U.S. Plans to Ease Travel Restrictions Beginning November 2021

The White House announced today that it plans to ease the COVID-19-related travel restrictions for fully vaccinated travelers from the following countries by early November 2021:

The travel restrictions were imposed to curb the rate of COVID-19 infections in the U.S., some of which have been in place since January 2020.  

Beginning early November 2021, all international travelers will be required to show proof of full vaccination and a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of departure in order to enter the U.S. 

Exemptions to the vaccine requirement will include children who are too young to receive the vaccine and certain humanitarian exemptions.

The administration also will be making additional recommendations to stop the spread of COVID-19, including 1) continuing the mask mandate through January 18, 2022; 2) expanding pre-departure and post-arrival testing requirements; and 3) implanting a contact tracing order for airlines. 

This announcement by the Biden administration marks a shift towards enacting science-based solutions to curb COVID-19 based on individual travelers rather than restrictions placed on entire geographical regions. 

This alert is for informational purposes only.  Please contact us if you would like to discuss this development further.

Nadia Yakoob