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On September 20, 2021, the American authorities announced the reopening of the borders as of November 8, 2021 for people vaccinated against Covid-19. On October 25, 2021, US President Joe Biden signed a proclamation surrounding this reopening. The rules are now officially set!
Rules for adults
In addition to formalities to enter the United States, including the obligation to obtain ESTA electronic travel authorization, foreign adults over 18 who wish to travel to the United States from November 8, 2021 for vacation or for business must comply with the following conditions:
- Present a certificate of vaccination against Covid-19 with one of the vaccines accepted in the USA, knowing that European health passes are well recognized in the USA. The accepted vaccines are: Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson-Janssen and Sinopharm. Warning: the American authorities require that people who have been vaccinated with a vaccine requiring 2 doses (Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Sinopharm) have received the 2 doses. The second dose must have been injected 14 days before departure for the USA. Otherwise, the vaccination is considered incomplete. The French one-dose vaccination schedule for people sick with Covid is therefore not recognized in the USA. See the article on trips to the US with a single dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.
- Present the result of a negative Covid-19 test carried out within 3 calendar days prior to departure. This test can be of the PCR or antigenic type.
- Travelers will also need to wear a protective mask for the duration of the flight.l and respect the mask-wearing obligations in places that require the mask to be worn. The US government does not indicate any preference for the type of mask and therefore you can choose between a classic mask or an FFP2 mask.
- Good to know: no quarantine will be required on arrival. Likewise, European tourists and businessmen will not need to perform any further testing during their stay or take a return test.
Note that the American government provides for the possibility of entering the United States without vaccination against Covid-19 in very specific cases, for example for someone who would be intolerant to vaccines against Covid-19. It is then necessary to provide precise supporting documents, according to the format accepted by the American authorities. To see the official website of the White House.
The rules for children
Like adults, children should follow the usual formalities to enter the United States. In particular, each child, regardless of age, must have an electronic authorization IS. Regarding Covid-19:
- US authorities have announced that children and adolescents under 18 are exempt from the obligation of vaccination against Covid-19. They can therefore travel without restriction.
- Be careful, however: children 12 years of age and over will need to present a vaccination certificate attesting to at least one dose to access certain locations in New York. Proof of vaccination is required for restaurants, museums, theaters, sports halls, zoos. See the full list on New York City Hall official website. To see how this is applied on site, we contacted the administrators of The Edge observatory and they have confirmed to us that children 12 years of age and over must be vaccinated and present an identity document. The Edge also confirms that European health passes are fully recognized.
- Children 2 years of age and over must present a negative test for Covid-19 carried out within 3 calendar days prior to departure. The test can be a PCR test or an antigen test.
- Children 2 years of age and older will need to wear a mask throughout the trip to the USA. They must also respect the rules for wearing a mask on site, like adults.
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Everything to prepare your trip to New York
- If you are planning a next trip to New York, you will find everything you need on our site! Book now your entrance tickets, helicopter flight, cruises, pass, musical comedies and others excursions on our site. Better to book early: with open borders, tourists from all over the world are converging on New York and availability is dwindling fast, especially for helicopter flights and musicals. For Christmas, attend the famous Christmas show at Radio City Music Hall !
- Order our guide Destination New York. Our 256-page, full-color guidebook covers everything you need to know and see in New York City.
- Finally, book your Guided tours of New York in French. Laurène, Océane, Bénédicte, Bouchra and Virginie are waiting for you ! We advise you to book as soon as possible because, here too, the slots are filling up. It is in any case the best way to not miss anything of New York and to discover the essential places and the districts off the beaten track. For Christmas, do not miss our special visit to the Santa Claus district. A visit cited by M6 during a report in December 2019.
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