On October 29, 2021, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that non-citizen travelers who are fully vaccinated for COVID-19 and have appropriate documentation will be permitted to enter the United States via land ports of entry (POE) and ferry terminals starting on November 8, 2021.
Starting November 8, when arriving at a U.S. land POE or ferry terminal, non-citizen travelers should be prepared to:
- provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination, as outlined on the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website (see below for the list of accepted vaccines as of today's date); and
- verbally attest to their reason for travel and COVID-19 vaccination status during a border inspection.
Starting in January 2022, however, all inbound foreign national travelers seeking to enter the United States via land POEs or ferry terminals – whether for essential or non-essential reasons – must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 and provide related proof of vaccination. They should no longer need to attest to their reason for travel.
As travel begins to resume, travel volumes and wait times are expected to increase. Travelers should plan for longer than normal wait times and long lines at U.S. land border crossings when planning their trip and are reminded to exercise patience.
To help reduce wait times and long lines, travelers can take advantage of innovative technology, such as facial biometrics and the CBP One™ mobile application, which serves as a single portal for individuals to access CBP mobile applications and services.
Accepted COVID-19 Vaccines:
Vaccines Approved or Authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or Listed for Emergency Use by the World Health Organization (WHO) include:
Single dose
2-dose series
- Pfizer-BioNTech
- Moderna
- AstraZeneca
- Covishield
- BIBP/Sinopharm
- Sinovac
You are considered fully vaccinated:
- 2 weeks (14 days) after your dose of an accepted single-dose COVID-19 vaccine, or
-
· 2 weeks (14 days) after your second dose of an accepted 2-dose series COVID-19 vaccine; or
- 2 weeks (14 days) after you received the full series of an “active” (not placebo) COVID-19 vaccine in the U.S.-based AstraZeneca or Novavax COVID-19 vaccine trials, or
- 2 weeks (14 days) after you received 2 doses of any “mix-and-match” combination of accepted COVID-19 vaccines administered at least 17 days apart*
If you don’t meet these requirements, you are NOT considered fully vaccinated.
