Faced with the new phase of the pandemic characterized, in most countries, by the predominance of the Omicron variant and a high level of vaccination, the Government has decided to lighten this health control system at the borders, particularly for vaccinated travellers. In the event of an emergency characterized by the appearance of a variant likely to present a risk of increased transmissibility or immune escape, the “emergency brake” mechanism will be activated and the country will then be placed on the “red” list, implying, as is the case today, the obligation to present a compelling reason for travelling, the obligation to present a negative test on departure – including for vaccinated travelers in the event of a variant presenting the characteristic of an escape immune-, and the obligation to undergo a test on arrival conditioning the placement in quarantine decided by the prefects and controlled by the police.

Such classification will be temporary and reviewed regularly to ensure the proportionality of the travel restriction measures. These border rules may be adapted in view of the evolution of the health situation, and in line with the work currently being carried out with our European partners. On the other hand, given the health situation of the Overseas Territories, the health control procedures for accessing them remain unchanged at this stage.

The list of green zone countries or territories may change as the global epidemic situation evolves in the countries or territories. Since 1 February , in order for their vaccination schedule to continue to be recognised as complete, persons aged 18 years or older wishing to enter French territory must have received a booster dose of messenger RNA vaccine no later than nine months after receiving the last mandatory dose.

No restriction shall apply when entering metropolitan France from a green list country or territory. No compelling reason is required for travelers to France. Given the health situation in the overseas territories, these rules may vary in the overseas departments and territories: travelers are therefore invited to consult the websites of the prefectures and High Commissions concerned.

The list of orange list countries classified by decree of the Minister of Health, may be amended according to how the global outbreak status evolves. Anyone flying home to the United States from a different country needs to show a negative test taken no more than one day before departure, or proof of recent recovery from COVID; check the CDC site for more info.

Airports may also offer tests, but factor in time in case you have to wait in line. As another option, you can use an at-home test linked to telehealth services. With these types of tests, a proctor watches over a video call while you test yourself; you then receive proof of the result via an app.

This is the only type of self-test that meets CDC requirements for reentry to the States, so you might want to pack one in your luggage and download the app before departing on your trip. Should you test when you get back from your trip? With others at higher risk? Note that any infection you may have picked up while in transit could spread to others even before virus levels rise high enough for an at-home or rapid test to detect, so plan your first few days at home accordingly.

I encourage people to wear a high-quality mask during travel, to protect yourself and others who will be on the flight with you. If you do travel, follow all CDC recommendations before, during, and after travel. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC Order, which took effect November 8, , requiring all non-immigrant, non-citizen air travelers to the United States to be fully vaccinated and to provide proof of vaccination status prior to boarding an airplane to the United States remains in effect.

Travelers should monitor the CDC website on international travel for the latest guidance regarding testing requirements. Exceptions to the CDC Order requiring all air passengers to be fully vaccinated and to provide proof of vaccination status prior to boarding an airplane to the United States are extremely limited to the following groups:.

     

U.S. Entry Requirements.

 

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. Coronavirus-related restrictions are falling right and left, and more and more countries are once again opening their doors to visitors thanks to decreasing COVID case numbers and increasing vaccination rates.

Some countries still require unvaccinated travelers to submit a pre-arrival test or test upon arrival. However, many countries treat all travelers the same, regardless of vaccination status, and have eliminated entry requirements as a result. Of course, the U. For more TPG news delivered each morning to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter. Although arrival testing requirements remain in place for unvaccinated travelers, as of April 25 unvaccinated children between the ages of 5 and 11 can skip the arrival testing requirement, provided they are accompanied by a fully vaccinated parent or guardian.

Also as of late April, fully vaccinated individuals no longer need to worry about wearing a face mask in public, nor do they need to quarantine if another traveler in their group develops COVID symptoms. Otherwise, all travelers 12 and older who are not vaccinated may continue to enter Canada by showing results of a negative antigen test taken within one day of arrival, a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of departure or proof of a positive PCR test taken within 10 to days of entry.

Everyone must complete an online form via ArriveCan ahead of arrival. Know that you can be randomly selected for testing upon arrival at four airports.

The only major popular tourist destination currently enforcing a pandemic restriction is Puerto Vallarta , where masks remain mandatory. Incoming travelers are not subject to any entry requirements related to testing or vaccination proof to visit Mexico, though the U. Embassy in Mexico says health screening procedures may be in place at certain airports and other ports of entry.

Related: Going to Mexico for spring break? The US has this travel warning for you. On March 10 , the requirement to show either proof of vaccination or a negative test was dropped for domestic travelers to Puerto Rico, regardless of vaccination status, per updated travel guidelines issued by Discover Puerto Rico. Just note that international travelers are still expected to adhere to the aforementioned U. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention testing rule , as well as submit proof of vaccination with a vaccine approved by the Food and Drug Administration or World Health Organization to their airlines.

Capacity limits and vaccine requirements for both private and public establishments no longer apply, though individual businesses may choose to implement their own guidelines related to health and safety. Additionally, visitors to Puerto Rico are no longer required to fill out the travel declaration form.

As of April 21, travelers to Chile do not face travel restrictions related to testing or proof of vaccination. Other than those two requirements, you can enjoy Chile without taking any extra steps to visit, but remember that you may be randomly selected to take a test upon entering the country, per Chile Travel. On March 1, Belize dropped testing requirements for fully vaccinated travelers to enter the country; Belize also removed all curfew mandates and outdoor mask mandates, per updated guidance issued by the Belize Tourism Board.

Unvaccinated travelers 5 and older or those without vaccine proof must continue to show results of a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of arrival or a negative antigen test taken within 48 hours. Regardless of vaccination status, all international visitors must continue to purchase specific travel health insurance to visit the country as of April 7, per the tourism board.

In addition to purchasing the insurance, travelers must complete an online customs form provided on all flights to Belize and book their stay at a hotel or accommodation that has been approved by the tourism organization. As of this month, travelers to Costa Rica have zero predeparture steps to consider, thanks to the elimination of the online health pass and travel insurance policy which were both formerly required for foreign visitors. Currently, many public spaces — including sports venues, cultural and academic institutions and nightclubs — are operating at full capacity without vaccination requirements.

Americans do not need a visa to enter Costa Rica. However, they must possess a valid passport and a return ticket to exit Costa Rica within 90 days, per the Embassy of Costa Rica in Washington, D. As of Nov. Embassy in El Salvador. Unlike most countries on this list, El Salvador has been open for quite some time, having resumed international commercial flights on Sept. Local businesses remain open as they did pre-pandemic and no curfew is currently in place.

Summer is a great time to visit Croatia since the underrated European destination has removed its previous requirement for non-EU citizens to show proof of vaccination to enter.

Therefore, as of this month, there are no longer any pandemic-related restrictions for Americans visiting Croatia, though face masks are encouraged on public transportation. Americans can visit Croatia without any of the predeparture or on-the-ground steps that were previously required.

Based on my personal travels, I would recommend visiting the Croatian islands of Vis and Split, though Game of Thrones fans may be partial to cities like Dubrovnik. However, entry requirements are set to change Oct. Entry requirements apply to all incoming travelers ages 12 and older, meaning proof of vaccination is required for this group to enter Germany by air, land, or sea. Vaccination rules do not apply to children ages 6 to 11 who, if accompanied by a fully vaccinated parent, may enter by presenting a negative COVID test either a PCR or antigen test taken within 48 hours of arrival.

Alternatively, this group can present proof of recovery from COVID within the preceding six months. Note that travelers who have been in a virus-variant area in the 10 days before travel must present a negative PCR test, regardless of vaccination status. The U.

Read more: Oktoberfest returns to Germany this fall. This means vaccinated and unvaccinated travelers alike can enjoy those places equally without having to present proof of vaccination, recovery or a negative COVID test. However, unvaccinated travelers must still submit a negative predeparture test taken within 48 hours of entry to the country, while vaccinated travelers may enter by showing proof of vaccination within the last nine months.

Even with the relaxed requirements, masks are still to be worn on public transportation and in certain indoor spaces, including theaters, cinemas, concert halls and sporting events, through at least mid-June. As of April 18, fully vaccinated and boosted travelers can visit the island of Cyprus without any predeparture or post-arrival testing, according to a press release issued by the Republic of Cyprus Ministry of the Interior. Unvaccinated travelers may enter the country by showing a negative COVID test, either a PCR test taken within 72 hours of departure or a rapid test conducted within 24 hours.

Entry protocols do not apply to passengers younger than The Cyprus government outlines current entry protocols based on color code designation here. France made headlines throughout the pandemic for its inconsistent implementation of COVID entry protocols for travelers, but it seems to have reached a conclusion regarding the steps tourists need to take to visit. As of March 14, only unvaccinated or partially vaccinated Americans are expected to present results of a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of departure for France, or a rapid test conducted within 48 hours of travel.

On the other hand, fully vaccinated travelers no longer have to take any entry steps beyond submitting proof of full vaccination including a booster to airlines and customs officials. Otherwise, based on my recent trip to Paris , things are seemingly back to normal, especially since masks are no longer compulsory indoors or on public transit.

Although Greece no longer requires proof of vaccination, recovery or a negative test to access any indoor or outdoor venues, an indoor mask mandate is expected to remain in place through June 1. Thus far, unvaccinated travelers have been able to enter Greece but were restricted from accessing certain public spaces indoors, including dining venues, museums, nightclubs, theaters, cinemas and stadiums.

As of Feb. Additionally, unvaccinated travelers are still welcome to visit, as they have been since Oct. The predeparture test requirement for vaccinated tourists was dropped earlier in , but unvaccinated Americans still had to submit a negative test to enter. As of March, however, all travelers may enter Ireland, regardless of vaccination status, and no testing at any time is required, according to U.

Mission Ireland. In theory, this means your trip to Ireland should resemble what travel was like before the pandemic. At the moment, only vaccinated Americans are eligible to enter the country, according to guidance issued by Dutch officials, and they can do so without submitting a negative COVID test. In order to be considered fully vaccinated, travelers must show proof of a booster shot if more than days have elapsed since the final dose of a COVID vaccine.

Full vaccination requirements are outlined here. Otherwise, the only exception to the vaccination requirement is applicable to travelers who can show proof of recovery from COVID in the six months prior to entry in order to visit.

Additionally, all incoming travelers must complete an online health declaration form. Do note that pre-arrival and upon-arrival testing requirements remain in Svalbard, the Norwegian archipelago situated between mainland Norway and the North Pole.

Otherwise, expect Norway to look like it did before the coronavirus reared its ugly head — sans social distancing, masks or anyone asking for your vaccination proof. As of March 8, Americans are no longer subject to any testing requirements to enter Slovenia.

However, U. Embassy in Slovenia. Related: Norway joins the list of countries no longer requiring travelers to quarantine. Spain considers travelers fully vaccinated if they are boosted within days of receiving their final dose of a COVID vaccine. Earlier this week , the Spanish Ministry of the Interior quietly extended current entry protocols for travelers through at least June Even so, unvaccinated travelers ages 12 to 18 may still enter by taking a predeparture PCR test within 72 hours of departing for Spain.

Testing and vaccination rules do not apply to travelers younger than Despite announcing on April 6 that the country would ease restrictions for unvaccinated travelers, Spanish officials rolled back plans to change current entry protocols for this group.

All passengers regardless of age arriving in Spain by air or sea, including transit passengers, must complete an online Health Control Form before leaving for Spain. After previously reopening to travelers coming from within the EU, Sweden has finally welcomed back non-EU travelers. Embassy in Sweden. This is long-awaited good news for travelers, meaning no pandemic-related entry requirements, such as testing or vaccination proof, are necessary to enter Sweden.

Americans can freely visit Sweden without obtaining a visa, as noted by the Swedish police. Switzerland dropped its remaining COVID protocols on May 2, meaning Americans resumed tourist travel as normal without having to certify their vaccination status. Although the country reopened to all tourists almost a year ago, the Swiss government restricted tourism travel to vaccinated Americans.

On March 18, the U. This means that no one traveling to the U. Read more: The final remaining travel restrictions in the UK will be scrapped. As of last week, travelers to Austria no longer need to show proof of vaccination, recent recovery or submit a negative test to enter, per the U. Embassy in Austria.

Although zero COVIDrelated restrictions remain in place in Austria, it has been a long road to get to this point , as the country changed course on protocols many times. That winter, officials suspended tourism and implemented a country-wide lockdown, as many places around Europe and the U.

Related: Off the beaten path: Tips on visiting and exploring Austria.