President Joe Biden will ease foreign travel restrictions into the U.S. beginning in November, when his administration will require all foreign nationals flying into the country to be fully vaccinated.

What You Need To Know

  • President Joe Biden will ease foreign travel restrictions into the U.S. beginning in November, when his administration will require all foreign travelers flying into the country to be fully vaccinated

  • White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients says they'll need to demonstrate proof of vaccination before boarding, as well as proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within three days of flight

  • Biden will also tighten testing rules for unvaccinated American citizens, who will need to be tested within a day before returning to the U.S., as well as after they arrive home

  • It was not immediately clear which vaccines would be acceptable under the U.S.-system and whether those unapproved in the U.S. – such as the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine, which is widely used throughout Europe and other countries worldwide, but is not authorized for use in the U.S. – could be used

The news was first reported by the Financial Times.

All foreign travelers flying to the U.S. will need to demonstrate proof of vaccination before boarding, as well as proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within three days of flight, said White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients, who announced the new policy on Monday.

Biden will also tighten testing rules for unvaccinated American citizens, who will need to be tested within a day before returning to the U.S., as well as after they arrive home.

Fully vaccinated passengers will not be required to quarantine, Zients said.

The new policy replaces a patchwork of travel restrictions first instituted by President Donald Trump last year and tightened by Biden earlier this year that restrict travel by non-citizens who have in the prior 14 days been in the United Kingdom, European Union, China, India, Iran, Republic of Ireland, Brazil and South Africa.

“This is based on individuals rather than a country based approach, so it’s a stronger system," Zients said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will also require airlines to collect contact information from international travelers to facilitate contact tracing, Zients said.

"This will enable CDC and state and local public health officials to follow up with inbound travelers and those around them if someone has potentially been exposed to Covid-19 and other pathogens," he said.

It was not immediately clear which vaccines would be acceptable under the U.S.-system and whether those unapproved in the U.S. – such as the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine, which is widely used throughout Europe and other countries worldwide, but is not authorized for use in the U.S. – could be used.

Zients said that decision would be up to the CDC.

The new policy will take effect in “early November," Zients said, to allow airlines and travel partners time to prepare to implement the new protocols.