US dropping international COVID-19 testing requirement for travel into America
This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit this page.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with new information.
After midnight on Sunday, travelers entering the U.S. will no longer have to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test.
The testing mandate will end for passengers boarding flights after 12:01 a.m. on Sunday, June 12, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in a statement the agency tweeted Saturday morning.
CDC rescinds order requiring negative pre-departure #COVID19 test prior to flight to the US, effective June 12, 2022. Read full statement: https://t.co/Pkkyt2j81M
— CDC (@CDCgov) June 11, 2022
The CDC’s announcement comes after Assistant White House press secretary Kevin Munoz confirmed Friday that the Biden Administration would end the requirement. CNN first reported Friday morning that the announcement was imminent.
For more TPG news delivered each morning to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.
Citing a “new phase” in the pandemic, the CDC pointed to the availability of therapeutics as well as widespread COVID-19 immunity produced by a combination of vaccinations and infections as the rationale for ending a requirement that “was needed at an earlier stage in the pandemic.”
Although the federal mask mandate for air travelers was overruled by a federal judge in late April and allowed to expire on May 3, the testing requirement had remained in place despite intense pressure from airline and travel industry groups. Critics have said that the mandate does not appear to have had any impact on limiting the spread of COVID-19 cases or new variants.
Many other countries and jurisdictions, including the European Union and Canada, have already dropped similar requirements. The United States has remained the most prominent holdout among Western nations in requiring incoming travelers to submit a test to enter, despite various calls from U.S. airlines, the U.S. Senate, the international travel industry and travelers themselves to ditch it.
“Today marks another huge step forward for the recovery of inbound air travel and the return of international travel to the United States,” U.S. Travel Association president Roger Dow said in a statement. “The Biden administration is to be commended for this action, which will welcome back visitors from around the world and accelerate the recovery of the U.S. travel industry.”
Airlines for America, the trade group representing most major U.S. airlines, issued similar sentiments.
“Lifting this policy will help encourage and restore air travel to the United States, benefiting communities across the country that rely heavily on travel and tourism to support their local economies,” president and CEO Nicholas E. Calio said. “We are eager to welcome the millions of travelers who are ready to come to the U.S. for vacation, business and reunions with loved ones.”
The CDC first implemented the predeparture testing requirement in January 2021, and its terms have changed multiple times since then. Initially, all travelers, regardless of vaccination status, were able to supply proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within three days before their flight departed for the U.S.
This changed in November when the government started requiring unvaccinated U.S. travelers to test within one day of departure while allowing vaccinated travelers to continue following the three-day window.
Want more airline-specific news? Sign up for TPG’s free new biweekly Aviation newsletter.
In December, the government streamlined entry requirements by shortening the previous testing window to require all travelers, independent of vaccination status, to test within one day of departure for the U.S.
Throughout its iterations, the predeparture testing rule has applied equally to Americans and non-U.S. citizens alike, though entry by the latter group has always been restricted to those who can show they are fully vaccinated.
Despite rescinding the requirement, the CDC issued a recommendation that travelers boarding a flight to the U.S. get tested within three days of departure and not travel if they are sick.
Additional reporting by Sean Cudahy and Caroline Tanner.
Featured photo by Tang Ming Tung/Getty Images.
Sign-up Successful!
Welcome to The Points Guy!
Earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months. Offer ends 8/3/2022.
With Status Boost™, earn 10,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $25,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, up to two times per year getting you closer to Medallion Status. Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels, 2X Miles at restaurants and at U.S. supermarkets and earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases. Terms Apply.
- Limited Time Offer: Earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months. Offer ends 8/3/2022.
- Earn up to 20,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) with Status Boost® per year. After you spend $25,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, you can earn 10,000 MQMs up to two times per year, getting you closer to Medallion® Status. MQMs are used to determine Medallion® Status and are different than miles you earn toward flights.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels.
- Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide including takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets.
- Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
- Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card. Payment of the government imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments) is required. Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
- Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights.
- Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® after you apply through any Authorized Enrollment Provider. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
- Enjoy an exclusive rate of $39 per person per visit to enter the Delta Sky Club® for you and up to two guests when traveling on a Delta flight.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- $250 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees
Disclaimer: The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.