel to the USA you will need to complete your Visa Waiver Program application online, also known as an ESTA. Simply visit the official ESTA application website and complete the online form. The application costs $21 which is around £17 and your ESTA will be valid for 2 years from the date of authorisation or until your passport expires, whichever comes first, so if you are planning another trip to the states do check to see if your previous application is still valid.
Can I go on a cruise departing from the USA?
Yes, you certainly can! Cruise ships resumed operations in the USA in June this year with Celebrity Edge being the first ship to set sail since the pandemic. Since then many more ships have welcomed guests back onboard and many cruise lines now have the majority of their ships back in the water sailing from various ports across North America.
All information is correct at time of publishing. For latest guidelines please always refer to the relevant government website.
Article last updated at 12:30 PM on 02 December 2021.
