With the lifting of travel restrictions and the world opening up once again, most travelers are still cautious due to the devastation caused by the pandemic, and rightly so. With the US opening up its borders again, visits to magnet cities and fantastic national parks are now a plane ride away. If you are from the UK and plan to visit the States, here are a couple of things that you should know before you even plan your travel so that you don’t face any inconveniences later on.
In this article, we’re going to take a look at some of the requirements for traveling to the USA. Once you’re done with this article, you’ll know exactly what procedures to follow and you’ll be able to plan your journey well. So without further delay, let’s get to it and find out the things you need to do before traveling to the USA.
1. Entry Requirements
The first and most important thing you should do whenever you’re traveling to any country is to learn about the entry requirements. If you don’t learn about the requirements then the onus lies on you if you’re not allowed entry into the country and no one else can be blamed. If you’re traveling to the USA from the UK then you’ll either need a visa or an ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) visa waiver. Without this, you won’t be allowed in the country and your entire journey will be wasted. Considering the current state of the world that we live in, it would be a good idea to learn more about the Covid related restrictions as well since every country has a different set of rules. What makes the entire situation even more complicated is that every country has different rules for the citizens of different countries. This is why doing your homework is recommended as the rules also keep changing quite often.
2. Vaccination Status
The good news for people planning their trip to the US is that a lot of the restrictions have been lifted for them if they’re fully vaccinated. This means that you need to have been administered both doses to be eligible for this waiver. As far as the vaccine brand is concerned, any vaccine mandated by the WHO or approved by the FDA will do the job. These vaccines include the ones developed by AstraZeneca, BIBP, Covidshield, Pfizer, Moderna, Janssen, and Sinovac. This will save a lot of time for many travelers as they’ll be able to skip through the unnecessary hassle.
3. Tests Required
Due to the recent pandemic, every country in the world has imposed some travel restrictions to keep its citizens safe. Since the situation in the USA almost got out of hand due to coronavirus, the government has been extra careful with the people they allow inside their borders. It’s recommended that every traveler do their research and get all the tests done before they board their flight. There are various options available to get the day 2 lateral flow test done, and these can be at home or at a testing center depending on your convenience. The lateral flow antigen test is necessary for acquiring a ‘Fit to Fly’ certificate and fortunately, the United States is one of the countries accepting this test. Remember that these rules might change at any point in time due to the delicate situation right now and it’s advised to do a double-check regarding all the tests required.
4. Traveling Back
Traveling to a country is only part of the journey, the other half is coming back home. While you need to get tested when entering a country, it’s equally important that you get tested when leaving as you might carry a mutated virus with you back home. To get back from the United States, you’ll need to get only one test done which is the lateral flow test. This applies to those who are fully vaccinated and it saves you the hassle of undergoing multiple different tests.
These are some of the basic requirements that everyone traveling to the USA must know about. There might be some other minor restrictions that you should probably look over as well. However, these are the most basic ones that have to be fulfilled at any cost to make for a smooth travel experience. Remember that the tests aren’t only for the safety of the country you’re traveling to, they’re meant to keep you and your home country safe as well. So don’t try and skip any of these as there’s just no way around them.
