Update: The new rules requiring a test within 1 day of departure will begin Monday at 12:01am ET.
The White House today announced a series of new actions to combat COVID-19 and the Omicron variant.
Of interest to travelers is that starting “early next week” all travelers flying to the US will be required to take COVID test within 1 day before departure. You can take the test as early as midnight local time the day before your flight to the US.
You will still be able to take a quicker and less expensive antigen test, instead of a pricey PCR test. You can also take an easy to use telehealth antigen tests from eMed or other telehealth antigen test providers.
Note that the BinaxNOW tests are not valid for travel to the US. They look like this and don’t include a proctor to verify the results:
The eMed travel eligible antigen tests look like this:
I wrote about my experience with eMed tests back when I flew from Reykjavik to Newark in August. Since then, some states, such as Ohio, now provide free eMed tests. I used one of those free tests when flying from Johannesburg to Newark in October without a hitch. It’s awesome to be able to take a COVID test right from the comfort of your hotel room at any time of the day!
The White House also announced that at home tests will be fully reimbursable through your private insurance, though that won’t be available until sometime next month. It’s unclear if eMed tests will be included in that coverage.
For those without private health insurance, tests will be distributed for free throughout the US at over 20,000 designated sites, though we don’t yet know when that will begin or what type of tests will be distributed.
Note that if you are departing from Israel, you need a PCR to enter the terminal unless you have proof of vaccination or digital proof of recovery and Israel plans on cracking down on those requirements. As Americans don’t have access to digital proof of recovery, that means they will need to carry their CDC vaccination card to exempt themselves from the PCR requirement and be able to provide telehealth antigen results to the checkin agent. In Israel, vaccinated means that you have received a vaccine or booster within the past 180 days, but not less than the 14 days ago.
I’m just happy that the US will still accept antigen results, as getting a PCR within 1 day is no easy task in many countries!
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48 Comments On "Starting Monday, COVID Testing On Flights To The US Will Be Required Within 1 Day Of Departure; Israel Now Enforcing Airport Entry Testing Requirements"
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Kol hakovid!!!
I’m lost, wasn’t that the case to ra take the test 24 hour before departure?
No, previously it was 3 days before departure, though last month it was shortened to 1 day if you were unvaccinated.
Now it’s 1 day for everyone.
For vaccinated it was 72hrs and for unvaccinated it was 24hrs.
On two different trips I or other family members have used a total of 9 of these eMed tests. All but one went off w/o a hitch. The only issue was recently (in last 2 weeks) on return from Madrid (in airport) I connected and was doing test. Only to find out while the proctor was watching, there was ZERO fluid in the activator bottle. Lucky for me I always have at least 1 or several extra. Opened a new box and it had fluid and test went off w/o a hitch. Also never waited longer than 2 mins max on any of the 7 people that had to test
Good advice to bring a spare or 2!
Dan how did you get these free in Ohio? I am also in Ohio- your neck of the woods
Call your local library to see if they have them in stock.
if you are flying out of Israel on a early Sunday am flight just after midnight, could be a problem with the COVID test and Shabbat?
The eMed test takes 15 minutes.
My parents are flying from Israel next Saturday night right after midnight. How can they obtain the Emed test?
Can you use a simple internet connection to do eMed? I don’t need a SIM card and a phone number? I figured there might be hassles this winter with seasonal Covid (not from the virus, but from the gov’t response) so I’m avoiding int’l travel right now. I figure in a month or two these eMed kits will be readily available and I can just pack one with me? I don’t want to be an independent traveler abroad searching for an affordable place to get the required Covid test to return. Getting a timely PCR test to enter Canada was enough hassle for me.
Any internet connection will be fine.
Dan: I’m currently in Israel with my wife…. Our daughter gave birth about 10 days ago, and we got in, did bidud and were here just in time, ב׳ה.
I’m confused about what we need to do for our December 30 flight home (…… and ‘Remain in Israel’ is unfortunately not acceptable!).
To enter TLV airport we need PCR which requires 25 hours on average…. No one guarantees it much faster…. At least not here. And Pres. Biden wants a test within 24 hours of (?) departure or (?) arrival on US soil ( we’re connecting to ATL via EWR.)
I can’t get the emed test delivered here.
Any suggestions? Will onsite, immediate pre-flight rapid test at BenGurion TLV suffice….do ya think?
Thanks
Hi,
Firstly the US requires a test with one day before departure, which could mean almost 48 hours, depending on flight time. For direct flights to the US united and delta are great because they are just before 12 am, elal and American much harder, it important to note that elal has translated this rule as 24 hours (insane). I’ve reached out to them multiple times about it and showed them the state department website that clearly says “calendar day before” but they don’t care, and I don’t think we can do anything about because ultimately they are a private airline and can do as they please. Anyways even if you need it within 24 hours If your in Jerusalem then go to Refuit clinic on Rechov Chiram in the morning, you should have results by evening. Give it a few days and more places will pop up offering 12 hour results.
Thanks!
Check2fly has 4 hour options and I believe they offer them around the clock. Locations near Tel Aviv and airport.
https://check2fly.co.il/en/
Does PCR tests with results in 4 or 14 hours (the faster one is more expensive). They are not at the airport anymore but nearby in Airport City and other locations
There are faster tests available at the airport – look it up online for more details.
In the past, I could not enter the airport without a pcr…..so are you suggesting getting the pcr a few days in advance, if that rule stands, and then go get the immediate/rapid test at the Test N Go lab in Terminal 2 ?(book in advance, of course.)
You do not need a PCR if you’re vaxxed or recovered.
Thanks. We even got serology tested back in August, and are in the midst of renewing our Tav Yarok (they all expired in October despite the Dec 31 exp date on them….but the Misrad haBriut had a wrong phone number for me, so now we are dealing with a fix it bureau ‘rofeh’….it’s one bureaucracy after another!!…but at least people are answering the phone. HINT!: never pick the ‘English option’…..one get transferred over and over. Use broken/poor Hebrew if needed!!)
For departure us to tlv? Or tlv to USA ?
Elal will allow without PCR if cdc vaccine card? To which of the above ?
Is Elal also aware of this? I’m flying Elal tonight TLV-JFK and received an email from Elal that CDC requires a PCR test within a day of departure, I’m fully vaxxed here in Israel, so I am good with only doing here locally a antigen test?
They should be.
Wen does this rule go into affect regarding one day testing I have a flight to London Saturday night and returning Sunday afternoon do I need to take a test
See the post update?
This is so short sighted. The antigen test is a joke. I’d rather have people get a pcr with 3 days.
A lot can happen in 3 days…..
yes, but antigens are less reliable so not sure this change outweights that
So if someone’s recovered 8 months ago and anti their antibodies r high and they’re flying from Israel to USA they can’t do an antigen??
We got PCR test results (in Israel) in 4 hours from check2fly https://pcr.check2fly.co.il/auth and price was not unreasonable
I have been to 22 countries since March 2020. The ONLY country that is is remotely hard to get a 24 hour result is the USA!!!. Completely dysfunctional. Turkey has had 2 hour results in airport since July 2020 just as an example. Even Uganda, Tanzania, Egypt were no problem finding 24 hour results (and at much cheaper prices than the usa). The irony is that although your talk about what tests the US accepts, the fact is that not every airline will trust a result that lacks a qr code. Try getting our of Dubai for example with one of those antigen tests…. careful what you advise people.
Is there a good resource that tells you the best strategy in each country? Heck, just getting a PCR test for Canada near the land border in September was an adventure. It was free — if you could figure it out (understanding the specific rules and what to look for on Walgreens website was key).
how does the emed test work?
https://www.dansdeals.com/points-travel/travel-tips/experience-using-emed-abbott-telehealth-antigen-test-entry-us/
How is it possible to shove a stick up your nose on your own?
You don’t have to shove it up your nose. It doesn’t go that far in and they tell you to swab each nostril 5 times. I got worked up about it based on all of the tv coverage, it wasn’t bad at all!
Americans can get a bar code of their vaccination status. Go to vsafe.cdc.gov and enter your information. It is free and will generate a digital vaccine record that can be used by airlines and those countries requiring it.
I flew to Cairo and it worked just fine (although they also asked “where is your card?”
Allyson , when I look at that CDC website, it is only for people who had their vaccination in the past 6 weeks. It’s meant to monitor any post vaccination symptoms not provide a record for travel or other purpose. Since you enter your own information I don’t see how this would be accepted.
“Please note that v-safe is not automatically notified when you receive another dose of vaccine. You must enter the additional dose in your account before the system will send you daily health check-ins for your most recent dose”
I thought the same thing. However, I was vaccinated in April and added my information in August. Then, when I received my booster in October, I added that information. What is great is that you have a vaccine record with QR code that airlines and restaurants accept.
The symptom tracker information is optional.
Have you heard of anyone using this digital vaccine record for a flight from US to Israel?
Can i use this for entry into the USA?
Abbott BinaxNOW™ COVID-19 Ag Card Home Test with eMed Telehealth Services – 2 Pack for Travel
Yes
What happens if flight to US is not a direct flight? Let’s assume a stopover in a country for 5 hours or even overnight. Need a test in each country?
You should check the FAQ section of the CDC website. The requirement is within 1 day of the originating (not connecting) flight. http://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/testing-international-air-travelers.html#aircraft
Many hotels have tests available for guests. In Bahamas and Cancun the hotel provides a test for each guest before departure.
Speaking of flying to US from Ben Gurion (sorry, but I wasn’t sure where else to post this warning) we were surprised when told at check-in that our “Amazing Savings” 36 in. duffle bags (that we, and many other passengers, have used to fly back & forth for years), were suddenly deemed “oversized” and so after check-in we had to bring them to another, separate line where tags were checked, then to another line for them to be checked, again, & loaded (by us) on a elevator. Line was chaotic and long. Luckily, a kind woman gestured us to the front because they were all one group. Otherwise, this would have easily added 45 mins to the process.