US officials have confirmed the reopening of borders in November as many restrictions are eased amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
International travel has been a minefield over the past 18 months, with each country requiring different documents and tests for entry.
The Trump administration brought in the restrictions back in March 2020, in a bid to protect citizens from a major surge in cases.
Irish passengers have only been able to step foot onto US soil during the pandemic for work-related reasons, or for essential travel.
So, now that one of the most popular destinations for Irish tourists is reopening its borders for non-essential travel, we have compiled a list of everything you need to know.
There are three main things all passengers need to have in order to travel and they are:
- Vaccination - final dose at least five days prior to travel (with a certificate to prove it)
- PCR test - regardless of vaccination status
- Passenger Locator Form
According to Eoghan Corry, editor of Air and Travel Magazine, rules will see PCR tests be mandatory, regardless of vaccination or recovery status provided by the EU Digital Covid Cert.
However, simply testing will not suffice for entry, and so only those who have received their full dose of an available Covid-19 vaccine will be allowed to travel at this point.
It is also understood that if a child between the age of 2 and 18 is travelling with a vaccinated adult, they can test three days prior to departure - meanwhile, any child under 2 will not need a Covid test.
All PCR tests have to be done within three days of the departure flight and will be checked before boarding at the airport.
The only exception to this rule will be people who need to travel for emergency or humanitarian reasons and those under 18.
Corry told Newstalk that there will also likely be an American version of a locator form to ensure contact tracing is in place.
Meanwhile, with the return of transatlantic travel from November 8, will see Dublin Aiport operating 56 flights each week to six US destinations; Boston, Chicago, New York, Orlando, San Francisco, and Washington DC.
