US travel restrictions have been lifted for vaccinated EU and UK passengers, ending the 18 month ban period starting upcoming November.
US airlines have finally received the gift they had hoped for from President Joe Biden’s administration: a complete opening of the United States to foreign visitors.
On September 20, the US State Department said that vaccinated travelers from Europe and other previously prohibited nations will be allowed to enter the US in “early November.”
“We applaud the Biden Administration for establishing a path to re-opening international travel to the US. Science tells us that vaccinations, coupled with testing, are the safest way to re-open travel. The administration’s decision to safely expand international travel to the United States is welcome news for our customers and United is ready to implement these new requirements,” Delta Air Lines said
Since early last year, the United States has refused entry to most visitors from Brazil, China, India, Iran, Ireland, the United Kingdom, South Africa, and the Schengen area of Europe. There were several exceptions.
According to US authorities, these restrictions will be lifted in November.
Beginning in early November, all adult foreign nationals traveling to the United States by air must demonstrate proof of complete vaccination against Covid-19,” the State Department said.
Travelers will no longer need to apply for exceptions as a result of the change. Instead, they must present documentation of having completely vaccinated against the coronavirus before boarding a flight to the United States. In addition, inbound travelers must submit documentation of a negative Covid-19 test done within three days before departure. The action matches US travel restrictions with those of other countries, most notably the European Union, which opened its doors to US visitors earlier this year.
According to Diio data, the three major US airlines – American Airlines, Delta, and United – are planned to carry a total of 772,000 seats from the US to Europe in September, which is less than half of the figure for September 2019.
