International travelers to the US will be able to skip proof of COVID vaccine, WH says
The Biden administration will lift the COVID-19 vaccine requirement for inbound international air travelers on Friday.
"As we continue to monitor the evolving state of COVID-19 and the emergence of virus variants, we have the tools to detect and respond to the potential emergence of a variant of high consequence," President Joe Biden said in a proclamation Tuesday. "Considering the progress that we have made, and based on the latest guidance from our public health experts, I have determined that we no longer need the international air travel restrictions that I imposed in October 2021."
Biden announced the change last week, along with the end of vaccine requirements for federal employees and contractors, foreign nationals at the land border and others. The requirement for air travelers will lift at midnight Thursday as the coronavirus public health emergency ends. Biden previously signed a bill ending the COVID national emergency in April.
So, what does that mean for travelers? Here's what we know.
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Is there still a vaccine requirement for international travelers coming to the US?
Not as of later this week.
Currently, all "non-U.S. citizen, non-U.S. immigrants traveling to the United States by air" must show proof of vaccination with limited exceptions, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's website.
Industry group the U.S. Travel Association, which had called on the Biden administration to end the vaccine requirement for inbound international visitors and argued the rule was an impediment to tourism, applauded the change when it was announced last week.
“Today’s action to lift the vaccine requirement eases a significant entry barrier for many global travelers, moving our industry and country forward," Geoff Freeman, the organization's President and CEO, said in a statement last week. He also called on the federal government to "ensure U.S. airports and other ports of entry are appropriately staffed with Customs and Border Protection officers to meet the growing demand for entry."
The U.S. lifted a requirement that air travelers coming from China show proof of a negative COVID test in March. The policy took effect in January amid a surge of cases in China.
The U.S. dropped its COVID testing rule for international flyers in June.
Do travelers need a vaccine to cross the Mexico or Canada borders to the US?
The Department of Homeland Security also said in a news release that it will no longer require non-U.S. travelers coming into the country by land or at ferry terminals to be fully vaccinated or show proof of their vaccination status.
Do US travelers need to be vaccinated against COVID to travel internationally?
That depends. Many destinations have dropped their vaccination and testing requirements for travel, though some still have rules in place. The Philippines, for example, still requires travelers to be fully vaccinated or show proof of a negative COVID test in order to visit, according to the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines.
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The CDC also recommends travelers be up to date on their COVID vaccinations before leaving the country. The agency defines up to date as having one updated Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine for people age 6 and up, which "protect against both the original virus that causes COVID-19 and the Omicron variant BA.4 and BA.5," according to its website.
Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Biden to lift COVID vaccine requirements for international travelers
