(CNN) – Earlier this week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that all air passengers aged two and older must provide proof of a negative Covid-19 test to enter the United States by Tuesday, January 26th.
The new rule includes U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents.
“The order created a lot of anxiety, partly because the timeline from the announcement to when it went into effect is so short, and partly because it was unclear exactly what it meant,” he says.
Both U.S. residents who are currently abroad or planning to go abroad and return January 26 or later, as well as international travelers who would be flying to the United States, have many questions about what they should do to to ensure that they enter the country, says Harteveldt.
In addition, some resorts and local governments are scrambling to be prepared to test pilots bound by America.
Questions – from what kind of negative Covid-19 test you need, to the documentation you need to show when you are at the airport and to whom – are addressed below:
Answer US test questions
What type of Covid-19 test is considered acceptable for travelers?
How far in advance can I be tested before entering the country?
The test period is not more than three days before your flight.
CDC spokesman Caitlin Shockey says that if you fly on a connecting flight to the US, a valid test is taken no more than three days before your flight to the United States, but only if the entire trip is under one single trip booked is passenger record.
Each interval between the connections can also not last longer than 24 hours.
If your connecting flight to the US has been booked separately, or you have a longer connection, you must be tested within three days before your final flight to the US.
If you are flying out of the country for less than three days, you can take a test in the US before you leave and use it for your return or take a quick test before your return flight.
If your flight is delayed to the three-day window, you will need to retake a test to board your flight.
What happens if I travel internationally now and return after January 26th?
According to Shockey, it does not matter when you leave: if you return to the US on January 26, you must be tested and provide proof that your Covid-19 is negative before you can board.
I’m visiting a US territory, should I be tested?
No. U.S. territories and possessions from the U.S. have been released, according to the CDC.
If I’m a U.S. resident and have to pay for a test while abroad, will my health insurance cover it?
It depends on your insurance plan, says Zach Honig, the editor-in-chief of the travel website The Points Guy.
But Honig says you should definitely pay back. “It never hurts to ask,” he says.
Who looks at the test results at the airport?
It depends on the destination, but you will probably be asked for documentation of a negative test result from the first airline employee you have contact with when you are at the airport, says Harteveldt.
This can be at the ticket counter if you check in suitcases or at the gate agent if you do not have any built-in bags.
Airline must confirm the negative test result for all passengers before boarding, and according to the CDC must deny boarding to anyone who does not provide documentation of a negative test or documentation that he has recovered from Covid-19.
Honig says the new mandate could mean you can not book online for your flight to the US. “You have to check in at the airport, so you have to arrive in advance to give yourself enough time to do so,” he says.
I fly to the USA by private plane. Does this new requirement apply to me?
Yes, the order applies to commercial and private flights, according to the CDC.
What kind of documentation should I show?
The CDC requires kites to have a paper or electronic copy of their negative test results.
Harteveldt strongly recommends that travelers have a hard copy of their negative test results, as opposed to the fact that they are only on their phones.
“It can be difficult for an agent to read the document on your phone, and you do not want to give them an excuse not to go on board,” he says.
I already had Covid-19. What kind of documentation do I need?
If you have recovered from Covid-19 in the past three months, you must provide proof that you tested positive in the last three months before your flight, as well as a letter from your doctor stating that you have been approved for travel.
If you recovered from the virus more than three months ago, the CDC’s Shockey says you need to test again and provide evidence of negative results before boarding your plane.
People who have been vaccinated still need to undergo a Covid-19 test before entering the US.
Mario Tama / Getty Images
I got the Covid-19 vaccine. Do I still need to test?
Yes, the same requirements apply.
How can I find a local test site while abroad?
It will vary by country, but Honey strongly recommends making sure you can take a test at your destination before leaving the US. “It can be challenging in some places to get tested, so it’s important to confirm a place before your trip,” he says.
You can find a test room by asking your hotel in advance if you check the destination’s official tourism website.
In addition, over the past week, a growing number of hotels, especially in destinations popular with American travelers, have begun offering on-site testing.
In St. Lucia, for example, offers more than 20 properties and villas free quick tests.
Baha Mar in the Bahamas has fast tests for $ 25 and PCR tests for $ 125. In La Colección Resorts throughout the Dominican Republic and Mexico, fast tests are free. And at Curtain Bluff in Antigua, the test is $ 250 per person for PCR or quick test results.
The return time for test results varies by property.
Do airlines allow passengers to change their flights so that they can arrive in the US before the test requirements take effect?
Some allow free changes, including the price difference.
Delta, for example, waives the fare difference until February 9 for customers booked to travel internationally to the US until February 9, if they book their trip to start on or before January 25th.
American Airlines and United Airlines are also waiving the tariff difference for customers due to the new requirements.
According to Americans, customers can book free flights from January 12 to February 9 when they depart and arrive at their destination with their original ticket. However, their journeys must begin before January 25th.
At United, the fare difference will be different from kites that have to book international tickets purchased before January 12 for scheduled travel to the US through February 15.
My test result came back positive. Now what?
Shockey says that you should isolate yourself and slow down the journey if symptoms develop or a prospect of the previous test is positive until you recover from Covid-19.
Top photo: Timothy A. Clary / AFP / Getty Images