Blog: Is International Travel Open to Westerners?

The question of travel has been up in the air for all of 2021. Last year we saw that it wasn’t even an option for most countries, but what does that look like now? Vaccines are free and readily available for everyone in the United States, but a vaccine is not enough to travel anywhere in the world. Yes, having both doses of the vaccine lowers the restrictions of travel, but according to the CDC’s website, masks are still recommended or required during the duration of travel because vaccinated people can still carry the virus or catch various, unknown strains originating in other countries. Mandatory testing 1-3 days before reentering the US for unvaccinated people, as well as testing 3-5 days after travel are still in effect for vaccinated and unvaccinated people. For some countries, a negative test is required for vaccinated and unvaccinated people prior to entering the country.

The CDC’s website lists country-specific COVID-19 information and requirements for travel. Prior to travel, make sure you are aware of all requirements and restrictions, as well as curfews set in place in the country you are visiting. Contacting the country’s embassy will also help in knowing exactly what is necessary for travel to that country, as the embassy may have information the CDC doesn’t possess.