U.S. drops re-entry COVID testing requirements for U.S. travelers
June 12th by Chad Shmukler
Pandemic-related travel requirements have been loosening across the globe, with some countries, like Argentina, dropping testing and vaccination requirements altogether. Over the past year, U.S. travelers have found it increasingly easier to travel to far away locales and return to the U.S. This week's latest move, in which the CDC has dropped all testing and vaccination requirements for U.S. citizens returning from international travel, will help ease travelers' burdens even further.
For more than the past year, travelers visiting a foreign country and returning the U.S. were required to obtain a negative COVID test while abroad (most recently no longer than 1 calendar day before returning to the U.S.) and show proof of those results in order to enter the U.S. For the most part, this requirement was relatively easy to navigate, as international destinations have become incredibly adept at facilitating testing for their guests and helping them navigate the documentation process. At the very least, however, U.S. travelers have been faced with the worry of being unable to return to the U.S. in the unlikely event they were to test positive for COVID-19 while abroad.
As of June 12, when the CDC's order becomes effective, that worry will be eliminated. U.S. travelers returning from abroad will no longer have to obtain or provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test before being allowed to enter the U.S. The CDC will reevaluate this policy every 90 days.
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You can read the CDC's full release below.
Friday June 10, 2022
Today, CDC is announcing that the Order requiring persons to show a negative COVID-19 test result or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 before boarding a flight to the United States, will be rescinded, effective on June 12, 2022 at 12:01AM ET.
This means that starting at 12:01AM ET on June 12, 2022, air passengers will not need to get tested and show the COVID-19 test result or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 prior to boarding a flight to the U.S.
The COVID-19 pandemic has now shifted to a new phase, due to the widespread uptake of highly effective COVID-19 vaccines, the availability of effective therapeutics, and the accrual of high rates of vaccine- and infection-induced immunity at the population level in the United States. Each of these measures has contributed to lower risk of severe disease and death across the United States. As a result, this requirement which was needed at an earlier stage in the pandemic may be withdrawn. CDC continues to recommend that those travelers boarding a flight to the U.S. get tested for current infection with a viral test as close to the time of departure as possible (no more than 3 days) and not travel if they are sick.
CDC continues to evaluate the latest science and state of the pandemic and will reassess the need for a testing requirement if the situation changes. CDC will communicate any updates publicly if and/or when they change.
