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Update May 10, 2024

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Update on Change to U.S. Travel Policy Requiring COVID-19 Vaccination for nonimmigrant travel

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The Administration will end the COVID-19 vaccine requirements for international air travelers at the end of the day on May 11, the same day that the COVID-19 public health emergency ends. This means starting May 12, noncitizen nonimmigrant air passengers will no longer need to show proof of being fully vaccinated with an accepted COVID-19 vaccine to board a flight to the United States. CDC’s Amended Order Implementing Presidential Proclamation on Safe Resumption of Global Travel During the COVID-19 Pandemic will no longer be in effect when the Presidential Proclamation Advancing the Safe Resumption of Global Travel During the COVID-19 Pandemic is revoked .

Please see: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/05/01/the-biden-administration-will-end-covid-19-vaccination-requirements-for-federal-employees-contractors-international-travelers-head-start-educators-and-cms-certified-facilities/

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Fact Sheet: Biden Administration Releases Additional Detail for Implementing a Safer, More Stringent International Air Travel   System

As we continue to work to protect people from COVID-19, today, the Biden Administration is releasing additional detail around implementation of the new international air travel policy requiring foreign national travelers to the United States to be fully vaccinated. This updated policy puts in place an international travel system that is stringent, consistent across the globe, and guided by public health. Starting on November 8, non-citizen, non-immigrant air travelers to the United States will be required to be fully vaccinated and to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination status prior to boarding an airplane to fly to the U.S., with only limited exceptions. The updated travel guidelines also include new protocols around testing. To further strengthen protections, unvaccinated travelers – whether U.S. Citizens, lawful permanent residents (LPRs), or the small number of excepted unvaccinated foreign nationals – will now need to test within one day of departure. Today, the Administration is releasing the following documents to implement these requirements: 1) a Presidential Proclamation to Advance the Safe Resumption of Global Travel During the COVID-19 Pandemic; 2) three Centers for Disease Control and  Prevention (CDC) Orders on vaccination, testing, and contact tracing; and 3) technical instructions to provide implementation details to the airlines and their passengers.  With science and public health as our guide, the United States has developed a new international air travel system that both enhances the safety of Americans here at home and enhances the safety of international air travel. The additional detail released today provides airlines and international air travelers with time to prepare for this new policy ahead of the November 8 implementation date. As previously announced, fully vaccinated foreign nationals will also be able to travel across the Northern and Southwest land borders for non-essential reasons, such as tourism, starting on November 8. Additional detail on amendments to restrictions with respect to land borders will be available in the coming days. Travelers can find full details about today’s air travel announcement on the CDC and Department of State websites.  A summary is below: Fully Vaccinated Status:

• Starting on November 8, non-citizen, non-immigrant air travelers to the United States will be required to be fully vaccinated and to provide proof of vaccination status prior to boarding an airplane to fly to the U.S.

Proof of Vaccination:

• For foreign nationals, proof of vaccination will be required – with very limited exceptions – to board the plane.
• Match the name and date of birth to confirm the passenger is the same person reflected on the proof of vaccination;
• Determine that the record was issued by an official source (e.g., public health agency, government agency) in the country where the vaccine was given;
• Review the essential information for determining if the passenger meets CDC’s definition for fully vaccinated such as vaccine product, number of vaccine doses received, date(s) of administration, site (e.g., vaccination clinic, health care facility) of vaccination.
• The Biden Administration will work closely with the airlines to ensure that these new requirements are implemented successfully.

Accepted Vaccines:

• CDC has determined that for purposes of travel to the United States, vaccines accepted will include FDA approved or authorized and World Health Organization (WHO) emergency use listed (EUL) vaccines.
• Individuals can be considered fully vaccinated ≥2 weeks after receipt of the last dose if they have received any single dose of an FDA approved/authorized or WHO EUL approved single-dose series (i.e., Janssen), or any combination of two doses of an FDA approved/authorized or WHO emergency use listed COVID-19 two-dose series (i.e. mixing and matching).
• More details are available in the CDC Annex here .

Enhanced Testing:

• Previously, all travelers were required to produce a negative viral test result within three days of travel to the United States.
• Both nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs), such as a PCR test, and antigen tests qualify.
• As announced in September, the new system tightens those requirements, so that unvaccinated U.S. Citizens and LPRs will need to provide a negative test taken within one day of traveling.
• That means that all fully vaccinated U.S. Citizens and LPRs traveling to the United States should be prepared to present documentation of their vaccination status alongside their negative test result.
• For those Americans who can show they are fully vaccinated, the same requirement currently in place will apply – they have to produce a negative test result within three days of travel.
• For anyone traveling to the United States who cannot demonstrate proof of full vaccination, they will have to produce documentation of a negative test within one day of departure.

Requirements for Children:

• Children under 18 are excepted from the vaccination requirement for foreign national travelers, given both the ineligibility of some younger children for vaccination, as well as the global variability in access to vaccination for older children who are eligible to be vaccinated.
• Children between the ages of 2 and 17 are required to take a pre-departure test.
• If traveling with a fully vaccinated adult, an unvaccinated child can test three days prior to departure (consistent with the timeline for fully vaccinated adults). If an unvaccinated child is traveling alone or with unvaccinated adults, they will have to test within one day of departure.

Limited Exceptions from the Vaccination Requirement:

• There are a very limited set of exceptions from the vaccination requirement for foreign nationals. These include exceptions for children under 18, certain COVID-19 vaccine clinical trial participants, those with medical contraindications to the vaccines, those who need to travel for emergency or humanitarian reasons (with a US government-issued letter affirming the urgent need to travel), those who are traveling on non-tourist visas from countries with low-vaccine availability (as determined by the CDC), and other very narrow categories.
• Those who receive an exception will generally be required to attest they will comply with applicable public health requirements, including, with very limited exceptions, a requirement that they be vaccinated in the U.S. if they intend to stay here for more than 60 days.

Contact Tracing:

• The CDC is also issuing a Contact Tracing Order that requires all airlines flying into the United States to keep on hand – and promptly turn over to the CDC, when needed – contact information that will allow public health officials to follow up with inbound air travelers who are potentially infected or have been exposed to someone who is infected.
• This is a critical public health measure both to prevent the introduction, transmission, and spread of new variants of COVID-19 as well as to add a critical prevention tool to address other public health threats.

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Coronavirus Updates

Cdc says travel is safe for fully vaccinated people, but opposes nonessential trips.

Rachel Treisman

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its domestic travel guidance for fully vaccinated people on Friday, lifting certain requirements while continuing to advise mitigation measures like mask-wearing and hand-washing. Angus Mordant/Bloomberg via Getty Images hide caption

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its domestic travel guidance for fully vaccinated people on Friday, lifting certain requirements while continuing to advise mitigation measures like mask-wearing and hand-washing.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has updated its domestic travel guidance for fully vaccinated people, lifting certain testing and self-quarantine requirements and recommending precautions like wearing a mask and avoiding crowds. But health officials continue to discourage nonessential travel, citing a sustained rise in cases and hospitalizations.

The CDC updated its website on Friday to reflect the latest scientific evidence, writing that "people who are fully vaccinated with an FDA-authorized vaccine can travel safely within the United States."

The announcement comes less than a month after the CDC first released updated guidance about gatherings for fully vaccinated people, which it described as a "first step" toward returning to everyday activities.

Air Travel Is Opening Up Again, But That Doesn't Mean The Pandemic Is Over

The CDC considers someone fully vaccinated two weeks after they receive the last dose of vaccine. Those individuals will no longer need to get tested before or after travel unless their destination requires it, and do not need to self-quarantine upon return.

The new guidance means, for example, that fully vaccinated grandparents can fly to visit their healthy grandkids without getting a COVID-19 test or self-quarantining as long as they follow other recommended measures while traveling, according to CDC Director Rochelle Walensky.

Those measures include wearing a mask over their nose and mouth, staying 6 feet from others and washing their hands frequently. Masks are required on all planes traveling into, within or out of the U.S., under an executive order issued by President Biden.

But Walensky, speaking at a White House COVID-19 Response Team briefing on Friday, nonetheless discouraged all nonessential travel, citing a continued increase in the seven-day average of cases and hospitalizations.

"While we believe that fully vaccinated people can travel at low risk to themselves, CDC is not recommending travel at this time due to the rising number of cases," Walensky said.

CDC Director Fears 'Impending Doom' If U.S. Opens Too Quickly

She said that while vaccinated people can do more things safely, most Americans are not yet fully vaccinated. Those who are not must have a negative test 1-3 days before they travel under CDC guidance. They must either get tested 3-5 days after they return and self-quarantine for 7 days, or self-quarantine for 10 days with no test.

Walensky said on Monday that there is more travel occurring now than throughout the pandemic, including the winter holidays. She acknowledged that people have been looking to get away over spring break or take advantage of what they perceive as a "relative paucity in cases," and she said the country was seeing an uptick in cases as a result.

"The thing that's different this time is that we actually have it in our power to be done with the scale of the vaccination," she said. "And that will be so much slower if we have another surge to deal with as well."

The U.S. is already seeing an uptick in domestic travel, and many Americans are looking to book trips in the coming months in what experts described to NPR as a sign of "clear pent up demand for travel."

As the country's supply of COVID-19 doses has grown, so has Biden's goal for the number of shots in arms during his first 100 days, doubling the target to 200 million by the end of this month. Many states have already expanded eligibility to all adults or are set to do so in the coming weeks, well ahead of the president's May 1 deadline.

According to NPR's vaccine tracker , 16.9% of the U.S. population is fully vaccinated, and 30% has had at least one dose. Researchers estimate that 70% to 85% of the country would need to have immunity for COVID-19 to stop spreading through communities.

International travel restrictions remain

The CDC is not lifting travel restrictions barring the entry of most non-U.S. citizens from places including China, Brazil, South Africa and parts of Europe. It will continue to require airline passengers entering the U.S. to get a test within three days of their departure and show proof of a negative result before boarding.

The travel industry has been pushing for some of these restrictions to end. A group of 26 organizations sent a letter to White House COVID-19 czar Jeffrey Zients urging the federal government "to partner with us to develop, by May 1, 2021, a risk-based, data-driven roadmap to rescind inbound international travel restrictions."

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"To be clear, at this time, we do not support removal or easing of core public health protections, such as the universal mask mandate, inbound international testing requirement, physical distancing or other measures that have made travel safer and reduced transmission of the virus," they wrote. "However, the data and science demonstrate that the right public health measures are now in place to effectively mitigate risk and allow for the safe removal of entry restrictions."

Travel and tourism have taken a considerable hit because of the pandemic with industry groups noting that overseas travel to the U.S. declined by 81% in 2020, causing billions of dollars in losses. Without lifting international travel bans, the U.S. Travel Association estimates that some 1.1 million American jobs will not be restored and billions in spending will be lost by the end of the year.

"Fortunately, enough progress has been made on the health front that a rebound for domestic leisure travel looks possible this year, but that alone won't get the job done," Roger Dow, the association's president and CEO, said in a statement . "A full travel recovery will depend on reopening international markets, and we must also contend with the challenge of reviving business travel."

Fauci Expects Surge In Vaccinations To Keep A 4th Coronavirus Wave At Bay

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US to drop travel ban for vaccinated international travelers starting in early November

The United States announced a new international air travel system Monday, opening travel for all vaccinated foreign nationals in early November, including those currently impacted by the U.S. travel ban .

"This vaccination requirement deploys the best tool we have in our arsenal to keep people safe and prevent the spread of the virus," said White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Jeff Zients. "Vaccines continue to show that they're highly effective, including against the delta variant, and the new system allows us to implement strict protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19."

Travelers will need to  show proof of full vaccination  prior to boarding U.S.-bound planes. A COVID-19 test will also continue to be required within three days of departure and proof of negative results must be shown. Enhanced contact tracing and masking will also be required, but there will be no quarantine mandate.

►What travelers need to know: The new COVID rules for international flights to US don't just impact foreign tourists

The new policy also adds more stringent testing requirements for unvaccinated U.S. travelers, who will need to test within one day of departure and once again after arrival.

Zients said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will release a list of accepted vaccinations before the new policy goes into effect, as well as a contact tracing order that requires airlines to collect information such as phone numbers and email addresses of all U.S.-bound travelers. 

"This will enable CDC and state and local public health officials to follow up with inbound travelers and those around them as someone has potentially been exposed to COVID-19 or other pathogens," Zients said. "(It) will also strengthen our public health surveillance system against any future public health threats."

Vaccinated Americans are still subject to the CDC's requirement, put in place in January , to test negative for COVID-19 no more than three days before an international flight to the U.S.

The U.S. ban on nonessential travel   has been in place since early 2020 , starting with China and expanding to visitors from the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, the 29 regions in the European Schengen region, Iran, Brazil, South Africa and India.

European Union Ambassador to the U.S. Stavros Lambrinidis hinted at the decision  on Twitter earlier Monday, before  sharing the news : "Travel ban lifted! Vaccinated, pre-flight tested Europeans will again be able to travel to the US from November, just as vaccinated Americans are today allowed to travel to the EU."

Slow to open the US

The U.S. has been among the slowest countries to lift its travel restrictions . While Canada reopened its land borders to U.S. travelers in early August , the U.S. has yet to announce when it will ease its land border restrictions. And even as European countries  eased travel restrictions on U.S. travelers in the early summer months, the United States' travel ban held fast. 

In mid-July, as the country was under mounting pressure from European capitals and travel industry leaders to lift the travel ban, President Joe Biden said his response team was reviewing the travel restrictions and suggested changes would be announced in the coming days. White House press secretary Jen Psaki noted later that month that there were  "ongoing working groups"  focused on how to reopen international travel into the U.S.

► International travel bans: How COVID-19 travel restrictions have impacted families and couples

But as COVID-19 cases began to spike once again, the administration pivoted and announced that travel restrictions would remain in place.

"Given where we are today … with the delta variant , we will maintain existing travel restrictions at this point for a few reasons," Psaki said at a press briefing in late July . 

The U.S. has already reported more COVID-19 deaths in September than in all of August, with deaths now averaging nearly 2,000 per day, according to USA TODAY analysis of Johns Hopkins data .

'Travel bans are really kind of silly'

In recent months, countries in the U.S. travel ban – including Italy, France, Spain and Sweden – have tightened entry requirements for travelers from the U.S. due to rising COVID-19 cases. Quarantine mandates, vaccine requirements and outright bans are some of the restrictions international U.S. travelers now face .  

Critics and health experts have also questioned the effectiveness of the travel bans, especially after the U.S. took on its fourth surge of COVID-19 with the mandates in place. 

► Which EU countries are open to US tourists: A breakdown of EU travel restrictions by country

► From Belize to Brazil : Here are the travel restrictions across Central and South America due to COVID-19

When COVID-19 case counts are high, "travel bans are really kind of silly," Susan Hassig, an epidemiologist at the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, told USA TODAY. "We've already got more than enough virus circulating." 

Hassig said the new travel policy "makes a lot of sense" and is a "substantial and relevant step forward" but could be strengthened with a quarantine mandate.

"I would have liked to have seen a three-day quarantine upon arrival, whether you're returning American or foreign national ... especially with delta still circulating as much as it is," she said. Hassig noted that it's possible for travelers to get infected the day before travel, which could be too soon to appear on a post-arrival test. 

Travel industry, other countries 'delighted' over announcement

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Monday on Twitter that he was "delighted" to hear that the travel ban would drop on vaccinated U.K. residents, and called the new travel policy a "fantastic boost for business and trade."

U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow said the new policy should help revive the American economy. 

"This is a major turning point in the management of the virus and will accelerate the recovery of the millions of travel-related jobs that have been lost due to international travel restrictions," Dow said in a Monday statement.  

The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, which represents nearly 50,000 flight attendants at 17 airlines, said the new policy "only increases (the) health and safety" in air travel. 

"We applaud the Biden Administration for announcing plans to reunite families and open travel with strict procedures to ensure transportation doesn't aid in the spread of the virus," AFA President Sara Nelson said in a Monday statement. "International travel is essential to the stability of our jobs and the full recovery of the U.S. airline industry, but recovery is only possible if we remain focused first on safety and health."

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U.S. ending COVID-19 vaccine mandates for travellers, federal workers

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The Biden administration will lift the COVID-19 vaccine requirement for international travellers entering the United States next week, the White House announced Monday.

The mandate for air travellers, as well as a separate order covering federal government workers and contractors, will come to an end on May 11 — the same day the national public health emergency related to the pandemic will be lifted.

The administration will also “start the process to end” vaccine mandates for early childhood educators in the Head Start program, health-care workers and “certain noncitizens at the land border” on the same day, a statement from the White House said.

“Our COVID-19 vaccination requirements bolstered vaccination across the nation, and our broader vaccination campaign has saved millions of lives,” the statement said.

The White House added the U.S. is “in a different phase of our response to COVID-19 than we were when many of these requirements were put into place” in 2021.

At the time they were announced, those mandates and others covered more than 100 million Americans.

The lifting of the vaccine mandate for incoming travellers comes months after Canada’s own program was allowed to expire. Travellers entering Canada have not been required to show proof of vaccination since Oct. 1, 2022.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) relaxed the international traveller mandate last week, considering anyone who received a single dose of either a Pfizer or Moderna bivalent vaccine on or after Aug. 16, 2022, as having met the requirement. Before, at least two doses of an approved vaccine were required.

“For over three years now there have been barriers to cross-border travel,” said Democratic Rep. Brian Higgins of New York, who has long advocated for the removal of the mandates and others, like the one covering truckers, that impeded cross-border trade during the pandemic.

“While long overdue, this last lifting of pandemic restrictions is certainly welcome news and critically important as we seek opportunities to encourage a robust cross-border exchange that delivers shared prosperity.”

The Biden administration’s vaccine mandates for federal workers and contractors have been subject to a series of court challenges that argued the White House overstepped its authority in imposing health requirements on people.

The vaccine requirement for federal workers was blocked by a U.S. appeals court in March. Yet the administration has noted 98 per cent of the federal government workforce had complied with the mandate.

Federal courts and Congress have already rolled back Biden’s vaccine requirements for large employers and military service members.

Mandates for many employees of the National Institutes of Health, Indian Health Service and Department of Veterans Affairs — which implemented their own requirements for health-care staff and others independent of the White House — will remain while those agencies review their own requirements, the administration said.

More than 270 million people in the U.S., or just over 81 per cent of the population, have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, according to the CDC. Over 83 per cent of Canadians have been vaccinated with at least one shot.

— with files from The Associated Press

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U.S. Ends Last Covid Travel Barrier, Vaccine Mandate for Foreign Arrivals

By Ceylan Yeginsu

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International passengers traveling to the United States no longer have to show proof of vaccination against Covid as of midnight Thursday, when the coronavirus health emergency officially ended .

The Biden administration dropped its requirement for coronavirus testing last June but kept in place its vaccination policy for foreign travelers. In February, the House of Representatives voted to end the last remaining pandemic restrictions on May 11.

“As we continue to monitor the evolving state of Covid-19 and the emergence of virus variants, we have the tools to detect and respond to the potential emergence of a variant of high consequence,” President Biden said in a proclamation published on May 1.

“Considering the progress that we have made, and based on the latest guidance from our public health experts, I have determined that we no longer need the international air travel restrictions that I imposed in October 2021,” he added.

Why It Matters: Most other countries have dropped restrictions.

For 18 months during the height of the pandemic, the U.S. closed its borders to international travelers, separating families and costing the global travel industry billions of dollars.

In November 2021, those restrictions were eased, and international travelers were welcomed back to the United States with great fanfare. But foreign travelers were still required to be vaccinated and take a coronavirus test within three days of travel to all U.S. ports of entry. When the administration dropped its testing rule in June last year but kept vaccinations in place, it argued that they were still necessary to slow the spread of new variants of the virus entering the country.

As of last summer, the U.S. was one of the few remaining countries to maintain coronavirus travel restrictions, causing many travelers to choose alternative destinations that welcome them unconditionally.

The rules barred the world’s No. 1-ranked tennis player, Novak Djokovic, from competing in the U.S. Open in 2022 because he is not vaccinated.

Background: Spending by foreign travelers in the U.S. still lags.

The initial U.S. travel ban on international travel decimated the U.S. economy’s tourism sector and resulted in losses of nearly $300 billion in visitor spending and more than one million American jobs, according to the U.S. Travel Association, an industry group.

Until April last year, all passengers traveling to or within the U.S. were required to wear masks on airplanes — a contentious mandate that led to fistfights and altercations on planes and put off some international travelers from taking long-haul flights.

Even after the restrictions were eased, spending by international travelers in the U.S. was still down by 78 percent in March 2022 compared to 2019 levels and by 56 percent for business travel, the group said.

“Today’s action to lift the vaccine requirement eases a significant entry barrier for many global travelers, moving our industry and country forward,” Geoff Freeman, the chief executive of the association, said in a statement after the May 11 end date was announced.

Ceylan Yeginsu is a travel reporter. She was previously a correspondent for the International desk in Britain and Turkey, covering politics; social justice; the migrant crisis; the Kurdish conflict, and the rise of Islamic State extremism in Syria and the region. More about Ceylan Yeginsu

Confused about proof-of-vaccination requirements for travel? Your questions answered

The federal government's requirement for proof-of-vaccination to travel domestically starts oct. 30.

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This week, the federal government announced that as of Oct. 30 , all travellers boarding a plane, train or marine vessel in Canada will need proof of full vaccination  against COVID-19.

"Fully vaccinated" is defined as a full series of a Health Canada-approved vaccine, with the last dose having been administered at least 14 days prior to the day of travel. A combination of approved shots is also acceptable.

There will be a period of transition through November for people who are in the process of getting fully vaccinated, but eventually, to travel by air, rail or water in Canada, or from Canada to international destinations on Canadian airlines, full vaccination will be required.

That prompted some questions from you. 

Will the government allow a 3rd shot for those who have mixed vaccines so they can fulfil November travel plans?

For domestic travel, your two mixed doses of Health Canada-approved vaccines are fine and entirely acceptable. 

Travelling internationally is not as straightforward, as countries have their own specific rules with respect to entry, vaccination status and whether a quarantine is required.

Right now, the Canadian government still advises against any unessential travel  outside of Canada. But many Canadians have travelled to the U.S., which sometime in November will have its own requirement for entrants to be fully vaccinated.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced late Friday that the United States will accept international visitors inoculated with  COVID -19 vaccines authorized by U.S. regulators or the World Health Organization , which includes vaccines that were administered in Canada but not in the U.S., such as Oxford-AstraZeneca. 

While it's unclear whether that includes mixed doses, the CDC said it would release "additional guidance and information as the travel requirements are finalized."

The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) has not yet recommended a third shot simply for the ability of international travel. 

But some provinces have moved ahead on that front. Saskatchewan , Alberta and Quebec  announced in the summer that they would offer a third shot to people whose vaccines weren't recognized internationally.

This week,  Manitoba announced it would also offer a 3rd shot of an mRNA vaccine to anyone who got a full mixed series, or two doses of AstraZeneca, or one dose of Janssen. 

"We don't recommend a booster shot for international travel," Dr. Joss Reimer, medical lead of Manitoba's vaccine task force said during a briefing Wednesday. "What we did instead is just make a third dose available for travellers where they are not allowed to go to certain destinations because that destination doesn't recognize what they received here."

• Fully vaccinated and ready to travel abroad? You might still face hurdles

Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada's chief public health officer, said late last month that the government continues to engage with other countries about accepting a mixed vaccine dose; those talks are still ongoing.

It is up to any individual country to decide what qualifies as "fully vaccinated" when it comes to allowing foreigners to enter. 

"We've been presenting our data, for example, in the vaccine effectiveness of the mixed dose schedule such as AstraZeneca followed by mRNA vaccines," Tam said Sept. 24 in Ottawa.

• U.S. vaccination requirement for air passengers worries Canadians with mixed vaccines
• Biden easing foreign air travel restrictions, requiring vaccines

She added that progress may be quicker when it comes to European countries because some of them have also used the mixed-dosing schedules. 

"But we still have to advise travellers that they must check in with the specific country requirements prior to travel because it is a bit of a varied landscape out there," she said.

Will the new rules mean that we won't need a negative COVID-19 test three days before a flight within Canada anymore?

There will be a short period of time when individuals who are in the process of being vaccinated will be able to travel domestically if they can show a negative COVID-19 molecular test within 72 hours of their travel date. 

But that period will end Nov. 30.

After that, showing a negative COVID-19 test to travel within Canada — rather than proof-of-vaccination — will no longer be an option.

"By the end of November, if you're 12 or older and want to fly or take the train, you'll have to be fully vaccinated as will staff," said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, during a briefing Wednesday on the new rules. "Testing will no longer be an option before boarding."

For international travel, the rules around pre-flight testing remain unchanged .

International travellers coming to Canada still need to show a negative molecular COVID-19 test that was done within 72 hours of their flight departure time. Rapid antigen tests are not accepted. 

WATCH | Justin Trudeau lays out the new proof-of-vaccination rules: 

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announces new vaccine mandate

I got a vaccine not approved in canada. can i get another set of vaccines so i can travel .

Eligibility for a new set of vaccines is at the discretion of each province or territory, as they are responsible for vaccine eligibility and distribution.

Many do currently offer an additional shot to individuals already vaccinated against COVID-19 with a vaccine not approved by Health Canada, including Manitoba , Ontario , and  Nova Scotia .

It is recommended that anyone who received a COVID-19 vaccine not approved in Canada contact their local health authority for information about getting a Health Canada-approved vaccine. 

What about people who have recovered from COVID? 

Recovery from COVID-19 is unlikely to get you an exemption from the need to be fully vaccinated to travel domestically. 

"For the vast, vast majority of people, the rules are very simple — to travel, you've got to be vaccinated," Trudeau said during the same briefing.

"If you haven't gotten your shots yet but want to travel this winter, let me be clear, there will only be a few extremely narrow exceptions, like a valid medical condition."

He said the government is working with Health Canada to define those exemptions, but warned they will be onerous to obtain. 

"Let me say that simply having a personal conviction that vaccines are bad will not be nearly enough to qualify for an exemption."

Right now, the government does not recognize travellers to Canada who have recovered from COVID-19 and had only one dose of a vaccine to be "fully vaccinated."

According to its information page on travel , "If you have recovered from COVID-19, you still need a full series of an accepted COVID-19 vaccine or combination of accepted vaccines." 

WATCH | Are these new rules legal?

Are the government's new travel rules legal?

How long will these measures will be put in place .

The government did not say. It will be up to the federal government to lift any national COVID-19 restrictions or regulations.

Clarifications

• B.C. has been taken off the list of provinces that offer third doses of COVID-19 vaccines so people can travel. Third doses are not available to the general population for travel in the province. Oct 13, 2021 11:59 AM ET

Related Stories

• Federal public servants, RCMP and air and rail travellers must be vaccinated by month's end, Trudeau says

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Travelers' Health Most Frequently Asked Questions

On this page, travel vaccines and medications, yellow fever vaccine.

CDC Travelers’ Health Branch provides health advice to international travelers, including advice about medications and vaccines. On this page, you’ll find some of our most frequently asked questions and responses.

1. What vaccines or medicines should I get before traveling to my destination?

A: It depends on where you are going and what you will be doing. Use our destination tool to find the vaccines and medications you need for your next trip, and schedule an appointment with your doctor or a travel medicine specialist at least a month before traveling to get recommended or required vaccines and medicines.

2. If I am going on a cruise that will stop in several countries, which vaccines should I get for each country?

A: You should be up-to-date on routine vaccines, such as measles-mumps-rubella (MMR), tetanus, and flu. Depending on where you’re going and what activities you plan, other vaccines may be recommended. More cruise information .

3. What is the difference between routine, recommended, and required vaccines?

A: Routine vaccines are those that are recommended for everyone in the United States based on their age, health condition, or other risk factors. You may think of these as the childhood vaccines you got before starting school, but some are routinely recommended for adults, like the adult pertussis booster Tdap, and some every year (like the flu vaccine) or every 10 years (like the tetanus booster for adults).

A required vaccine is one that travelers must have in order to enter a country, based on that country’s regulations. Yellow fever , meningococcal, and polio vaccines may be required by certain countries.

Recommended vaccines are those that CDC recommends travelers get to protect their health, even if they aren't required for entry by the government of the country you are visiting. They protect travelers from illnesses that are usually travel-related. For example, a typhoid vaccine can prevent typhoid , a serious disease spread by contaminated food and water, which is not usually found in the United States. The vaccines recommended for a traveler depend on several things, including age, health, and itinerary.

Find out more about travel vaccines . Clinicians: Use our 2-page Quick Guide to Travel Vaccination Recommendations .

4. What are the prices of vaccines needed for travel outside the United States?

A: Prices vary by provider and insurance coverage. You should be able to get routine vaccines from your primary health care provider, health clinic, or health department. Travel clinics and yellow fever vaccine clinics should be able to give you any vaccines that your health care provider cannot.  

5. How long do travel vaccines last (when do I need to get a booster dose)?

A: How long travel vaccines last depends on the vaccine. If you're traveling outside the United States, you should see a health care provider who is familiar with travel medicine at least a month before your trip. They can give you advice about any vaccines and vaccine boosters based on where you are going and your previous vaccinations. Be sure to bring your vaccine records to your appointment!

6. Which medications can I travel with?

A: When packing for trips abroad, don’t forget there may be special considerations for bringing your prescriptions and other medicines with you. Some medicines that are commonly prescribed or available over-the-counter in the United States can be illegal in other countries. Check with the embassy or consulate in the country you will be visiting to make sure your medicines are permitted in that country.

See your health care provider at least a month before you go to get any needed or extra medications, and pack medications in your carry-on in case your luggage is lost.

7. Which countries require yellow fever vaccine for travel?

A: Some countries in South America and Africa require you to provide proof that you have been vaccinated against yellow fever by presenting an International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis when entering the country. However, there are other popular travel destinations where the threat of infection with yellow fever virus is very real, and there is no requirement for you to be vaccinated to enter the country.

If you only get the yellow fever vaccine before going to countries that require it, you could be putting your health at risk. Since yellow fever disease can be serious or even fatal, CDC recommends that individuals be vaccinated when traveling to any areas where there is a risk of acquiring infection with yellow fever virus. Use our   destination tool to find out which vaccines the CDC recommends you have for anywhere you travel around the world and talk to a travel medicine provider for more details.

Yellow fever vaccine is only available at yellow fever vaccine clinic , so call ahead (well in advance of travel) and book your appointment.

Even if you get the yellow fever vaccine, you can still get other diseases from mosquito bites, like malaria, dengue, and Zika. The best ways to prevent mosquito-borne diseases are to use insect repellent while outdoors, wear long pants and long sleeves, and choose accommodations with air conditioning or mosquito nets. For travel to areas where malaria is a risk , taking medicine that can prevent malaria may also be advised.

8. How far in advance of my trip do I need to get the yellow fever vaccine?

A: For most people, it takes up to 10 days after the vaccine is given to be protected against the yellow fever virus . If your destination requires yellow fever vaccine, the proof of vaccination does not become valid until 10 days after the vaccine is given.

9. Where can I get a yellow fever vaccine in my area?

A: The nearest yellow fever vaccination clinic may be far away from where you live, and appointments may be limited. Be sure to contact the clinic ahead of time.

10. Who should not get the yellow fever vaccine?

A: Some people should not get the yellow fever vaccine : infants younger than 6 months, or people with a history of a bad reaction to the vaccine should not receive yellow fever vaccine. If you have a thymus disorder associated with abnormal immune cell function (such as a thymoma or myasthenia gravis) you should not receive yellow fever vaccine. If cancer, or the drugs or radiation used to treat cancer, has weakened your immune system, you should not receive yellow fever vaccine. If you received an organ transplant and take medicines to prevent rejection of that transplant, you should not receive yellow fever vaccine. Other conditions and medicines can also affect your immune system and could be a reason not to receive yellow fever vaccine. Check with your doctor to find out more.

If you are older than 60 years old, pregnant, or breastfeeding, talk to your doctor before getting a yellow fever vaccine. There are potential risks to your health from the vaccine. If you are infected with HIV, talk to your doctor; you may still be able to get yellow fever vaccine, depending on your CD4 cell count and immune function. Infants 6–8 months old can receive yellow fever vaccine, although it is less risky to postpone travel to areas with yellow fever until the baby is 9 months of age or older. After the age of 9 months, the health risks from the vaccine are considerably lower.

11. Is Zika a risk in my next destination?

A: Check our world map of areas with risk of Zika for the most up-to-date information before you make international travel plans. Please be advised: CDC does not track the number of Zika cases outside the United States.

It is difficult to determine the risk of Zika in other countries. Zika frequently causes only mild symptoms, and people with Zika might not go to the doctor. If they go to a doctor, the doctor might not test for Zika or report cases to the government. A lack of reported cases does not mean a lack of risk. CDC considers any country that has ever had Zika cases to have possible risk, but we cannot say how high or low that risk is.

CDC now recommends pregnant women and couples trying to become pregnant within the next 3 months first talk to their healthcare providers and carefully consider the risks and possible consequences of Zika infection before traveling to areas that report past or current spread of Zika but no current outbreak. Pregnant women: avoid mosquito bites and sexual exposure during travel. If partner travels, avoid sex or use condoms for remainder of pregnancy. Women planning to conceive may wish to delay pregnancy,

CDC continues to recommend that pregnant women not travel to areas where a Zika outbreak is occurring.

12. How can I contact the local US embassy?

A: 1. Enroll with the nearest US embassy or consulate through the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) . It’s a FREE service that allows US citizens traveling or living abroad to receive the latest security updates for their location. 2. If you need to contact a US embassy or consulate, call 1-888-407-4747 (from the US or Canada) OR 00-1-202-501-4444 (from other countries).

Travel healthy, from CDC’s Travelers’ Health!

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Which Vaccinations Are Required for Travel?

By Cassie Shortsleeve

A trip abroad requires you to be up-to-date on a whole checklist of things these days: travel insurance, airline policies, visas, passports , and, as far as your health is concerned, vaccines. Yet while the COVID-19 pandemic has made us acutely aware of the importance of staying healthy on the road, travel vaccines have always been a mainstay of safe travel—a crucial tool in avoiding the (often expensive) headaches of getting sick , and treating sicknesses, abroad.

Whether you have travel on the horizon or want to be prepared for 2023 trips and beyond, this guide will get you up to speed on the vaccinations required for travel depending on your destination, itinerary, and health status. Follow the below steps to protect your immune system in another country.

Make sure you’re current with routine vaccines

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends all travelers be up to date on routine vaccines before travel. Routine vaccines include shots like COVID-19; chickenpox; Hepatitis A and B; Influenza; Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR); Polio; and more. The CDC has a full list of routine vaccines here .

“‘Routinely recommended vaccines’ are vaccines that have been considered very important to prevent common diseases in the population to start,” says Lin H. Chen , M.D. director of the Travel Medicine Center at Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and the former president of the International Society of Travel Medicine (ISTM).

Routine vaccines protect against disease that exists at low levels (chickenpox) or barely exists at all (measles) in the U.S. They also protect against severe disease from diseases that are still present in the United States (influenza or COVID-19). Generally, they’re given in childhood or adolescence—though some are given through adulthood—so it’s always a good idea to double-check your vaccination records.

When traveling, routine shots are especially important because international travel increases your chances of both contracting and spreading diseases that aren’t common in the U.S. A good example of this is measles. While it’s practically non-existent in the U.S., international travel increases your risk of exposure and popular destinations including Europe still have measles outbreaks.

It’s worth double checking your status even if you think you’re up to date: “During the pandemic, some routine vaccination programs may have suffered lapses, so there is concern that diseases may become more common,” says Dr. Chen.

The routine vaccination recommendations have also changed over the years (the addition of the COVID-19 vaccine to the list is an example) and it’s easy to let vaccines like tetanus ( generally needed every 10 years ) lapse.

“It is even recommended at this time that certain adults who are traveling who have not had a polio vaccine for many years and are traveling to a risk area get an additional dose of the polio vaccine,” says Elizabeth D. Barnett , M.D., a professor at Boston University Medical School and a leader in the field of travel and tropical Medicine.

If you’re traveling with a child , talk to your pediatrician: Rules around vaccination can be different for babies traveling internationally. A baby who is not leaving the U.S., for example, gets their first dose of the MMR vaccine at 12 months; if they will be leaving the country, they get the first dose at six months .

Utilize official resources to learn more about vaccination recommendations around the world

“Understanding the epidemiology of where diseases are circulating is really important,” says Dr. Chen.

That’s why, generally, she sends travelers to the CDC’s website , which outlines exactly what additional vaccines you may need for essentially every country in the world. All you have to do is plug in your destination and you’ll find information about vaccines and medications, health travel notices, COVID-19 travel information, and more.

Start a conversation with your primary care doctor—then consider seeing a travel medicine specialist

It’s always good to start a conversation with your primary care doctor about vaccines before you travel, but if your itinerary is complex, involving multiple countries, being in rural areas, areas without good hygiene, or areas where you may not be able to protect yourself from mosquito- or food-borne illnesses, or if you have questions based on what you found on the CDC website or your own personal health history, consider asking your physician for a referral to a travel medicine specialist or travel clinic.

After all, when it comes to vaccinations required for travel, it’s not just about where you travel, but how you travel.

“The art of travel medicine is listening to where the person is going, what they're going to be doing, and making a decision based on the risk-benefit ratio,” says Dr. Barnett. A travel medicine doctor will be able to analyze disease trends and trip details such as how long you’ll be traveling or how well you’ll be able to protect yourself against mosquitoes. “You have to really dig into those things,” she says.

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Take a vaccine called the Japanese encephalitis vaccine, which prevents a type of encephalitis (inflammation of the brain). “We can't just say the risk is present in a specific country, because the risk depends on the time of year, whether the disease is being transmitted at that time, the exact location—rural areas, especially farming regions are associated with much higher risk — whether there's a local outbreak situation going on, and more.”

You may not be able to get every shot you need at your primary care doctor’s office either. The yellow fever vaccine, for example (which you may need if you’re traveling somewhere like Sub-Saharan Africa or specific parts of South America), is only available at special travel clinics or public health settings, says Dr. Barnett. You can find a list of travel medicine clinics on the CDC’s website.

Your health background (what diseases you’ve had in the past, whether or not you’re immune-suppressed, and if you’re more predisposed to a certain condition) also play a role in what vaccines to consider. (A very small subset of people vaccinated against yellow fever, for example, experience severe adverse events, says Dr. Barnett.)

The bottom line

For many people and many trips, discussing travel plans with your primary care doctor and using the CDC’s destination feature for vaccine guidance will suffice. Other, more complex trips require a visit to a travel clinic. If you’re aiming to get into one, start the process at least a month before your departure date—appointments can be hard to get and your body needs time to build up immunity from any additional vaccines you may require.

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The true tragedy of the Covid-19 vaccines

The jabs undoubtedly saved lives, but overblown claims sadly damaged the reputation of vaccination

Vaccination is one of mankind’s most miraculous innovations. The eradication of smallpox, and the retreat of measles and other cruel afflictions, mean that vaccines rival sanitation for first prize in the saving of lives. New jabs against malaria and melanoma promise great benefits. All the more reason to worry that Covid vaccines may have tarnished the technology’s reputation.

Vaccines never have been without some side-effects and risks. They are harm-reduction interventions, not harm-elimination ones. Mistakes have been made in the past. Some polio jabs in the 1960s were contaminated with the monkey virus SV40. Vaccination campaigns in Africa that re-used needles may have helped spread HIV.

The Covid jabs developed in 2020 undoubtedly reduced the severity of the virus for vulnerable people and contributed to the defeat of the pandemic – though the evolutionary replacement of harmful variants by the milder omicron types may have been a bigger factor. But the vaccines were not as effective or as safe as we were led to believe at first.

Indeed, some public health officials exaggerated the benefits and underplayed some of the risks. Thrombosis caused by the AstraZeneca vaccine and myocarditis caused by the messenger-RNA vaccines of BioNTech and Pfizer have emerged as rare but serious side effects. 

The pandemic’s legacy now seems to include greater public mistrust of vaccines in general. Measles is on the rise . More people are refusing the MMR jab. A recent Unicef survey found that vaccine confidence had fallen in 52 out of 55 countries.

Who is responsible? Public health officials tend to blame antivaxx campaigners with lurid conspiracy theories about Bill Gates, and they are partly right. But perhaps they should also look in the mirror. Misinformation came from both sides, and by overpromising what the vaccines could do, and demanding vaccine mandates, many scientists and government officials contributed to scepticism.

For example, the US government tried to reassure people about messenger-RNA vaccines by implicitly criticising live vaccines like those used for measles: “The mRNA vaccines do not contain any live virus. Instead, they work by teaching our cells to make a harmless piece of a ‘spike protein’.” So, live vaccines are not “harmless”?

America’s leading infectious-disease expert, Anthony Fauci, said in May 2021 that vaccination “makes it extremely unlikely – not impossible, but very, very low likelihood – that they’re going to transmit it … In other words, you become a dead end to the virus.” That turned out to be wrong, as he later admitted, with the jab doing little to prevent reinfection and transmission.

Preventing transmission was the excuse used for vaccinating children, yet when that excuse evaporated, the policy continued. For young age groups, wrote a clutch of doctors in the BMJ in December 2021, “the harms of taking a vaccine are almost certain to outweigh the benefits”.

Authoritarianism made the problem worse. France criminalised criticism of vaccine mandates; Canada froze the bank accounts of truckers for protesting against them. Part of the reason governments were so reckless in forcing vaccines was probably that they wanted an exit from lockdowns, which were imposed for longer and more often than promised.

Some of us urged ministers not to claim too much for vaccines or pretend there would be no side effects as that would backfire. But the Government pressed ahead with mandates to prevent care-home workers going to work unless vaccinated. A study by doctors concluded: “Our data suggest that debate around mandates can arouse strong concerns and could entrench scepticism. Policymakers should proceed with caution.”

This was compounded by a baffling refusal to acknowledge that natural immunity from Covid itself had a role in protecting people. In 2020 a paper in The Lancet stated that “there is no evidence for lasting protective immunity to SARS-CoV-2 following natural infection”. Yet we now know that it lasts longer and is more effective than the protection provided by a jab.

The backlash against vaccines will go too far. Italy’s former health minister Roberto Speranza, who imposed vaccine mandates, can no longer walk in a street without angry Italians calling him a murderer. But public health officials worldwide must concede that overblown claims and underestimated risks of the vaccines developed during Covid have hurt the reputation of a valuable medical technology.

To hear more on this story, listen to Episode 6 of The Lockdown Files podcast, The Forgotten Victims, using the audio player in this article, or on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , or wherever you get your podcasts. 

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From August 1, 2024, Onward: What Your Dog Needs to Enter the United States

At a glance.

Starting on August 1, 2024, dogs entering or returning to the United States must meet new, specific requirements depending on where they have been in the 6 months before entering the U.S. and where they received their rabies vaccines (if required).

Requirements for all dogs

Requirements for dogs with a current and valid rabies vaccination administered in the united states.

• Requirements for foreign-vaccinated dogs that have been in a country with high risk of dog rabies within 6 months before entry

Requirements for dogs that have been ONLY in countries that are dog rabies-free or low-risk during the 6 months before entry

All dogs must:

• Be at least 6 months of age at time of entry or return to the United States
• This must have been implanted prior to any required rabies vaccination
• The microchip number must be documented on all required forms and in all accompanying veterinary records
• Dogs may not enter the United States if they are carrying a disease contagious to people.
• Isolation of the dog, veterinary examination, and additional testing, at the importer’s expense, may be required to determine if the dog has a contagious disease and prevent spread if the dog does not appear healthy upon arrival.

This form should be filled out online ideally 2-10 days before arrival; however, it can also be completed right before travel (even in line at the border crossing) if you have internet access. If the information on the form changes before the dog arrives, you must submit a new form and indicate you are making changes to an existing form. All information, including port of entry where the dog is arriving, must be correct at time of arrival.

• This form requires you to upload a clear photograph of the dog showing its face and body. Dogs that will be less than one year of age at time of arrival should have the photograph taken within 10 days before arrival.
• There is no charge to importers for submitting this form.
• Additional requirements for dogs with a current rabies vaccination administered in the United States
• Additional requirements for dogs that have been in a country at high-risk for dog rabies within the 6 months before entry and do NOT have appropriate documentation of current US-issued rabies vaccine
• Additional requirements for dogs that have been ONLY in countries that are dog rabies-free or low-risk in the 6 months before entry

Dogs that do not meet all entry requirements or do not have accurate and valid forms will be denied entry to the United States and returned to the country of departure at the importer’s expense. These requirements apply to all dogs, including service dogs and dogs that were born in the United States.

Specific requirements depend on whether the dog has been in a high-risk country for dog rabies  in the past 6 months.

Dogs with a current rabies vaccination administered in the United States that have been in a high-risk country for dog rabies must:  

• Meet all requirements in the “All Dogs” section above
• The Certification of U.S.-issued Rabies Vaccination form is required for the importation (re-entry) of U.S.-vaccinated dogs that have been in high-risk countries for dog rabies  within the 6 months before re-entry into the United States.
• Please note, during the transition period, the importer may instead present a copy of the USDA endorsed export health certificate that was used to ship the dog from the United States, if that export health certificate documents the dog’s age (at least 6 months), the microchip number, and valid rabies vaccination administered in the United States. The rabies vaccination must be valid (not expired) on the date of return or the form will be invalid.
• Arrive at the location listed on the CDC Dog Import Form receipt (This can be any airport, land border crossing, or sea port but you must select this location when you complete the CDC Dog Import Form.)

Dogs with a current rabies vaccination administered in the United States that have NOT been in a high-risk country in the last 6 months must:

• A Certification of U.S.-Issued Rabies Vaccine form that was endorsed by USDA before the dog departed the United States; or
• Document a valid (unexpired) rabies vaccination administered in the United States (the form will be valid for the duration of the rabies vaccination (1 or 3 years)).
• Arrive at the location listed on the CDC Dog Import Form receipt (This can be any airport, land border crossing, or sea port but you must select this location when you complete the CDC Dog Import Form .)

Important information about the Certification of U.S.-Issued Rabies Vaccination Form

The Certification of U.S.-Issued Rabies Vaccination form must be completed before the dog departs the U.S. Before asking your veterinarian to complete this form, verify the following requirements will be met:

• Ensure your dog will be at least 6 months of age on date of return to the U.S.
• Have your dog microchipped with an International Organization for Standardization (ISO)-compatible microchip (implanted before any required rabies vaccinations)
• Ensure the veterinarian scans the dog for the ISO-compatible microchip and records the microchip number at the time of vaccine appointment. Rabies vaccines administered prior to microchip implantation will not be considered valid.
• Ensure the rabies vaccination will be valid for the entire duration of your travels. If your dog’s U.S.-issued rabies vaccination lapses while overseas and your dog has been in a high-risk country in the past 6 months, your dog will need to be revaccinated overseas and meet requirements for foreign-vaccinated dogs to return to the U.S., including having a rabies serology titer, arriving at a specific port of entry, and possible quarantine requirements.
• Your dog’s first rabies vaccination must be administered at least 28 days before travel.
• Ensure the veterinarian submits this form to the USDA for official endorsement through the VEHCS portal
• Your dog must travel with a printed copy of the official endorsed form upon your dog’s return to the United States if your dog has been in a high-risk country within the 6 months before returning to the U.S.

During the transition period, U.S.-vaccinated dogs that have been in a high-risk country in the past 6 months, may have either the Certification of U.S.-Issued Rabies Vaccination form or the USDA endorsed export health certificate for re-entry into the United States. Without one of these forms your dog will need to meet the requirements specific to the risk category of the countries where they have been in the 6 months before returning to the United States.

The export health certificate must document the dog’s age (at least 6 months), microchip number, and the rabies vaccination date. The rabies vaccine must be valid (not expired) on the date of return or the form will be invalid.

Requirements for foreign-vaccinated dogs that have been in a country with high risk of dog rabies within 6 months before entry

Dogs, including service dogs, that have been in a country at high-risk for dog rabies within the 6 months before entry and do not have appropriate documentation of current U.S.-issued rabies vaccine must:

• Meet all requirements in the “All Dogs” section
• Ensure the dog is microchipped with an International Organization for Standardization (ISO)-compatible microchip before receiving the rabies vaccination and the number is recorded on the veterinary documents or the vaccine will not be considered valid
• Verify the dog is at least 12 weeks (84 days) of age when vaccinated against rabies
• The dog must have a valid (i.e., non-expired) rabies vaccination. If it’s the dog’s first vaccination or if the dog’s vaccination coverage has lapsed, the vaccine must be administered at least 28 days before arrival to the United States.
• The Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip form must be completed by your veterinarian AND endorsed by an official veterinarian in the exporting country.
• The blood sample for the rabies serology titer must have been drawn at least 30 days after the dog’s first valid rabies vaccination and at least 28 days before entry to the U.S.
• Dogs with a history of multiple valid rabies vaccinations administered after the microchip was placed may have the sample for the rabies serology titer drawn at any time after a rabies booster vaccination as long as the dog’s first vaccine was given at least 30 days before the blood sample was drawn and there has been no lapse in vaccine coverage. If a lapse occurs, the sample must be drawn at least 30 days after the valid booster vaccination was administered.
• The sample must be sent to a CDC-approved rabies serology laboratory . If there is no CDC-approved laboratory in your country, your veterinarian may draw the sample and send it internationally to a CDC-approved laboratory.
• Passing results must be obtained in order for a serology to be valid.
• Rabies serology titer results will be considered valid for the life of the dog as long as the dog’s rabies vaccination coverage does not lapse. If a lapse occurs, a new rabies serology titer will be required and that sample must be drawn at least 30 days after the new vaccination was administered.
• If the dog does not have a valid rabies serology titer, it will be required to be quarantined at a CDC-registered animal care facility for 28 days after the dog is revaccinated by the facility’s veterinarian.
• All foreign-vaccinated dogs that have been in a high-risk country in the previous 6 months must have a reservation for examination, verification of age, documents, and microchip number, and administration of a rabies booster vaccination at a CDC-registered animal care facility immediately upon arrival in the United States.
• Dogs that do not have a valid rabies serology titer must also have a reservation for quarantine. Dogs will be quarantined at the facility for 28 days at the importer’s expense after being revaccinated by the facility’s veterinarian.
• All CDC-registered animal care facility expenses, including exam, revaccination, and quarantine (if required), are the responsibility of the importer.
• The facility will need copies of all required documents prior to confirming your reservation.
• Ensure the dog meets any facility-specific requirements (contact facility for additional information).
• If after arrival the CDC-registered animal care facility determines that your documents are not valid or the dog’s microchip number, age, or description does not match the paperwork provided, the dog may be denied entry and returned to the country of departure at your expense.
• Dogs that have evidence of illness or are not healthy will be required to have testing to confirm they do not have contagious diseases before they will be eligible for release, which may extend the required quarantine period beyond 28 days. Any required testing or extended stay in quarantine will be at the importer’s expense, so please ensure dogs are healthy upon arrival (including no evidence of fleas, ticks, or skin diseases).
• Dogs must arrive to the U.S. at the airport where the CDC-registered animal care facility is located. This must be the location where the dog has a reservation.
• This must also be the airport listed on the CDC Dog Import Form
• Domestic flights or other forms of travel to other locations in the U.S. are not permitted until after the dog receives required follow-up services at the CDC-registered animal care facility and is cleared for entry.
• SERVICE DOGS ARRIVING BY SEA : Service dogs, as defined in 14 CFR 382.3, may arrive by sea if they meet the requirements in the “All Dogs” section, have a complete Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip form and a valid rabies serology titer, and are traveling with their handler. Emotional support animals are not service animals under this definition.

Countries that are not on the list of countries at high risk for dog rabies  are considered to be free of or low risk for dog-mediated rabies virus variant (DMRVV) (called dog rabies-free or low-risk countries on these webpages).

Dogs, including service dogs, that have been ONLY in dog rabies-free or low-risk countries during the 6 months before entry into the United States must:

• Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip form, including the endorsement by an official veterinarian of the dog rabies-free or low-risk country where the dog has been located; AND EITHER (1) a valid rabies serology titer OR (2) veterinary records* (which list the microchip number) for the dog from the exporting country for the previous 6 months. The form must be completed within 30 days before arrival to the United States.
• Certification of U.S.-Issued Rabies Vaccination form that was endorsed by USDA before the dog departed the United States
• Is for the dog rabies-free or low-risk country where the dog’s return itinerary originated (the form will only be valid for 30 days if it does not contain rabies vaccination information), or
• Documents a valid (unexpired) rabies vaccination administered in the United States (the form will be valid for the duration of the rabies vaccination (1 or 3 years)).
• Certification of Dog Arriving from DMRVV-free or Low-Risk Country into the United States form endorsed by an official veterinarian in the exporting country; AND veterinary records* (which list the microchip number) for the dog from the exporting country for the 6 months before traveling to the U.S. The form must be completed within the 30 days before arriving to the United States.
• Foreign export certificate that documents the dog is at least 6 months of age, lists the dog’s International Organization for Standardization (ISO)-compatible microchip number, and has been endorsed by an official veterinarian of the exporting country; AND veterinary records* (which list the microchip number) for the dog from the exporting country for the previous 6 months
• Arrive at the location listed on the CDC Dog Import Form receipt (This can be any airport, land border crossing, or sea port but you must select it when you complete the CDC Dog Import Form .)

Any documentation that is not from the United States must be completed in the country where the dog’s travel originates. For example, if the dog’s documents were issued in France, the dog may not enter the U.S. via a land-border crossing from Mexico to the U.S.

*Examples of veterinary records that must accompany completed forms are European Union pet passports or proof of payment for veterinary services received in the exporting low-risk country for the previous 6 months. Records must include the dog’s microchip number.

For more information, see: Frequently Asked Questions on CDC Dog Importations  

If you have questions or need more information, please contact CDC-INFO at (800) 232-4636.

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Traveling with dogs to the U.S.? The new CDC rules you'll have to follow

All dogs coming into the U.S. from other countries must be at least 6 months old and microchipped to help prevent the spread of rabies, according to  new government rules  published Wednesday.

The new rules require vaccination for dogs that have been in countries where rabies is common. The update applies to dogs brought in by breeders or rescue groups as well as pets traveling with their U.S. owners.

“This new regulation is going to address the current challenges that we’re facing,” said Emily Pieracci, a rabies expert at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who was involved in drafting the updated regulations.

The CDC posted the  new rules in the federal register  on Wednesday. They take effect Aug. 1 when a temporary 2021 order expires. That order suspended bringing in dogs from  more than 100 countries  where rabies is still a problem.

The new rules require all dogs entering the U.S. to be at least 6 months, old enough to be vaccinated if required and for the shots to take effect; have a microchip placed under their skin with a code that can be used to verify rabies vaccination; and have completed a new CDC import form.

There may be additional restrictions and requirements based on where the dog was the previous six months, which may include blood testing from CDC-approved labs.

The CDC regulations were last updated in 1956, and a lot has changed, Pieracci said. More people travel internationally with their pets, and more rescue groups and breeders have set up overseas operations to meet the demand for pets, she said. Now, about 1 million dogs enter the U.S. each year.

Dogs were once common carriers of the rabies virus in the U.S. but the type that normally circulates in dogs was eliminated through vaccinations in the 1970s. The virus invades the central nervous system and is usually a fatal disease in animals and humans. It’s most commonly spread through a bite from an infected animal. There is no cure for it once symptoms begin.

Four rabid dogs have been identified entering the U.S. since 2015, and officials worried more might get through. CDC officials also were seeing an increase of incomplete or fraudulent rabies vaccination certificates and more puppies denied entry because they weren’t old enough to be fully vaccinated.

A draft version of the updated regulations last year drew a range of public comments.

Angela Passman, owner of a Dallas company that helps people move their pets internationally, supports the new rules. It can be especially tricky for families that buy or adopt a dog while overseas and then try to bring it to the U.S., she said. The update means little change from how things have been handled in recent years, she said.

“It’s more work for the pet owner, but the end result is a good thing,” said Passman, who is a board member for the International Pet and Animal Transportation Association.

But Jennifer Skiff said some of the changes are unwarranted and too costly. She works for Animal Wellness Action, a Washington group focused on preventing animal cruelty that helps organizations import animals. She said those groups work with diplomats and military personnel who have had trouble meeting requirements, a reason some owners were forced to leave their dogs behind.

The Associated Press