Tighter US entry rules will apply from 6 December

The White House confirmed plans to reduce its pre-departure testing window from 72 hours to 24 hours on Thursday (2 December), but did not give a date for the start of the new regime.

The change effectively means all visitors to the US – both vaccinated and unvaccinated – will have to test negative for Covid-19 within one day of travel.

“From 6 December 2021: before boarding a flight to the US, all passengers - regardless of vaccination status - will need to show a negative Covid-19 test result taken no more than one day before travel,” confirmed the FCDO in an update on its travel advice site.