U.S. Entry to Soon Require COVID-19 Test Within 1 Day, Effective Next Week

Today (December 2), the Biden administration announced a new package of measures to combat the Omicron variant.

Entry Requirements

The part drawing the most attention is the COVID-19 testing requirement for entry into the U.S. Full details will be released next week, but the announcement already states that the testing window for all travelers entering the U.S. will be shortened to 1 day before departure, regardless of vaccination status, nationality, or permanent resident status. For travelers departing from China, PCR test results are usually available quickly, so this should not be an issue. If you are traveling to the U.S. from other countries, using a rapid antigen test is the best way to make sure you get results back quickly.

The expected requirement should also be based on within 1 day rather than an exact 24-hour window, meaning a test taken at any time on the day before departure should be valid. We will update the details once the formal order is issued.