Starting Oct. 1: EU, EEA and Swiss citizens will need passports to enter UK

The U.S. will allow vaccinated foreign visitors to enter the country beginning in November.

Starting Oct. 1., the United Kingdom will only permit European Union, European Economic Area, and Swiss citizens to cross the UK border using a valid passport. The passport should be valid for the duration of their stay in the UK. These citizens do not need a visa to travel to the UK for holidays or short trips.

These citizens cannot use EU, EEA or Swiss national ID cards to enter the UK from Oct. 1 unless they:

In these cases, travelers may continue to use national ID cards to enter the UK until at least Dec. 31, 2025. Irish citizens can continue to use a passport card to travel to the UK.

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U.S. government to allow vaccinated foreign travelers this fall
The United States government has shifted its stance and will allow fully vaccinated visitors to enter the country this fall. This marks an important shift from a country-based approach to travel restrictions to easing based on an individual’s status.

Beginning some time in November, the U.S. will implement “strict protocols” requiring all adult foreign nationals traveling to the U.S. to be fully vaccinated. The policy will be far less restrictive than the ban in place since the early days of the pandemic against non-citizens who had been in the European Union’s Schengen zone and several countries, including the U.K., Brazil, China, Ireland, India and South Africa.

As part of the plan:

  • Travelers will need to show proof of vaccination prior to boarding a flight to the U.S. as well as negative results from a COVID-19 test taken within three days (72 hours) of departure. They will also need to provide contact details while in the U.S.
  • Fully vaccinated U.S. citizens will need to take a pre-flight COVID-19 test before returning to the United States.
  • Non-vaccinated U.S. citizens will have tighter restrictions, including a required test after arrival home.

For more information or to plan travel, BCD Travel clients may contact their travel consultant. Interested in becoming a BCD client? Start here.

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