When should I get tested for COVID-19 to come back to the United States?

What do I need to come back home?

All US citizens need to get a viral test no more than 1 day before their flight back to the United States. The test is required to board your flight back home. This applies to all air passengers, 2 years of age or older, traveling into the US, including US citizens and legal permanent residents.

What if I am not a US citizen?

Starting November 8, 2021, foreign nationals that are vaccinated can enter the United States with proof of a negative COVID-19 test. For purposes of entry into the United States, the accepted vaccines will include FDA-approved or authorized and WHO Emergency Use Listing vaccines.

What is considered the 1-day period?

The 1-day period is the day before the flight's departure. Therefore, test validity does not depend on the time of the flight or the time of day that the test was administered. The Order uses a 1-day time frame instead of 24 hours to provide more flexibility to the air passenger and aircraft operator. By using a 1-day window, test acceptability does not depend on the time of the flight or the time of day that the test sample was taken.

What type of tests are acceptable?

You must be tested with a viral test that could be either an antigen test or a nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT). Examples of available NAATs for SARS-CoV-2 include but are not restricted to RT-PCR, RT-LAMP, TMA, NEAR, and HDA.

What should my test result contain?

A test result must be in the form of written documentation (paper or electronic copy). The documentation must include:

1. Type of test (indicating it is a NAAT or antigen test)
2. The entity issuing the result (e.g. laboratory, healthcare entity, or telehealth service)
3. Specimen collection date.
4. Information that identifies the person (full name plus at least one other identifier such as date of birth or passport number)
5. Test Result

As always, please refer to your airline and CDC's guidelines for the most up-to-date information.