The US borders will reopen in November to fully vaccinated citizens of the European Union and the United Kingdom after 18 months of total closure.
The White House has confirmed the agreement after several weeks of negotiations in which the European Union was pushing for a fair deal, since American citizens can travel to Europe even though the vaccination rate in their country only reaches 55%, while, for example, in Spain, it stands at 76%.
All foreigners traveling to the United States will be required to show proof of vaccination before boarding the plane and a negative test taken within three days prior to the flight, said White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients, who announced the new policy.
President Joe Biden's administration will also tighten rules for unvaccinated Americans, requiring them to be tested one day before leaving the United States, and again upon their return.
Fully vaccinated passengers will not be required to quarantine, Zeints said.
For now, the White House has not clarified whether it will accept all vaccines or only the three currently being administered in the U.S.: Pfizer, Moderna, and Janssen. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a federal agency, will announce its decision in the coming days.
