Biden administration imposes new travel rules to the U.S. reopens

On October 25, the Biden Administration released the new travel rules after the White House announced to lift travel restrictions.

After a 19-month freeze, the United States will reopen its border for fully vaccinated travelers from 33 countries starting on Nov. 8, applying to both land and air travel. 

Kevin Munoz, White House assistant press secretary, confirmed the update on Twitter.

“This announcement and date applies to both international air travel and land travel. This policy is guided by public health, stringent, and consistent,” Munoz said.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), travelers who have taken any combination of two doses of World Health Organization (WHO) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved vaccines will be considered fully vaccinated.

“While CDC has not recommended mixing types of vaccine in a primary series, we recognize that this is increasingly common in other countries so should be accepted for the interpretation of vaccine records,” CDC spokesperson Kristen Nordlund said.

The WHO and FDA-approved vaccines include Pfizer, Moderna, Janssen, AstraZeneca, Sinopharm, and Sinovac. Before entering the U.S, travelers will be required to show proof of vaccination and a negative Covid-19 test taken within three days to the airlines before boarding an airplane. 

There will be limited exceptions to the vaccination requirements, including children younger than 18, Covid-19 vaccine clinical trial participants, those with medical contraindications to the vaccines, and non-tourist visa travelers from countries with low-vaccine availability. Travelers for emergency or humanitarian reasons will also be exempted, according to a White House fact sheet.