U.S. Set to Open Land and International Borders to Fully Vaccinated Travelers on Nov. 8

The return of international travel to the United States officially has a start date. On November 8th, fully vaccinated international travelers will once again be able to enter the United States. COVID-19 travel restrictions will be lifted for those foreign travelers who are two weeks past their final approved vaccine dose, ending an almost two year policy that barred international travelers from entering the U.S. 

This policy update includes fully vaccinated travelers from the EU - including France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and Greece - as well as the UK, Ireland, China, India, South Africa, Iran, and Brazil. 

Approved vaccines include the three available in the U.S. - Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson and Johnson -  along with the Oxford/AstraZeneca, Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines.

All travelers entering the country by air must show proof of a negative COVID test and proof of vaccination before boarding their flight. Travelers entering the U.S. by crossing a land border will not need to show proof of a negative COVID test (just proof of vaccination - more on that below). There are no quarantine requirements for any foreign visitors.

The U.S. is also reopening land borders for fully vaccinated visitors from Mexico and Canada. Travelers will need to show proof of vaccination before crossing. Keep in mind that border agents do have some discretion within the policy and can send travelers for secondary screening if they feel it's warranted. 

The updated policy at the land borders will be rolled out in two phases. Starting in early November, the first phase will allow fully vaccinated visitors traveling for nonessential reasons (think tourism or visiting family) to cross U.S. land borders. In early January 2022 the second phase will kick off, applying the vaccination requirement to all inbound foreign travelers, whether traveling for essential or nonessential reasons.

After a long couple of years, this is great news for international travel. There is finally an end in sight for business travelers who rely on open borders to do what they do best. As November 8th approaches and borders open back up, feel free to reach out to our team to assist in your return to international business travel - we’re ready to help!