Traveling After Getting the COVID-19 Vaccine

Fully vaccinated against COVID-19? Here's what you can do now.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released guidance for travelers who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The verdict? Fully vaccinated people can travel without putting themselves at too much risk.

“With millions of Americans getting vaccinated every day, it is important to update the public on the latest science about what fully vaccinated people can do safely, now including guidance on safe travel,” said CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky in a press release. “We continue to encourage every American to get vaccinated as soon as it’s their turn, so we can begin to safely take steps back to our everyday lives. Vaccines can help us return to the things we love about life, so we encourage every American to get vaccinated as soon as they have the opportunity.”

So, what exactly did the CDC say about traveling after the COVID-19 vaccine? For travel within the United States, fully vaccinated people no longer have to get tested for COVID-19 or self-isolate after traveling. That's as long as they still wash their hands, wear a mask, avoid crowds and socially distance while traveling, though.

For international travelers who have received the COVID-19 vaccine, the rules are a little more strict. Fully vaccinated people can or should do the following, according to the CDC:

• Continue taking all COVID-19 precautions while you are traveling internationally.
• Take a COVID-19 test before getting on a flight to the US and three to five days after getting back from travel abroad.
• Follow state and local rules about quarantine after returning to the US (although the CDC does not ask fully vaccinated people to quarantine in this situation).
• Travel abroad without first getting a COVID-19 test — unless your destination requires one.

The CDC said these more stringent rules for international travel are due to differences in vaccines, vaccine coverage and COVID-19 variants around the world.

You are not considered to be fully vaccinated until two weeks after the final recommended dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, the CDC said.

Travel guidance remains the same as it has been for those who have not received the COVID-19 vaccine. These guidelines include the following:

• Avoid all non-essential travel.
• Get tested for COVID-19 one to three days before traveling domestically and three to five days after returning.
• Quarantine for seven days after traveling and getting tested at the end of the trip.
• Quarantine for ten days after traveling and not getting tested at the end of the trip.

Talk to your health care provider about whether it is safe for you to travel during the pandemic.