The United States is finally joining the rest of the world in reopening without restrictions to all travelers, regardless of vaccination status.
There are over 150 countries around the world that have dropped all COVID-19 entry restrictions, including vaccines and testing.
But the United States was one of the last holdouts, barring unvaccinated international travelers from entering the country and refusing to reopen fully.
That will change on May 12, when the United States will finally drop its vaccine requirement for international travelers.
When Will The Vaccine Requirement End?
According to a statement from the White House, the vaccine requirement for international travelers will be dropped at the end of the day on May 11, the same day that the government-designated COVID-19 public health emergency ends.
This means that the rule change will actually go into effect on May 12.
International travelers arriving in the United States from May 12 onward will no longer need to present proof of vaccination against COVID-19.
Previously, various requirements were in place for travel into the United States.
On January 12, 2021, the White House announced that a negative COVID-19 test would be required to enter the United States. This applied to U.S. citizens as well as non-citizens.
This restriction was in place for a year and a half, and it only ended on June 12, 2022.
Additionally, the vaccine requirement went into effect on November 8, 2021. While this never applied to U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, lawful permanent residents, or those on an immigrant visa, it did apply to all international travelers.
For nearly a year and a half, unvaccinated international travelers have been barred from entering the United States.
According to data from The New York Times, approximately 67% of the world’s population is fully vaccinated. This means that one-third of the world’s population was not welcome in the United States, despite it being one of the only countries in the world still imposing a vaccine requirement.
What Does This Mean For Travelers?
Beginning May 12, all international travelers will once again be able to enter the United States regardless of vaccination status, whether traveling by air, land, or sea.
The vaccine requirement was one of the final COVID-19 restrictions in place in the United States.
Masks, testing, and vaccine mandates in places like restaurants, museums, and theaters have long been a thing of the past across the entire country.
Even though many vaccine mandates were short-lived in the United States, they left a large impact.
Thousands of workers lost their job for not being vaccinated, even though the vaccine mandate in many workplaces was rescinded within less than a year.
Additionally, many cities in the U.S. imposed vaccine mandates. The controversial “Key to NYC” program in New York City was in place from August 17, 2021 until March 7, 2022. This mandate required businesses to refuse service to unvaccinated people in restaurants, museums, theaters, and more.
Although these vaccine mandates were lifted in 2022, the requirement for international travelers remained in place for well over a year longer.
However, that will finally change on May 12 as the vaccine requirement for international travelers entering the United States is lifted.
What Other Countries Still Have Vaccine Mandates?
The United States is one of the last countries in the world to drop its vaccine mandate for travelers.
There are a handful of countries popular with tourists that still require visitors to be vaccinated or present a negative COVID-19 test, such as Brazil, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Kenya.
But very few countries around the world continue to fully bar unvaccinated international travelers from entering.
The removal of the vaccine requirement for international travelers to the United States finally signals a return to normality after more than three years of travel restrictions.
