As our national Zidane put it so well in an advertisement: “and yes, it is the recovery! Please note, the reopening does not concern everyone, because only fully vaccinated travelers (explanations below) will be able to travel across the Atlantic. The American administration has recently unveiled the details of the entry procedures and access conditions. To this day, the USA are still classified in orange by the Quai d’Orsay. TourMaG.com takes stock of the latest information concerning the destination.
How to prepare for your trip to the USA?
The United States reopens its borders to fully vaccinated travelers from November 8, 2021, so today! This announcement concerns both international air travel and land travel.
In September 2021, the National Travel & Tourism Office (NTTO), an office of the Department of Commerce in Washington DC, issued a press release announcing the opening of the borders without specifying an official date.
The document just stated that “from the beginning of November, foreign nationals traveling to the United States will need to be fully vaccinated and show proof of vaccination before boarding a plane.”
Things are getting clearer now.
White House Deputy Press Secretary Kevin Munoz announces the color on tweeter: “The new United States travel policy which requires vaccination of foreign travelers to the United States will begin on November 8.
This announcement and date apply to both international air travel and land travel. This policy is public health-driven, rigorous and consistent. ”
What will it take to travel to the USA?
Thus, as of today, travelers aged 18 and over to the United States by air will be required to present full proof of vaccination to be authorized to board.
What is a complete vaccination schedule?
The Biden administration gave details on October 25, 2021.
Read also: United States: details of health conditions and entry procedures
From November 8, non-citizen and non-immigrant air travelers to the United States United States will need to be fully vaccinated and provide proof of their COVID-19 vaccine status before boarding a plane to travel to the United States.
The vaccines that will be accepted are those approved and accepted by the FDA, as well as those authorized by the World Health Organization: Pfizer / BioNTech, Astrazeneca-SK Bio, Serum Institute of India, Astra Zeneca (EU), Janssen ( a single dose is sufficient), Moderna, Sinovac, Covaxin and Covishield.
People are considered fully vaccinated 2 weeks after receiving the last dose (except Janssen who requires a dose), says the US administration.
If the traveler received their last dose on November 1, 2021, November 15 is the first day you meet the 14-day requirement.
The combination of different vaccines is also accepted by the United States.
The American authorities have clarified the provisions concerning children .
Children under 18 are exempt from this vaccination obligation but must nevertheless perform a test before their departure if they are between 2 and 17 years old
According to the White House, it will be up to the airlines to check, before boarding , proof of vaccination. They will also facilitate the tracing of passengers in order to ” ensure the follow-up of incoming air travelers who are potentially infected or have been exposed to an infected person “.
Can people recovered from the coronavirus travel to the United States?
Like many countries around the world, the US does not recognize recovery, at least for foreign nationals. Thus, a person who has been infected recently will not be able to cross borders.
Only travelers with a complete vaccination schedule can travel to the United States!
A certain number of visits and services will require proof of vaccination or the wearing of a mask.
Masks are particularly mandatory inside all federal sites in the USA.
Travelers should adhere to local health regulations which may vary by state in the United States.
Will there be a test before departure?
Vaccinated travelers will also have to show a negative result for -72 hours before departure, which is already the case in Canada.
Children under 18, on the other hand, will have to provide proof of a negative Covid test. This must be done at the latest one day before boarding a flight to the United States if they are traveling alone or with unvaccinated adults, or at the latest 3 days before boarding if they are traveling. with their vaccinated parents.
Children under the age of two will not have to take a test.
Unvaccinated people must take a test within 24 hours before boarding.
People who can justify an absence of vaccination will be, for example, people with medical contraindications to vaccination, travelers having to travel for urgent or humanitarian reasons (supporting documentation), and people who have come, for reasons other than tourism, from countries where the vaccine is difficult to obtain.
What about the classic entry formalities and ESTA?
According to Alexandre Demaille, Managing Director of RapideVisa.fr, “there is no reason for the traditional formalities to change. The ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) electronic travel authorization has never ceased to apply. ‘be issued during the covid-19 crisis. It remains valid for 2 years. ”
The ESTA can be obtained by answering the questions asked on the website https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/ (multilingual), the only site authorized by the American authorities and allowing online payment by credit card.
The form must be completed in English, but the instructions are available in French.
The authorization request can be submitted at any time before the trip. It is important to emphasize that people who have traveled to Iran, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Somalia, Yemen or Sudan since March 1, 2011 will have to apply for a visa which involves travel to the United States Embassy in Paris. .
The United States classified in orange by FranceFrance has classified the United States in orange.
To travel to an orange country, travelers must produce a compelling reason to go to this territory unless they can justify a complete vaccination course with a vaccine recognized by the European Medicines Agency.
Travelers are strongly advised to consult the Travel Advice section of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs before leaving.