Nearly Open for Business
Is Overseas Travel in Your Future?
If you are anything like me, you must be itching to resume overseas travel. As we canceled our trip to San Miguel de Allende in May 2020 and to western Canada last summer, I longed to get on a plane. I did, in December…but most of you did not.
CDC Guidelines
The great news is the CDC updated its travel guidelines earlier this month:
CDC recommends delaying international travel until you are fully vaccinated.
If you are fully vaccinated with an FDA-authorized vaccine:
You should continue to follow CDC’s recommendations for traveling safely and get tested 3-5 days after travel.
You do NOT need to get tested before leaving United States unless your destination requires it.
You do NOT need to self-quarantine after arriving in the United States.
Okay, that is pretty straightforward…but there is more to consider.
EU Guidance
Of course, a key consideration in overseas travel is the guidelines and restrictions of the destination country. To this end, if traveling to Europe one should understand the EU Guidance and check with the destination country. Last week the president of the European Commission said the EU:
“Will accept, unconditionally, all those who are vaccinated with vaccines that are approved by E.M.A. (the European Medicines Agency).”
The three vaccines that have been approved for use in the United States—Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson—have all been approved for use in Europe. The exact date of entry is unknown, but our best estimate is that Europe will be open to travel by mid-late June.
Portugal Calling
Portugal, of course, is eager to open its borders. Travelers from Schengen travel area countries are currently being allowed into the country by air, as are citizens and residents of Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, and Thailand. (Yesterday, while playing golf, we noticed several commercial planes overhead from Lisbon airport. It is good to see planes in the air again.)
In addition, last week Rita Marques, Portugal’s tourism minister, set 17 May as the date British travelers who test negative or have had been fully vaccinated will be allowed into Portugal for non-essential (i.e. leisure) travel. I suspect the Algarve will be buzzing!
Unknowns
While the EU has proposed a Digital Green Certificate for persons who have been vaccinated, tested negative, or recovered from Covid-19, this will not be in place until June. Talks are also underway to see if this can incorporate US data providing travelers one place to securely store reliable Covid related personal information. So while there are still some unknowns, one thing seems clear…get vaccinated if you want to plan a trip to “a praia” this summer.