(CNN) – Earlier this week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that starting Tuesday, Jan. 26, all air passengers two years and older must show evidence of a negative Covid-19 test to enter the United States.
The new rule includes US citizens and legal permanent residents.
“The order raised a lot of concern, partly because the timeline from the announcement to the moment of entry into force is so short and partly because it was unclear exactly what it meant,” he says.
Both U.S. residents who are currently abroad or have plans to go abroad and return on January 26 or later, and international travelers flying to the United States, have numerous questions about what to do to make it happen. make sure they enter the country, says Harteveldt.
Additionally, some resorts and local governments are trying to prepare to offer testing to US-bound airmen.
Questions – from what kind of negative Covid-19 test you will need to the documentation to show when you are at the airport, and to whom – are answered below:
American test questions answered
What kind of Covid-19 test is considered acceptable to travelers?
How far in advance can I get tested before entering the country?
The time frame of the test is no more than three days before your flight.
CDC spokesperson Caitlin Shockey says if you are flying on a connecting flight to the US, a valid test is one that is taken no more than three days before your flight to the United States, but only if the entire trip is booked under a single flight. passenger record.
In addition, any stopover between those connections should not exceed 24 hours.
If your connecting flight to the US is booked separately or if you have a longer connection, you must get tested within three days before your last flight to the US.
If you are flying out of the country for less than three days, you can take a test in the US before departure and use it for your return or take a quick test before your return flight.
If your flight is delayed for more than three days, you will need to take another test to board your flight.
What happens if I travel internationally now and return after January 26?
According to Shockey, it doesn’t matter when you left: if you return to the US on or after January 26, you will need to be tested and show proof that you are Covid-19 negative before you can board.
I am visiting a US territory, should I get tested?
No. US territories and possessions of the US are exempt, according to the CDC.
If I am a resident of the US and have to pay for a test while abroad, will my health insurance cover it?
It depends on your insurance plan, says Zach Honig, the editor-in-chief of travel website The Points Guy.
But Honig says you should definitely apply for compensation. “It never hurts to ask,” he says.
Who checks the test results at the airport?
It depends on the destination, but when you’re at the airport, you’ll likely be asked for documentation of a negative test result from the first employee of the airline you interact with, Harteveldt says.
This can be at the till when you check in baggage or at the gate agent if you do not have checked baggage.
Airlines must confirm the negative test result for all passengers before boarding and must deny boarding to anyone who, according to the CDC, cannot provide documentation of a negative test or documentation of recovery of Covid-19.
Honig says the new mandate could mean you can’t check in online for your flight to the US. “You have to check-in at the airport, so arrive in advance so you have enough time,” he says.
I am flying with a private plane to the USA. Does this new requirement apply to me?
Yes, the order applies to commercial and private flights according to the CDC.
What kind of documentation should I show?
The CDC requires pilots to have a paper or electronic copy of their negative test results.
Harteveldt strongly advises travelers to have a hard copy of their negative test results, rather than just having it on their phone.
“It can be difficult for an officer to read the document on your phone, and you don’t want to give him an excuse for not boarding,” he says.
I already had Covid-19. What kind of documentation do I need?
If you have recovered from Covid-19 in the past three months, you will need proof that you tested positive in the past three months before your flight and a letter from your doctor stating that you are allowed to travel.
If you recovered from the virus more than three months ago, the CDC’s Shockey says you must retest and show evidence of negative results before you are allowed to board your plane.
People who have been vaccinated must still undergo a Covid-19 test before entering the US.
Mario Tama / Getty Images
I got the Covid-19 vaccine. Do I still need to test?
Yes, the same requirements apply.
How do I find a local testing site while abroad?
It will vary by country, but Honig strongly recommends that you make sure you can get a test at your destination before leaving the US. “Getting tested in places can be challenging, so it’s important to get confirmation of a place before your trip,” he says.
You can find a testing location by asking your hotel prior to your trip or by checking the destination’s official tourism site.
In addition, over the past week, a growing number of hotels, especially in destinations popular with American travelers, have begun to offer on-site testing.
In St. Lucia, for example, more than 20 properties and villas will be offering quick tests for free.
Baha Mar in the Bahamas has rapid tests for $ 25 and PCR tests for $ 125. Rapid tests are free at La Colección Resorts in the Dominican Republic and Mexico. And at Curtain Bluff in Antigua, testing costs $ 250 per person for PCR or rapid test results.
The return time for test results varies by property.
Do airlines allow passengers to change their flight so that they can arrive in the US before testing requirements take effect?
Some allow for free changes, including waiving the rate difference.
For example, Delta will waive the fare difference through February 9 for customers who have booked to travel internationally to the US through February 9, if they rebook their trip to start on or before January 25.
American Airlines and United Airlines are also waiving the fare difference for customers due to the new requirements.
With American, customers who have scheduled flights from January 12 to February 9 can rebook free of charge when departing from and arriving at the destinations on their original ticket. However, their journeys must begin on or before January 25th.
At United, the fare difference for pilots rebooking international tickets purchased on or before January 12 for scheduled trips to the US until February 15.
My test result was positive. What now?
Shockey says you should isolate yourself and postpone the trip if symptoms occur or if a pre-departure test result is positive until you recover from Covid-19.
Top photo: Timothy A. Clary / AFP / Getty Images