The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is issuing orders to implement the new travel policy announced by President Biden to safely resume global travel to the United States. These orders put in place a stringent and consistent global international travel policy that is guided by public health.

Today’s announcement means that on November 8, non-U.S. citizens who are not immigrants to the United States will be required to be fully vaccinated and provide proof of their vaccination status to fly to the United States. There will be very limited exceptions to this vaccination requirement for certain non-U.S. citizens who are not immigrants, including children under the age of 18.

Fully vaccinated air passengers, regardless of citizenship, will continue to be required to show a negative pre-departure COVID-19 test taken no more than three days before they board their flight to the United States. For passengers who are not fully vaccinated, the rules will tighten to require a test taken no more than one day before departing to the United States.

All air passengers to the United States will also be required to provide basic contact information to airlines before boarding flights to the United States. This will allow airlines to better coordinate with public health agencies to share information when needed to keep the public safe and informed, and strengthen their ability to rapidly identify and contact people in the U.S. who may have been exposed to a communicable disease, such as COVID-19.

Both the U.S. Government and the airline industry are committed to making this process as seamless as possible for the traveling public. These travel requirements will be effective for air travel to the United States from any foreign country at or after 12:01AM ET on November 8, 2021.

Please note that missing or expired Electronic System for Travel Authorizations (ESTA) have been documented as the main cause for denial of boarding from Europe to the United States. Travellers from Europe to the United States must not forget their ESTA, and renew it on time.

Further guidance on the very limited exceptions to these vaccination requirements, what constitutes acceptable proof of vaccination, and other operational details are available on the CDC’s website.