The White House Assistant Press Secretary Kevin Munoz announced via Twitter on October 15, 2021 that the international travel bans currently in effect will be lifted on November 8, 2021. The announcement was a much anticipated follow up to the White House’s previous statement that the US would soon be lifting COVID-19 travel bans for all vaccinated travelers.

The US will be easing the COVID-19 travel restrictions which have been in place since January 2020, barring entry for most non-US nationals who were physically present in Brazil, China, Iran, Ireland, countries in the European Schengen Area, South Africa, India, and the United Kingdom during the fourteen-day period preceding their entry or attempted entry into the United States.

The ban will be replaced by a policy requiring international travelers to the US to provide proof that they are fully vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus, along with a negative COVID-19 test result taken within 72 hours of entry into the US. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers people fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving the second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or two weeks after receiving the single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Furthermore, it was announced that people who have been vaccinated with one of the vaccines that are approved by either the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or have been granted an Emergency Use Listing from the World Health Organization (“WHO”) will qualify under the new policy. “The Emergency Use aspect will allow travellers who have received the AstraZeneca jab, widely used in the UK, as well as China's Sinovac and Sinopharm vaccines, to enter the country.”

Some specific questions, including which groups will be exempt from the new vaccine requirements, and what options exist for those who are not vaccinated because they do not have access to a vaccine, or for medical/religious reasons are still to be answered. Once released, the new policy will be “guided by public health, stringent, and consistent” as Mr. Munoz noted.

We await the official release of the new international travel policy and will continue to update our site as further details become available.

UPDATE OCTOBER 26, 2021: President Biden has issued a presidential proclamation officially repealing the US travel bans that have been in place since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Effective November 8, 2021, at 12:01am EST, adult foreign nationals seeking to enter the US from abroad via air travel will have to demonstrate proof of full vaccination for COVID-19 before boarding airplanes destined for the US. This is in addition to the pre-existing requirement that all international travelers provide a negative COVID-19 test taken within three days of travel to the US.

Exceptions to the vaccine requirement will apply to US citizens and legal permanent residents, children under eighteen years of age, and most nationals of countries with less than a ten percent total vaccination rate. The White House also included provisions for unvaccinated foreign national travelers who are recognized as exempt or excepted from the new vaccine requirement. Notably, unvaccinated travelers (including US citizens, lawful permanent residents, and foreign nationals who qualify for a vaccination exemption) will be required to provide a negative COVID-19 test result taken within one day of their flight’s departure to the US. Noncitizens who are not fully vaccinated must also quarantine or self-isolate upon arrival and may be required to get vaccinated once they are in the US.

The Department of State has also published helpful information regarding international travel to the US on their website, which answers specific questions one may have while planning travel after the November 8, 2021 policy is in effect. More details can be found in our blog post.

UPDATE October 21, 2021: The Department of State released a statement confirming that the travel restrictions will be lifted on November 8 for those who are fully vaccinated with FDA approved or authorized and WHO Emergency Use Listing vaccines. CDC and the various agencies who control immigration to the US will develop specific guidance and policies which they expect to release in advance of November 8. As soon as we have those guidelines, we will update the post.