Should I travel during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Delay travel until you are fully vaccinated. If you are not fully vaccinated and must travel, follow CDC’s recommendations for unvaccinated people.

Do I need a negative COVID-19 test to enter the US if I’m flying from US territories?

No, the Order to present a documentation of a negative COVID-19 test or recovery from COVID-19 does not apply to air passengers flying from a US territory to a US state.US territories include American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands.

Do I need to get tested for COVID-19 before traveling?

Travelers who are fully vaccinated or who recovered from COVID-19 in the past 3 months do not need to get tested before departing the United States for international travel or before domestic travel unless their destination requires it.

Do I need to get self-quarantine after a domestic travel if I am fully vaccinated against COVID-19?

You do NOT need to get tested or self-quarantine if you are fully vaccinated or have recovered from COVID-19 in the past 3 months. You should still follow all other travel recommendations.

Can flying on an airplane increase my risk of getting COVID-19?

Yes. Air travel requires spending time in security lines and airport terminals, which can bring you in close contact with other people and frequently touched surfaces. Most viruses and other germs do not spread easily on flights because of how air circulates and is filtered on airplanes. However, social distancing is difficult on crowded flights, and you may have to sit near others (within 6 feet), sometimes for hours. This may increase your risk for exposure to the virus that causes COVID-19.

Can I travel during the COVID-19 pandemic if I am not fully vaccinated?

Delay travel until you are fully vaccinated. If you are not fully vaccinated and must travel, follow CDC’s recommendations for unvaccinated people.

Can an airline deny boarding a passenger if they don’t have a negative COVID-19 test?

Airlines must confirm the negative test result for all passengers or documentation of recovery before they board. If a passenger does not provide documentation of a negative test or recovery, or chooses not to take a test, the airline must deny boarding to the passenger.

What are the Guidelines for connecting flight to the US during the COVID-19 pandemic?

See full answerIf your itinerary has you arriving to the US via one or more connecting flights, your test can be taken within the 3 days before the departure of the first flight.If the 3-day testing period expires before one of your connecting flights, you only need to get retested before boarding connecting flights if:

• You planned an itinerary incorporating one or more overnight stays en route to the US. (NOTE: You do not need to be retested if the itinerary requires an overnight connection because of limitations in flight availability.), OR
• The connecting flight is delayed past the 3-day limit of testing due to a situation outside of your control (e.g., delays because of severe weather or aircraft mechanical problem), and that delay is more than 48 hours past the 3-day limit for testing.

Do I need a COVID-19 test before boarding a flight to the United States?

If traveling internationally, you must get a COVID-19 test no more than 3 days before you return by air to the United States. You are required to show a negative COVID-19 test result or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 before boarding a flight to the United States.

Do fully vaccinated travelers need a COVID-19 test before travelling?

Fully vaccinated travelers do not need to get a SARS-CoV-2 viral test before or after domestic travel, unless testing is required by local, state, or territorial health authorities.

Can vaccinated people travel during the COVID-19 pandemic within the United States?

Fully vaccinated travelers are less likely to get and spread SARS-CoV-2 and can now travel at low risk to themselves within the United States.

Can COVID-19 be transmitted on airplanes?

We conclude that the risk for on-board transmission of SARS-CoV-2 during long flights is real and has the potential to cause COVID-19 clusters of substantial size, even in business class–like settings with spacious seating arrangements well beyond the established distance used to define close contact on airplanes.As long as COVID-19 presents a global pandemic threat in the absence of a good point-of-care test, better on-board infection prevention measures and arrival screening procedures are needed to make flying safe.

What are the restrictions on non essential travel?

“Non-essential” travel includes travel that is considered tourism or recreational in nature. “Essential travel” still permitted includes: work and study, critical infrastructure support, economic services and supply chains, health, immediate medical care, and safety and security.

What do you need to know about essential travel?

If travelling is “absolutely necessary”, you are allowed to travel to access public services such as social services, the justice system, support for victims or support from the Department for Work and Pensions. These services should be provided and accessed remotely whenever possible.

What kind of travel is considered essential by the government?

International and domestic freight transport, including by air, ship, road and rail, is classified as essential activity. Advice against non-essential travel does not apply to it. The government has detailed in its guidance some of the specific cases where you are not allowed to travel.

Who is considered an essential traveler to the United States?

Who is considered an “essential” traveler? Citizens and lawful permanent residents returning to the United States. Individuals traveling for medical purposes (e.g., to receive medical treatment in the United States). Individuals traveling to attend educational institutions.