US drops international travel ban for vaccinated on Nov. 8

The US will allow fully vaccinated foreigners to enter the country beginning Nov. 8, the Biden administration announced Friday.

White House assistant press secretary Kevin Munoz said on Twitter that restrictions will be lifted on that date for inoculated international travelers arriving at US airports and land ports of entry.

“This policy is guided by public health, stringent, and consistent,” Munoz tweeted.

Non-US citizens from 33 countries — including China, India, Brazil and most of Europe — have been barred from entering the US for much of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ban on European travelers became a diplomatic sore point due to the high infection rates in the US compared to most other countries. Most European countries had already reopened to US visitors over the summer.

International air travelers will need to show proof of vaccination and a negative COVID-19 test before boarding a flight. Those arriving at land borders, however, won’t need to show proof of a negative test.

The Biden administration announced Tuesday it would lift travel restrictions at US land borders with Canada and Mexico by early November. The Canadian government reopened its border to vaccinated American travelers on Aug. 9.

The announcement is expected to provide a boost to NYC’s economy ahead of the holiday season. NYC & Company, the city’s tourism agency, has estimated that 38.2 million people will visit this year – with approximately 5 million expected from overseas. By contrast, New York City welcomed 66.6 million visitors in 2019, 13.3 million of whom arrived from beyond our borders.

According to state officials, international tourists create a larger impact on the NYC economy. In April of this year, the state comptroller’s office reported that visitors from abroad spent $1,709 in the city per capita in 2019, compared to an average domestic tourist who spent $458.