From November 8, after 20 months, it will once again be possible to travel from Italy to the United States thanks to the removal of the travel ban. But what are the rules to follow?
To fully understand how to organize a trip to the United States from Italy, it is best to proceed carefully, guided by the handbook prepared by theVisit USA Association, following the removal of the Travel Ban.
The White House has identified the opening date as November 8, 2021.
Some provisions are still under study and may undergo changes and adjustments up to and beyond November 8. The information we share fills us with hope and allows us to see the future positively, but we remain cautious and invite all Trade actors to closely follow the reopening developments, remaining prepared for the flexibility with which we will initially have to cope. Visit USA is monitoring the situation to provide maximum support to the Trade during this delicate phase.
From December 6, 2021, to enter the States you must have completed the vaccination cycle at least 14 days prior and present both the vaccination certificate and a negative test (molecular or antigen) performed within 24 hours before departure (not 3 days as previously required). Only travelers who contracted the virus within 90 days of departure are exempt from the test. It is also recommended (but not mandatory) to take a test between the third and fifth day after arrival. Minors under 18 are exempt from presenting a complete vaccination cycle but must take an anti-COVID test within 24 hours before departure. Additionally, the ESTA visa and a valid passport with an expiration date after the return to Italy are required, and all Italian citizens must fill out and present the PLF to re-enter Italy.
Summary
Italian travelers to the USA
All Italian travelers who wish to go to the United States of America need a visa or anESTA USA travel authorization. ESTA is simpler, faster, and cheaper to apply for compared to a visa and has a total validity period of 2 years. During the validity of the ESTA, an unlimited number of trips to the USA can be made, but each stay can last a maximum of 90 days.
Frequently asked questions about COVID-19 vaccinations and tests–for international travel to the United States
- The Biden administration has announced a new procedure international to regulate air travel to the United States. The new procedure, driven by the public health necessity, applies to all countries of the world.
- Starting November 8, foreign travelers, who will arrive in the United States by airplane flight, must be fully vaccinated and provide proof of vaccination status before boarding andflying to the United States . Airlines will verify the required documentation for the flight and entry into the United States.
- The CDC has established that for entry into the United States, vaccines will be those approved or authorized by the FDA, including vaccines by the World Health Organization (WHO). See the CDC website for more details.
- Fully vaccinated air travelers must still present the ddocumentation of a viral test (PCR or nasal/throat antigen) negative performed before departurea. Such Test must be performed three days before the flight for the United States. This procedure applies to all travelers: U.S. citizens, legal permanent residents (LPR) and foreign citizens.
- There are some exceptions that concern specific traveler categories not in possession of a vaccine. For these travelers, the following procedure is mandatory: a negative Viral Swab result is required taken within one day from travel to the United States.
Documents required for Vaccinated travelers before departing for the United States
- Valid ESTA
- Green Pass: all vaccines are accepted except Sputnik
- Test result swab taken 3 days before departure (serological and rapid tests)
What should passengers provide to airlines to prove they are fully vaccinated?
- The Italian traveler must be fully vaccinatedo and travel with the Green Pass or Equivalent Certificate of completed vaccination. The documentation must be shown to the airline before departure for the United States.
- The proof of vaccination (Green Pass) may be a paper or digital document issued by the Italian Ministry of Health. The Green Pass or equivalent official documentation must show thename and dateof birth of the traveler,the type of vaccine received with thedate (s) of administration for all doses received by the traveler./(s) taken by the traveler.
- Negative swab test result performed 3 days before the date of the flight.
Who must present their vaccination status to the airlines?
- Italian citizens: proof of vaccination will be required before departing for the Unitedi States.
What and how do airlines verifyor the vaccination status of travelers?
- They verify theproof of a negative result of the test before departure
- They verify thevaccination status: t passengers will have to show: a document personal (ID or Passport) along with the paper vaccination certificate or through the App of the Ministry of Health.
- Airlines must compare the name and date of birth to confirm that the passenger is the same person on the Green Pass
- Check that the certificate was issued by an official source (Ministry of Health)
- Review the essential information to determine if the passenger meets the guidelines of the CDC (if fully vaccinated /type of vaccine, number of doses received, date or dates of administration, vaccination site).
Which vaccines will be accepted?
- The CDC has established that for travel to the United States, accepted vaccines will include vaccines approved or authorized by the FDA and vaccines listed for emergency use (EUL) of the World Health Organization (WHO). See the CDC website for more information. (all except Sputnik).
How does the exemption from full vaccination for children work?
Minors under 18 years old are exempt from the vaccination requirement for foreign travelers, given both the ineligibility of some younger children for vaccination and the global variability in vaccination access for older children who can be vaccinated.
Traveling to the United States from Italy
What are the testing requirements for children?
- Children aged 2 to 17 years are required to take a pre-–departure test.
- If a child is not fully vaccinated and is traveling with a fully vaccinated adult, they can show proof of a negative viral test from a sample taken within three days before departure (consistent with the timing for fully vaccinated adults).
- If a child is unvaccinated or is traveling alone or with unvaccinated adults, they must show proof of a negative viral test from a sample taken within one day before departure.
- While children under 2 years of age are excluded from the testing requirement, the CDC recommends a test prior–departure for these children when possible.
What types of tests meet the testing requirements?
Both nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs), such as a PCR test, and tests nasal/throat antigen are qualified.(serological and rapid test).
What does it mean to test “3 days before departure”?
- The test must be administered no more than three calendar days before the date of the international flight to the United States.
- So, if a traveler departs for the United States at 10:00 PM on the 19th of January, they should present a negative test result for a test taken at any time after 12:01 AM on January 16th.
Considerations from official US entities to be able to depart
- All travelers must be vaccinated.
- We believe that the majority of international travelers is already fully vaccinated and those who are not, and are eligible, should proceed to get vaccinated before traveling.
What does November 8 mean – when is the first time a flight can take off with the new system?
Starting from their destination at 12:01 AM Eastern Time on November 8th. Will the previously announced changes to travel restrictions at the land border also take place on November 8th? When will we have more details? What does November 8th mean for the land border? Is this also 12:01 AM ET? Or 12:01 local time? Visit www.cbp.gov for more details on the land borders.
What happens to the current restrictions for the 33 countries currently subject to extensive travel bans in the United States?
This new global travel system replaces existing country-by-country restrictions, implementing a consistent worldwide approach.
How does the U.S. government determine exemptions from the vaccination requirement for foreign nationals?
The presidential proclamation and the CDC order include a very limited set of exceptions to the vaccination requirement for foreign nationals. These include exceptions for children, certain participants in COVID vaccine clinical trials,those with rare medical contraindications to vaccines, those who need –to travel for emergency or humanitarian reasons, travelers with non-tourist visas from countries with low vaccine availability, members of the armed forces and their immediate families, airline crew, ship crew and diplomats.
What is the purpose of the new contact tracing order?
The new contact tracing order will be essential for detecting and responding to COVID–19 variants, as well as for addressing other public health threats, making us better prepared. The Order requires that airlines collect contact information for all international travelers arriving in the UnitedStates, including full name, as well as a phone number, and–email and address where they can be reached during their stay in the United States. Airlines will need to keep this information on hand and promptly deliver it to the CDC when requested.
What happens if a passenger provides a false test result or vaccination card?
For each of these requirements, air passengers will be required to sign a certificate, certifying the validity of the vaccination and tests and confirming that their contact information is complete and accurate.Falsification of any information may result in criminal penalties and/or fines.Please refer to the CDC website for more information on the following exceptions:
- Why are immigrants not covered by the new proclamation or orders?
- How will the limited vaccine availability exemption work?
- How will the humanitarian or emergency exemption work?
- How will the medical contraindication exception work?
- Which clinical studies will qualify someone to beexcluded from the requirement of full vaccination?
Official sources from the US government and CDC
- Fact Sheet: Biden Administration Releases Additional Detail for Implementing a Safer, More
Stringent International Air Travel System | The White House - https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international–travel/emergencies/covid–19–
faqs–for–travel–to–the–us–information.html - https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/covid–3/covid–19–italy
- COVID–19 Information for Travelers (state.gov)
- https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019–ncov/travelers/testing–international–air–
travelers.html
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