U.S. Embassy & Consulates
in Japan

Negative COVID-19 Test Requirement Rescinded

Effective Sunday, June 12 at 12:01 a.m. EDT, the CDC rescinded its Order requiring all airline or other aircraft passengers to show a negative COVID-19 test result or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 to board any aircraft destined to the United States from a foreign country. Of note, CDC’s Order requiring proof of vaccination for non-U.S. citizen nonimmigrants to travel to the United States is still in effect.

Vaccine Requirements for Travel to the United States

All non-immigrant, non-U.S. citizen air travelers to the United States are required to be fully vaccinated and to provide proof of vaccination status prior to boarding an airplane to the United States. This requirement does not apply to U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, U.S. lawful permanent residents (Green Card holders), or immigrants.

Exceptions to this policy will be extremely limited:

• Children under 18
• People medically unable to receive the vaccine
• Emergency travelers who do not have timely access to a vaccine

Details on exceptions and waivers due to humanitarian concerns is available at Non-U.S. citizen, Non-U.S. immigrants: Air Travel to the United States | CDC.

Fully vaccinated travelers should travel with proof of their vaccination status to provide to their airline prior to departure to the United States. That proof of vaccination should be a paper or digital record issued by an official source and should include the traveler’s name and date of birth, as well as the vaccine product and date(s) of administration for all doses the traveler received. CDC has determined that for purposes of travel to the United States, vaccines accepted will include FDA approved or authorized and World Health Organization (WHO) emergency use listed (EUL) vaccines. See here for more information.