Flying from U.S. to a destination that requires travelers to be vax'd
October 26, 2021 7:58 PM
Have you flown from the U.S. to another country that requires travelers to have received a COVID vaccination? If so, did you have to present proof of vaccination before boarding your plane, or upon arrival at your destination? And were you flying a U.S. carrier or a foreign airline? If you'd like to share any other information that might be useful (including airports and airlines), we'd be grateful.
My GF and I would love to travel abroad but we only want to visit a country that requires vaccination for all travelers and requires that vax status be checked before boarding a plane—i.e., so that we're not flying with unvax'd people. We'd love to hear from anyone with experience in this regard so that we can better plan our travel and know what to expect. Thank you!
My GF and I would love to travel abroad but we only want to visit a country that requires vaccination for all travelers and requires that vax status be checked before boarding a plane—i.e., so that we're not flying with unvax'd people. We'd love to hear from anyone with experience in this regard so that we can better plan our travel and know what to expect. Thank you!
I had to show both vaccine proof and a negative PCR test to check in to a Westjet plane to Canada a few days ago. Some travelers did seem to be doing that check at the gate, but everyone had to be checked before boarding.
But similar to Iceland, it is possible to travel to Canada without a vaccine, particularly if you have specific reasons to be in Canada. There are testing and quarantine procedures, but the quarantine happens after the flight.
posted by nat at 11:26 PM on October 26, 2021
But similar to Iceland, it is possible to travel to Canada without a vaccine, particularly if you have specific reasons to be in Canada. There are testing and quarantine procedures, but the quarantine happens after the flight.
posted by nat at 11:26 PM on October 26, 2021
Airlines have to return people who are refused entry to a country back home at their own expense. Therefore they have strong incentives not to fly out anyone inadmissible.
Flying to Canada, my papers were checked at check-in and at the border. However, you can be eligible to travel to Canada without being vaccinated if you fall into certain groups. So you can’t guarantee travel with only the vaccinated.
posted by praemunire at 11:32 PM on October 26, 2021
Flying to Canada, my papers were checked at check-in and at the border. However, you can be eligible to travel to Canada without being vaccinated if you fall into certain groups. So you can’t guarantee travel with only the vaccinated.
posted by praemunire at 11:32 PM on October 26, 2021
(You’re fairly unlikely to find a place that bans its own citizens from returning without a vaccine AND admits noncitizens just because they’re vaxxed. The world is big so there’s probably not NO such place but there can’t be many.)
posted by praemunire at 11:34 PM on October 26, 2021
posted by praemunire at 11:34 PM on October 26, 2021
This roundup might be helpful. There aren't many places that accept only vaccinated travelers (not everyone who can afford to travel is in a country with the same access to vaccinations as the US, and places that rely on tourist dollars are going to want to have more than just Americans visiting). Many places accept vaccinated folks and people who have recently tested negative for Covid. But, that list linked above might be a good starting point.
If you go to St Kitts & Nevis, not only do you have to be vaccinated, but you have to stay at one resort for a week before you can go anywhere else.
The thing is, unless you have a direct flight from your town, you won't be traveling only with folks going to your destination anyway.
posted by bluedaisy at 12:04 AM on October 27, 2021
If you go to St Kitts & Nevis, not only do you have to be vaccinated, but you have to stay at one resort for a week before you can go anywhere else.
The thing is, unless you have a direct flight from your town, you won't be traveling only with folks going to your destination anyway.
posted by bluedaisy at 12:04 AM on October 27, 2021
(You'd also need to be flying to someplace that ... doesn't allow children? That seems unlikely to find.)
posted by bluedaisy at 12:04 AM on October 27, 2021
posted by bluedaisy at 12:04 AM on October 27, 2021
flying from denmark to the US last friday i had to show proof of vaccination at the copenhagen airport before security during the check in process. i don’t think I need to on my way back due to my danish citizenship.
posted by alchemist at 2:55 AM on October 27, 2021
posted by alchemist at 2:55 AM on October 27, 2021
The IATA (International Air Transport Association) has COVID related requirements for most of the worlds countries.
Official EU site for COVID related requirements
posted by Homer42 at 3:41 AM on October 27, 2021
Official EU site for COVID related requirements
posted by Homer42 at 3:41 AM on October 27, 2021
Just back from Europe - Germany, Italy and flew through France. Had to show proof of vaccination and/or negative covid test less than 72 hours before flight or a doctors note showing recover from covid in last 3 months. To come back I had to upload documents - vaccine card and covid test results and they had to be approved - it wasn't automatic. And wearing masks on the plane except when eating was rigorously enforced - this was Delta/Air France.
We had to show vaccination cards to enter all sorts of places - museums and restaurants in both Germany and Italy where EU citizens would have had a green pass (which isn't available for US citizens who don't live in the EU). It all felt quite safe.
posted by leslies at 4:19 AM on October 27, 2021
We had to show vaccination cards to enter all sorts of places - museums and restaurants in both Germany and Italy where EU citizens would have had a green pass (which isn't available for US citizens who don't live in the EU). It all felt quite safe.
posted by leslies at 4:19 AM on October 27, 2021
Airlines have to return people who are refused entry to a country back home at their own expense. Therefore they have strong incentives not to fly out anyone inadmissible.
This is the key answer.
It's the same thing that happens with immigration paperwork today -- e.g. if you attempt to fly to the US (or any other country), the airline checks if you have the right documents and/or visas at the point of departure and will refuse you boarding if you don't meet the requirements.
If a country mandates some sort of vaccine requirement or documentation, then that's treated the same -- it's checked by the airline at the point of departure before boarding. You don't have it, you don't get to fly.
However, keep in mind then that it logically follows that since airlines are checking documents against national requirements, if the national requirements permit certain categories of unvaccinated travelers, then those travelers will be allowed to board; and as mentioned above, most countries have looser/less stringent requirements for their own citizens/nationals/residents to return than for international travelers.
For example, for your return trip to the US, there is no way to guarantee a 100% vaccinated flight -- even after November 8, when non-US travelers will (with some exceptions) have to be fully vaccinated before traveling to the US, un-vaccinated US citizens/permanent residents will still be able to board a flight to return home.
Same thing for Canada (requires foreign travelers to be vaccinated, but any Canadian can fly to Canada); France, Spain or Italy (any EU citizen can fly there), etc. (There may be testing and/or quarantine requirements in place, though.)
Finally, it's also important to note that with the exception of Air New Zealand and Qantas, no airline that I know of is independently imposing a vaccine requirement on its passengers, so they will just follow rules. (But don't rush to buy a ticket to Australia or New Zealand -- both borders remain closed to non-Australian/NZ leisure travelers.)
posted by andrewesque at 5:20 AM on October 27, 2021
This is the key answer.
It's the same thing that happens with immigration paperwork today -- e.g. if you attempt to fly to the US (or any other country), the airline checks if you have the right documents and/or visas at the point of departure and will refuse you boarding if you don't meet the requirements.
If a country mandates some sort of vaccine requirement or documentation, then that's treated the same -- it's checked by the airline at the point of departure before boarding. You don't have it, you don't get to fly.
However, keep in mind then that it logically follows that since airlines are checking documents against national requirements, if the national requirements permit certain categories of unvaccinated travelers, then those travelers will be allowed to board; and as mentioned above, most countries have looser/less stringent requirements for their own citizens/nationals/residents to return than for international travelers.
For example, for your return trip to the US, there is no way to guarantee a 100% vaccinated flight -- even after November 8, when non-US travelers will (with some exceptions) have to be fully vaccinated before traveling to the US, un-vaccinated US citizens/permanent residents will still be able to board a flight to return home.
Same thing for Canada (requires foreign travelers to be vaccinated, but any Canadian can fly to Canada); France, Spain or Italy (any EU citizen can fly there), etc. (There may be testing and/or quarantine requirements in place, though.)
Finally, it's also important to note that with the exception of Air New Zealand and Qantas, no airline that I know of is independently imposing a vaccine requirement on its passengers, so they will just follow rules. (But don't rush to buy a ticket to Australia or New Zealand -- both borders remain closed to non-Australian/NZ leisure travelers.)
posted by andrewesque at 5:20 AM on October 27, 2021
Flew to France from the US and had to show proof of vaccination before boarding the plane. Additionally, once in France, had to show proof of vaccination in order to be served at restaurants and before entering museums and monuments. (We applied for and got the French Pass Sanitaire, but the US CDC vaccination cards are widely accepted as proof.)
posted by MelissaSimon at 5:43 AM on October 27, 2021
posted by MelissaSimon at 5:43 AM on October 27, 2021
Therefore they have strong incentives not to fly out anyone inadmissible.
If a country mandates some sort of vaccine requirement or documentation, then that's treated the same -- it's checked by the airline at the point of departure before boarding. You don't have it, you don't get to fly.
I do not agree that this is a safe bet in the general case, though obviously there are folks saying they've witnessed this themselves with specific nations/airlines and/or know the airline policies specifically for COVID travel, and I believe them. But I would not bet my travel on jumping from those specific experiences to making assumptions about how all nations/airlines dealing with vaccine mandates will handle this. I don't have any pandemic-flying experience, but pre-pandemic I routinely traveled to countries that required Yellow Fever vaccination, and was almost never asked to provide that proof prior to boarding a flight.
posted by solotoro at 5:48 AM on October 27, 2021
If a country mandates some sort of vaccine requirement or documentation, then that's treated the same -- it's checked by the airline at the point of departure before boarding. You don't have it, you don't get to fly.
I do not agree that this is a safe bet in the general case, though obviously there are folks saying they've witnessed this themselves with specific nations/airlines and/or know the airline policies specifically for COVID travel, and I believe them. But I would not bet my travel on jumping from those specific experiences to making assumptions about how all nations/airlines dealing with vaccine mandates will handle this. I don't have any pandemic-flying experience, but pre-pandemic I routinely traveled to countries that required Yellow Fever vaccination, and was almost never asked to provide that proof prior to boarding a flight.
posted by solotoro at 5:48 AM on October 27, 2021
Think other people have mostly covered the key points, but I just wanted to point out the issue of transiting passengers.
I just visited Iceland in the first week of this October. I am double vaccinated. Iceland requires a negative covid test no older than 72 hours prior boarding and proof of vaccination and pre-register to travel with the Iceland government. Info is here at Covid.Is. I flew Iceland Air from Seattle.
By coincidence, I flew from Seattle to Reykjavik at a similar time. However, none of the restrictions imposed by the Icelandic government given in this first answer applied to me, because I was just transiting their airport and not leaving. Only my ultimate destination's rules applied.
As it happened, I was flying to a destination that required proof of vaccination, but not a recent negative test. Therefore I was asked to show proof of vaccination at check-in, but no negative test.
My experience suggests that if I'd been transiting to somewhere that didn't require proof of anything, then Icelandair would have let me on board with all the vaccinated passengers flying to Iceland, even without any proof of vaccination or negative test. And there's no way of knowing whether other people on the flight with you are transiting - it's likely that some of them are, especially if you're flying into a hub.
posted by chappell, ambrose at 6:07 AM on October 27, 2021
I just visited Iceland in the first week of this October. I am double vaccinated. Iceland requires a negative covid test no older than 72 hours prior boarding and proof of vaccination and pre-register to travel with the Iceland government. Info is here at Covid.Is. I flew Iceland Air from Seattle.
By coincidence, I flew from Seattle to Reykjavik at a similar time. However, none of the restrictions imposed by the Icelandic government given in this first answer applied to me, because I was just transiting their airport and not leaving. Only my ultimate destination's rules applied.
As it happened, I was flying to a destination that required proof of vaccination, but not a recent negative test. Therefore I was asked to show proof of vaccination at check-in, but no negative test.
My experience suggests that if I'd been transiting to somewhere that didn't require proof of anything, then Icelandair would have let me on board with all the vaccinated passengers flying to Iceland, even without any proof of vaccination or negative test. And there's no way of knowing whether other people on the flight with you are transiting - it's likely that some of them are, especially if you're flying into a hub.
posted by chappell, ambrose at 6:07 AM on October 27, 2021
I'm leaving for Turks and Caicos in 3 weeks. They require a vaccination card, negative PCR test, and proof of travel insurance all uploaded and approved by them 3 days before flight - no entry visa without it.
Curaçao has similar requirements and additionally requires a PCR test be taken on the island on the 3rd day of your visit.
Remember that you'll also need a negative test to return to the USA, so make sure you travel somewhere that has accessible testing facilities or, if you have internet access, buy a few Abbott Binax/Navica kits before you depart and do the internet-proctored test.
posted by JoeZydeco at 7:10 AM on October 27, 2021
Curaçao has similar requirements and additionally requires a PCR test be taken on the island on the 3rd day of your visit.
Remember that you'll also need a negative test to return to the USA, so make sure you travel somewhere that has accessible testing facilities or, if you have internet access, buy a few Abbott Binax/Navica kits before you depart and do the internet-proctored test.
posted by JoeZydeco at 7:10 AM on October 27, 2021
It was clear to us, in early september, that the responsibility has been placed on the airlines rather than the governments taking it themselves, for compliance. Having your documentation in digital form (QR codes or verifly) is helpful.
At one point, checking in for a Ryanair flight from Madrid to Malta, they told us the CDC card was no longer valid, but then they changed their minds and gave us clearance. The airline checked documents and gave each passenger a slip of paper and that was the golden ticket at the other end, moreso than the actual documentation.
Passport control in Frankfurt, at the time, only cared about vax status. When we returned to the US it was United that checked documents and cleared us to fly, and once we got to customs in the US no mention was made of covid.
posted by OHenryPacey at 7:30 AM on October 27, 2021
At one point, checking in for a Ryanair flight from Madrid to Malta, they told us the CDC card was no longer valid, but then they changed their minds and gave us clearance. The airline checked documents and gave each passenger a slip of paper and that was the golden ticket at the other end, moreso than the actual documentation.
Passport control in Frankfurt, at the time, only cared about vax status. When we returned to the US it was United that checked documents and cleared us to fly, and once we got to customs in the US no mention was made of covid.
posted by OHenryPacey at 7:30 AM on October 27, 2021
I flew from the US to the UK in August. I was required to upload proof of vaccination and a negative test to the airline's app (VeriFLY, which is used both by American Airlines and British Airways) and I also had to show that proof at the airport when checking in.
I also was required to fill out a passenger locator form for the UK and state everywhere that I was staying, and also book and take a COVID test on or before day 2 after arrival. They made it super easy to get a test - the NHS shipped me a self-test and there were also loads of testing centers around London.
Upon returning, I also used the VeriFLY app to upload my proof of negative test to return to the US.
posted by bedhead at 9:00 AM on October 27, 2021
I also was required to fill out a passenger locator form for the UK and state everywhere that I was staying, and also book and take a COVID test on or before day 2 after arrival. They made it super easy to get a test - the NHS shipped me a self-test and there were also loads of testing centers around London.
Upon returning, I also used the VeriFLY app to upload my proof of negative test to return to the US.
posted by bedhead at 9:00 AM on October 27, 2021
Thank you, everyone. This is all very helpful.
The thing is, unless you have a direct flight from your town, you won't be traveling only with folks going to your destination anyway.
We're looking at flying directly from my hometown (username might be a bit of a giveaway!) to the Turks & Caicos, which as JoeyZydeco noted, has very strict vaccination requirements.
You'd also need to be flying to someplace that ... doesn't allow children? That seems unlikely to find.
Hah! That would be something. But yes, you're right, there would likely be unvaccinated child travelers. Though of course we're very close to authorizing a pediatric vaccine.
You’re fairly unlikely to find a place that bans its own citizens from returning without a vaccine AND admits noncitizens just because they’re vaxxed.
This is a very good point. However, T & C also has burdensome requirements for returning residents who are not vaccinated. In particular, they face a mandatory seven-day quarantine at their own expense, plus a test before and during quarantine. Vaccinated residents have testing requirements waived. I'm sure some residents still leave and return without being vaccinated, but given the hurdles, it's hopefully a very low figure.
posted by DavidNYC at 9:54 AM on October 27, 2021
The thing is, unless you have a direct flight from your town, you won't be traveling only with folks going to your destination anyway.
We're looking at flying directly from my hometown (username might be a bit of a giveaway!) to the Turks & Caicos, which as JoeyZydeco noted, has very strict vaccination requirements.
You'd also need to be flying to someplace that ... doesn't allow children? That seems unlikely to find.
Hah! That would be something. But yes, you're right, there would likely be unvaccinated child travelers. Though of course we're very close to authorizing a pediatric vaccine.
You’re fairly unlikely to find a place that bans its own citizens from returning without a vaccine AND admits noncitizens just because they’re vaxxed.
This is a very good point. However, T & C also has burdensome requirements for returning residents who are not vaccinated. In particular, they face a mandatory seven-day quarantine at their own expense, plus a test before and during quarantine. Vaccinated residents have testing requirements waived. I'm sure some residents still leave and return without being vaccinated, but given the hurdles, it's hopefully a very low figure.
posted by DavidNYC at 9:54 AM on October 27, 2021
This thread is closed to new comments.
BUT! Iceland does allow for those "Travelers who do not have a certificate of full vaccination or previous infection / antibody:
Require two PCR tests to diagnose SARS-CoV-2 / COVID-19, quarantined in between. The first sampling is on arrival in the country, but the second 5 days after the first.
In quarantine, the rules on quarantine and on quarantine housing must be followed".
posted by tipsyBumblebee at 9:13 PM on October 26, 2021