Emirates Latest Travel update: 04 November 2021, 14:09 (GMT +4)
Travelling to USA (travel to all cities in United States of America)
Overview of the general regulations for entry into US during the COVID period, please refer guidelines to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
Travel to Usa up to 00:01 EST on 8 November (local flight departure time from origin)
Passengers who have been physically present in the following Countries i.e.. Schengen Area, United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, India, Iran, China, Brazil or South Africa 14 days preceding their trip are not permitted to travel to the USA. Exemptions are granted to US citizens, lawful US permanent residents and non‑US citizens who are the spouse of a US Citizen or lawful permanent resident. Further exemptions may apply.
Note: Customers travelling to New York (JFK) via Milan (MXP) on EK205 or EK209 via Athens (ATH) must be eligible to meet the entry requirements on arrival in the USA. Only US nationals, residents and spouses of US nationals/residents will be allowed to transit through Milan or Athens. Customers who do not meet this requirement but who are eligible for travel to the USA must take a direct flight.
Please refer to the US visa news website for updates on entry regulations.
COVID‑19 testing and attestation requirements
Effective 26 January 2021, all passengers 2 years of age and older are required to get a COVID‑19 viral test (nucleic acid amplification / PCR test or a viral antigen test) within 3 days of travel to the US. Passengers must provide written documentation of their negative test result (paper or electronic copy) at check‑in. Test results must show the name, specimen collection date and type of test done. Test results where the testing date is more than 3 days before departure will not be accepted.
Alternatively, passengers may provide official written documentation of a positive COVID‑19 test result within the last 3 months alongside a letter from their healthcare provider or a public health official that they have recovered and are cleared for travel. Together these are referred to as ‘documentation of recovery’.
All passengers age 2 and above travelling to the USA will be required to sign an attestation prior to departure (parent or other authorized individual may attest on behalf of passengers aged 2 to 17) confirming they meet the requirements and thus cleared to travel. Please ensure you download, print, complete and sign the attestation form before reporting to check in at the airport. Passengers who do not complete the attestation form will not be permitted to travel.
Travel from 00:01 EST on 8 November (local flight departure time from origin)
Please visit the CDC website for more brief information regarding COVID‑19 testing, vaccination and attestation requirements.
Starting From 8th November 2021 only US citizens, US nationals, US Lawful Permanent Residents, and Immigrants will be permitted travel if unvaccinated. A limited number of exceptions where a non‑US citizen who is not fully vaccinated can travel to the US can be found here.
Guidelines for non‑U.S. citizen who is a nonimmigrant (not a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, lawful permanent resident, or travelling to the United States on an immigrant visa), you will need to show proof of being fully vaccinated against COVID‑19 before you travel by air to the United States from a foreign country. Some categories of noncitizen, nonimmigrants are excepted from this requirement. At this time, all air passengers ages 2 or older, regardless of citizenship or vaccination status (including US citizens, US nationals and lawful permanent residents or immigrants), must show a negative result of a COVID‑19 viral test or documentation of recovery from COVID‑19 before they board a flight to the United States. For more information about these testing requirements, visit Requirement for Proof of Negative COVID‑19 Test or Documentation of Recovery from COVID‑19.
Passengers must meet the requirements as stated below:
1) non‑US citizens who are nonimmigrant passengers must present digital or paper documentation of “Proof of Being Fully Vaccinated Against COVID‑19” to the carrier prior to boarding unless excepted.
Excepted includes:
Diplomatic, government travel, UN travel
Children under 18
People in clinical trials
People with medical contraindications
Humanitarian and emergency exceptions granted by CDC
Limited vaccine availability (from countries with less than 10% of total population vaccinated
US armed forces
Sea crew members
Persons with National Interest Exception
Every Excepted Individual without proof of vaccination must attest to:
They are excepted
They have arranged for a test within 3 days of arrival unless they have proof of recovering from COVID in last 90 days
They have arranged to self‑quarantine unless they can show they have recovered from COVID in last 90 days
They have arranged to self‑isolate if the test is positive
2) All passengers (including US Citizens, US Nationals, Lawful Permanent Residents and Immigrants) aged 2 and above must present a paper or digital documentation of a negative PCR test
If fully vaccinated, the test must take place within 3 days of departure
If not fully vaccinated (and allowed to travel under an exception), the test must take place within one day of travel
OR a passenger can present a documentation of recovery in the form of both:
A positive test no more than 90 days before a flight and
A letter from a licensed health professional stating that the passenger has been cleared to travel
Children 2 years old and above are also required to have a negative PCR test – if travelling with a fully vaccinated adult the test must take place within 3 days of departure, if travelling alone or with an unvaccinated adult, the test must take place within one day of travel
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated its travel guidance for fully vaccinated people. A person is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving the last recommended dose of vaccine.
Fully vaccinated passengers must still have a negative COVID‑19 test result before they board a flight to the United States
Fully vaccinated passengers do not need to self quarantine after returning to the United States, unless required by a state or local jurisdiction
Fully vaccinated passengers should continue to take COVID‑19 precautions while traveling – wearing a mask, avoiding crowds, socially distancing, and washing hands frequently.
All passengers are recommended to get a COVID‑19 test 3 to 5 days after they return from international travel Unvaccinated passengers are recommended to stay home and self quarantine for a full 7 days after arrival. If passengers do not take a COVID‑19 test after international travel, they are recommended to stay home and self quarantine for 10 days.
3) passengers 2 years old and above travelling to the USA must sign an attestation prior to departure (parent or other authorised individual may attest on behalf of passengers aged 2 to 17) confirming they meet the requirements and are cleared to travel. Please ensure you download, print, complete and sign the attestation form before reporting to check‑in at the airport. Passengers who do not complete the attestation form will not be permitted to travel.
US restrictions for passengers travelling through or from Guinea and Democratic Republic of Congo
Passengers who have been in the Democratic Republic of Congo or Guinea within the last 21 days will be permitted entry into the USA only through New York (JFK), Newark (EWR), Chicago (ORD), Los Angeles (LAX) and Washington (IAD).
Travel from USA
Passengers must be at the airport 4 hours before the flight to complete all airport formalities and associated travel requirement checks. Please make sure you have all the correct documents required for your trip ready to present to the airport staff.