Skip to content

Brought to you by

Dentons logo

The Global Mobility Review

Navigating the stormy seas of multinational expatriation.

open menu close menu

The Global Mobility Review

  • Home
  • Resources

New COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement for Certain Travelers

By Matt Schulz
November 4, 2021
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • China
  • General
  • Immigration
  • Middle East
  • Passport
  • United Kingdom
  • United States
  • United States Immigration
  • Visa
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share via email Share on LinkedIn

The US rescinds certain travel restrictions affecting Brazil, China, India, Iran, Ireland, the Schengen Area, South Africa and the United Kingdom, effective November 8, 2021.

The old restrictions are replaced by a global vaccination requirement for all adult foreign national travelers aboard flights scheduled to arrive in the US that departs after 12:01 a.m. EST on November 8, as well as entry through a land boarder or ferry terminal.

The new requirements apply to travel to the US by plane to individuals who are not citizens or lawful permanent residents of the U.S., with limited exceptions.

The general requirement is to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination, as well as proof of a negative COVID-19 test result or recovery from COVID-19.

For these purposes, an individual is considered fully vaccinated in all of the following situations:

  • 2 weeks (14 days) after an accepted single-dose COVID-19 vaccine
  • 2 weeks (14 days) after your second dose of an accepted 2-dose series
  • 2 weeks (14 days) after you received the full series of an active (not placebo) COVID-19 vaccine in the U.S.-based AstraZeneca or Novavax COVID-19 vaccine trials
  • 2 weeks (14 days) after you received 2 doses of any “mix-and-match” combination of accepted COVID-19 vaccines administered at least 17 days apart

The last dose must have been given a full 14 days before the day of boarding the flight to the US.

Children under 18 years of age are exempt from the vaccination requirement.

Acceptable proof of COVID-19 vaccination

Documentation TypeExamples
Verifiable records (digital or paper)  Vaccination certificate with QR code, digital pass via Smartphone application with QR code (e.g., United Kingdom National Health Service COVID Pass, European Union Digital COVID Certificate)  
Non-verifiable paper records  Printout of COVID-19 vaccination record or a COVID-19 vaccination certificate issued at national or subnational level or by an authorized vaccine provider (e.g., the CDC vaccination card)  
Non-verifiable digital records  Digital photos of vaccination card or record, downloaded vaccine record or vaccination certificate from official source (e.g., public health agency, government agency, or other authorized vaccine provider), or a mobile phone application without QR code  

All forms of proof of COVID-19 vaccination must have:

  • Personal identifiers (at a minimum, full name and date of birth) that match the personal identifiers on the passenger’s passport or other travel documents;
  • Name of official source issuing the record (e.g., public health agency, government agency, or other authorized vaccine provider); and
  • Vaccine manufacturer and date(s) of vaccination.

Exceptions

Categories of noncitizen, nonimmigrants that meet the criteria for an exception under the proclamation and CDC’s order include:

  • Persons on diplomatic or official foreign government travel
  • Children under 18 years of age
  • Persons with documented medical contraindications to receiving a COVID-19 vaccine
  • Participants in certain COVID-19 vaccine trials
  • Persons issued a humanitarian or emergency exception
  • Persons with valid visas [excluding B-1 (business) or B-2 (tourism) visas] who are citizens of a foreign country with limited COVID-19 vaccine availability
  • Members of the U.S. Armed Forces or their spouses or children (under 18 years of age)
  • Sea crew members traveling pursuant to a C-1 and D nonimmigrant visa
  • Persons whose entry would be in the national interest, as determined by the Secretary of State, Secretary of Transportation, or Secretary of Homeland Security (or their designees)

Additional information

The global vaccination requirement will end the travel restrictions under Presidential Proclamations 9984, 9992, 10143, and 10199 as they related to the suspension of entry into the United States of certain persons physically present in Brazil, China, India, Iran, Ireland, the Schengen Area, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. 

The announcements are at https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/News/visas-news/safely-resuming-travel-by-vaccine-requirement-and-rescission-of-travel-restrictions.html, https://www.dhs.gov/news/2021/10/29/frequently-asked-questions-guidance-travelers-enter-us-land-ports-entry-and-ferry, https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/noncitizens-US-air-travel.html, and https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/proof-of-vaccination.html#covid-vaccines.

Please contact your Dentons attorney for further information.

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share via email Share on LinkedIn
Subscribe and stay updated
Receive our latest blog posts by email.
Stay in Touch
B-1 visa, Brazil, China, COVID-19, Immigration, India, Iran, Ireland, South Africa, United Kingdom, United States, visas
Matt Schulz

About Matt Schulz

Matt Schulz is a member of Dentons' Litigation and Dispute Resolution practice with a focus on business immigration and employment law. He is a leader in the firm's Global Mobility practice and a member of Dentons' Venture Technology and Emerging Growth Companies practice.

All posts Full bio

RELATED POSTS

  • Employment
  • Government
  • Immigration
  • United States
  • United States Immigration
  • Visa

Proposed end of H-4 employment authorization likely to affect over 100,000 families

By Matt Schulz and Mengci Shao
  • Employment
  • F-1
  • United States
  • United States Immigration
  • Visa

Verifying work authorization under USCIS’ OPT cap-gap rule

By Mengci Shao and Matt Schulz
  • China
  • Cross Border
  • Employment
  • F-1
  • General
  • Government
  • Immigration
  • United Kingdom
  • United States
  • United States Immigration
  • Visa
  • Workforce

Who can travel to the US for business or work now?

By Mengci Shao and Matt Schulz

About Dentons

Dentons is designed to be different. As the world’s largest law firm with 20,000 professionals in over 200 locations in more than 80 countries, we can help you grow, protect, operate and finance your business. Our polycentric and purpose-driven approach, together with our commitment to inclusion, diversity, equity and ESG, ensures we challenge the status quo to stay focused on what matters most to you. www.dentons.com

Dentons boilerplate image

Twitter

Categories

Subscribe and stay updated

Receive our latest blog posts by email.

Stay in Touch

Dentons logo

© 2023 Dentons

  • Legal notices
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms of use
  • Cookies on this site