Coronavirus Megathread (Jan 2021): For travel-related discussion in the context of COVID-19

Happy New Year! It's now 2021, and while vaccines are starting to be administered in several countries, the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation continues to have a major effect on travel, with many now looking to understand if, when, or how their travels might be feasible. Accordingly, /r/travel is continue its megathreads on a monthly basis until the crisis dissipates.

In the interest of reducing the number of one-off questions, before you post a question about how to deal with your individual travel plans, consider whether your situation is adequately addressed by the following:

Are borders open? What entry or transit restrictions are in place? Will I need to quarantine?

A list of travel restrictions can be found in a number of sources, including from IATA, Kayak's travel restriction map, or this alternative site that draws information from IATA. Note that IATA only deals with travel restrictions by air (so it will not speak to any land border restrictions or closures).

You may also do well to check out government and embassy sources from the destination country (and sometimes from your own embassy in the destination country). Because information can change on short notice, it is important to verify the latest information, ideally from government sources.

...in the US?

At the time of writing, foreign nationals are prohibited from entering or transiting the US if they have been in or transited via Brazil, China, Iran, Ireland, the Schengen Area, or the UK in the preceding 14 days. Exceptions to this rule include green card holders. Note that (except for, of course, US citizens) this is not a citizenship-based restriction; it is purely based on travel history. All passengers (including US citizens and green card holders) arriving from the UK will need to produce a negative result from a PCR or antigen test taken within 72 hours of departure.

The land borders with Mexico and Canada are closed to all except those travelling for essential purposes, but air, rail, and sea (but not commuter rail or ferry) ports-of-entry remain open to non-essential travel.

There are no quarantine-on-arrival requirements at the nationwide level, but individual states and/or cities may have their own requirements. You will need to confirm with information from your destination state or city. As an example, this is New York State's travel advisory/quarantine page; note that travelers are permitted to break quarantine to leave New York State and the state's quarantine restrictions would not prevent you from boarding a connecting flight.

For more information, see the US CDC's COVID-19 page.

...in Canada?

At the time of writing, foreign nationals are barred from entering Canada unless they are traveling for certain, mostly essential reasons, regardless of mode of travel. Those traveling from countries other than the US must also fulfill one of several additional categories of exemptions. Those who are permitted to travel to Canada for non-essential purposes include – aside from Canadians – permanent residents and certain family members of Canadians and permanent residents. Those wishing to travel to Canada on compassionate reasons may do so provided they receive authorization from the Public Health Agency of Canada. Fully airside international transits are typically permitted.

With limited exceptions, all international arrivals are required to quarantine for 14 days. All passengers five years or older arriving into Canada by air will also need to produce a negative result from a PCR test taken within 72 hours prior to boarding.

For more information, see the Canadian government's COVID-19 travel restrictions page.

...in Mexico?

At the time of writing, there are no changes to Mexico's standard entry requirements. However, the land border with the United States is officially closed to all except those travelling for essential purposes. Travelers must fill out a "Questionnaire of Identification of Risk Factors in Travelers", available here, to present upon arrival. There are no quarantine requirements upon arrival in Mexico.

For more information, see information provided by Mexican embassies, including the Mexican Embassy in the Netherlands.

...in the UK?

At the time of writing, there are no changes to the UK's standard entry requirements. However, international arrivals that have been in or transited via countries not on the exemption list will need to quarantine for 10 days after arrival. However, the quarantine period can be shortened even further if you test negative at least 5 days after leaving non-exempt countries. The exemption list is subject to change (with countries being added or removed) on short notice. Note that, even if one is required to quarantine, one is permitted to leave the UK to continue their travels before their 10-day quarantine period is complete.

With "lockdown" measures in place within the UK, there may be restrictions on travel purposes to, from, or within the constituent countries. For example, travel to and from Scotland is prohibited except for limited purposes.

For more information, see UK Border Control.

...in the EU? In the Schengen Area?

In late June, the European Commission recommended that external borders be reopened to short-term visitors arriving from several countries deemed to have adequately maintained the virus. This list has been updated, as of Dec. 16, to consist of Australia, China (subject to confirmation of reciprocity), Japan, New Zealand, Rwanda, Singapore, South Korea, and Thailand. This list, however, is non-binding among member countries and is subject to change.

Nevertheless, several countries within the EU or the Schengen Area have used this list as guidance, permitting arrivals from these countries as well as "EU+" countries (which includes EU and Schengen countries as well as the UK). These restrictions typically are not based on nationality but rather travel history and/or residency; consult resources from your destination country. However, multiple EU countries have temporarily placed additional restrictions on travel from the UK. Fully airside non-Schengen to non-Schengen transits are typically permitted, but confirm and consult resources from your transit country to see if further documentation (which may, at times, include negative test results) is required.

As the various EU and Schengen countries have opened their external borders to third-country nationals in various ways and with different exceptions, it is imperative that travelers check the entry requirements for their ports-of-entry. A summary of travel restrictions is provided by the European Union, but many have reported that government (e.g. embassy or foreign ministry) resources have been more detailed and accurate.

...in South Korea?

At the time of writing, most nationalities with visa-free or visa-waiver arrangements with Korea have had their visa-free/waiver status suspended, primarily on the basis of the reciprocal entry restrictions for Korean citizens. There are also additional entry and transit restrictions of those traveling from China.

International arrivals, with very few exceptions, will be required to quarantine for 14 days; non-residents will be required to quarantine in government facilities at their own expense.

For more information, see the Korea Immigration Service.

...in Japan?

At the time of writing, foreign nationals who have been in one of 150+ countries for purposes other than transit are not permitted to enter Japan. Further, visas and visa exemptions for nationals from many countries have been suspended. Permanent residents, long-term residents, and spouses and children of Japanese citizens may be exempt from these entry restrictions provided they meet certain conditions.

Those individuals, including Japanese citizens, that are permitted to enter Japan will be required to undergo a 14-day quarantine. Some travelers, depending on where their travel originates, will be required to provide proof of a negative result from a test taken within 72 hours of departure for Japan. Additional restrictions are in place for those travelling from the UK or South Africa.

For more information, see the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.

When will borders reopen or travel restrictions be lifted? Is it safe/a good idea to book travel for a particular time months ahead?

It is, of course, impossible to say when travel restrictions are lifted for every country. Where no news has been officially provided, it is often very difficult to predict as countries will make decisions based on the progress of the pandemic – which is an unknown – as well as other pressures (e.g. economic or social).

Consider that the progress of the pandemic and efforts to combat it are unpredictable. Even with the vaccine rollouts, it's unclear how this will affect travel restrictions and procedures. In the meantime, with the resurgences of cases in several countries, the new variant announced in December, and the onset of the Northern Hemisphere winter, some countries have firmed up travel restrictions, requiring additional tests or quarantine periods or preventing travel from certain locations. Further, even if you are ultimately able to travel to your destination, there may be "lockdowns" or widespread closures of businesses and places of interest.

Realize that you are taking a risk by deciding to speculatively book travel in the hopes that travel restrictions will be lifted by the time you travel, or even will remain as liberal as they are in your destination today. With this unprecedented situation, old adages about when it's best to purchase airfare may no longer be valid. In any event, be aware of the policies of your airlines and accommodations for credits and/or refunds should you need to reschedule or cancel.

Further, understand that airlines may make it very difficult to receive a refund, even if legally required. Many travelers have reported waiting months to receive refunds on cancelled flights or otherwise being stonewalled when requesting a refund. And be aware that if your airline goes out of business, your funds could be lost forever.

Take note of your jurisdiction's laws regarding refunds for cancelled flights. For example:

So should I cancel a trip that I've already booked? And how? Will insurance help?

These questions were covered at length in the second megathread. Although countries may be starting to "reopen", the points therein are still relevant.

Previous related megathreads:

Semi-monthly megathreads:



Submitted December 31, 2020 at 07:00PM by tariqabjotu https://ift.tt/351QnJv

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