As the number of Covid-19 cases goes down, several countries are relaxing their international travel restrictions. Among the countries that recently changed their rules or lifted restrictions are the USA, Australia and Singapore. While these countries start receiving foreign nations, every traveller needs to be vaccinated. There are certain quarantine requirements and rules about vaccination that travellers will have to keep in mind when flying to any of these three countries.
On October 25, Joe Biden, President of the USA, declared that travellers from most European countries, China and India could fly to the USA from November 8. However, international travellers need to be fully vaccinated. Foreign nationals will be considered fully vaccinated if they are travelling two weeks after the second dose of the vaccine. As US travel restrictions are being lifted, airlines flying to the US have been advised to collect essential information of all passengers, including their phone numbers, email addresses and US home address (if relevant).
This is a precautionary measure and will be useful if any passenger has been exposed to Covid-19. While all international travellers need to be fully vaccinated, they will only be considered to be so if the vaccines taken belong to the approved list. The Sputnik vaccine is not under this list, so travellers from Mexico may not get a chance to visit the US right now. This is because the Mexican government is planning to vaccinate 9% of the country’s population using the Sputnik vaccine. Travellers from other countries can travel to the US from November 8, if they adhere to the CDC’s Covid travel rules.
For the past one and a half years, Australians were not allowed to leave the country due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. However, the government recently announced that Australia travel restrictions were going to be lifted from November 1. But, citizens would still have to take certain precautions. Before travelling abroad, Australians must show proof of vaccination, taken at least seven days prior to the date of departure.
Citizens will also have to provide a negative PCR test report, obtained not more than three days before travel. However, these international travel restrictions are not meant for children below the age of twelve. However, the same rules apply to those who hold temporary Visas, including Australian residents, international students and tourists in Australia. The Home Minister, Karen Andrews, said that Australia is hoping to open its borders to international students and skilled workers who are fully vaccinated, before the end of the year.
Earlier, Singapore had allowed foreign nationals from several countries to enter. The recent border reopening allows travellers from Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Myanmar to visit the country. But, all travellers will have to stick to the Category IV border measures. According to these measures, permanent residents living outside Singapore in these countries can return home.
Travellers who belong to the Death and Critical Illness Emergency Visits Lane can also enter the country. Therefore, before travelling to Singapore, travellers will have to check their eligibility. If they are eligible to enter Singapore, they will need to provide a negative RT-PCR test report. The test needs to be done not more than two days before departure. According to Singapore travel restrictions, once travellers reach, they will have to stay at a designated quarantine centre for ten days. They will also need to get another RT-PCR test done.
As more and more countries relax and change their Covid travel rules, international travellers, students and residents living overseas can begin to return to work and study. However, it is important for all travellers to understand and adhere to all Covid-19 guidelines and check the measures in place of the particular country they are visiting.
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