From November 8, vaccinated Indians can travel to the US, as per the new travel guidelines issued by the White House. The US has opened its borders for vaccinated travelers from Schengen countries, in addition to India, China, Iran and Brazil.
Here is everything we know about the US travel rules so far:
Who Is Considered Vaccinated In The US?
Anyone who has received both the doses of any FDA or WHO-approved vaccine is considered vaccinated. For Indians, this means those who have received both doses of Covishield can travel to the US.
Also Read: UK Relaxes Travel Restrictions: Here's How Indians Can Travel To UK
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has authorised seven vaccines for emergency use. These include Moderna, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca, Serum Institute of India's Covishield, Sinopharm, and Sinovac's CoronaVac.
Does US Accept Covaxin and Sputnik?
Neither Covaxin nor Sputnik are on the FDA or WHO lists. Thus, people who have received these vaccines will be considered unvaccinated and will not be allowed entry in the US.
Can Covid-recovered And Single Dose-Jabbed People Travel to US?
No. The US, unlike few European countries, does not consider those vaccinated with single dose as vaccinated. Such travellers will not be allowed even if they produce proof of recent Covid-19 recovery.
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What If You Have Received a Mixed Dose?
As per the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), those who have received mixed doses of vaccines that fall under the FDA and WHO approved lists, will be considered fully vaccinated. Hence, you can travel to the US if you have received mixed dose.
What About Unvaccinated Travelers?
The White House in its announcement on October 15 said that only vaccinated travellers will be allowed entry. No quarantine rules for unvaccinated travellers have spelled out yet.
What About Children?
No updated guidelines have been issued for testing and vaccination for children travelling so far.
Where Do You Need To Produce Your Vaccine Certificate?
Your full vaccination certificate, issued through CoWin, will need to be produced before boarding a flight to the US. Those without a vaccination certificate may not be allowed to board.
Also Read: Testing, Self-Monitoring: India's New Rules for International Travellers
Is Test Needed Before Travel?
As per an order issued by the White House in January this year (updated in July), all passengers travelling by air to the USA, are required to produce a Covid-negative test report issued not more than three days prior to departure. Both antigen and RT-PCR test reports are accepted. However, a negative Covid test report before departure is required even for a travel with layover in the US.
Will The Rules Change Before November 8?
So far, only an announcement for the new travel policy that allows Indians to travel to the US from November 8, has been made. The CDC will issue detailed orders and guidelines for airlines, air passengers, and land travel, before November 8. Updated information will be available here.