The COVID-19 pandemic has forced most governments to establish temporary travel restrictions. However, as the world is starting to recover from the pandemic, most governments now allow people to travel in and out of their countries. These countries implement some sort of monitoring measures to ensure that the virus won’t spread inside or outside their country. As someone who would like to travel abroad, you might ask yourself if it is necessary to have a negative PCR test before being allowed to travel inside a country. This article will help you answer whether you need to have a negative PCR test result before going outside the country.
Do I Need a Negative PCR Test To Travel Abroad?
A PCR test or polymerase chain reaction test is the assessment done to identify a particular organism based on its genetic material. The PCR test and the Reverse Transcription PCR test are what most countries use to detect the presence of the virus in an individual. As such, the test is mandatory for people who come in and out of their country. Most airlines also require their passengers to take a PCR test before allowing them to board the plane in order to ensure the safety of their employees and passengers. Countries and airlines alike will not allow you to travel abroad if you get a positive test result.
Traveling restrictions and measures differ from one country to another. Knowing which countries require the PCR test, knowing which kind of tests, and knowing which countries require no test is essential when traveling internationally or locally. Researching for these can be quite a hectic process. That is why we are providing you a list of countries, the tests they consider, and their respective guidelines.
Here are some countries that you might go to, and their guidelines. Note, these are current guidelines at the time of publishing but may change as circumstances update. If you’re traveling, check with your airline for additional information: Eppley Airfield Travel Safe Resource
United States of America
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, PCR tests are not accepted in the country. The acceptable COVID-19 tests in the country are RT-PCR, RT-LAMP or Reverse Transcription Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification, TMA or Transcription-Mediated Amplification, NEAR or Nicking Enzyme Amplification Reaction, and HDA or Helicase-Dependent Amplification. Also, the country will only consider test results dated no more than 3 days before departure; otherwise, the test result is rejected and is advised to take a more recent test result. Passengers traveling locally within the USA, from one US state/territory to another US state/territory, are exempt from taking any of the tests. However, passengers outside the country with a flight to the United States need to have a negative result from any of the accepted tests in the country.
Canada
The Canadian government requires all passengers going into their country to take the test for the COVID-19 virus. The country needs them to have written or electronic documentation of their test results. The government accepts negative results from PCR, qPCR, RT-PCR, RT-LAMP, TMA, etc. (For further information, click here) tests administered in the last 72 hours (3 days). If ever you test positive, you will be subject to isolation and retest after 14 days by the Canadian government. Once you enter the country, you will be subject to mandatory quarantine and test for COVID-19 on the 8th day of your isolation through COVID-19 At Home Specimen Collection Kit.
Australia
The Australian government requires travelers to take a PCR test 3 days before going into Australia. Travelers from outside the country must wear a mask at the airport. In fact, those passengers who entered the country and test positive will be subject to a mandatory 14-day quarantine. Within that time frame, you may be tested again for COVID-19. In some parts of the country, you may have to pay for contribution to the cost of the quarantine yourself.
New Zealand
For passengers traveling from New Zealand to Australia and vice-versa, the government is no longer requiring you to test for COVID-19. However, this may change according to the situation of either country. The government has issued temporary restrictions on any travelers from foreign countries to enter New Zealand. Exemptions are only given to New Zealand citizens, Australian citizens, travelers from quarantine-free zones such as the Cook Islands. Specific arrivals exempted explicitly under orders like aircrews, essential workers, or medical reasons. Exempt individuals are subject to a 14-day mandatory quarantine and must take a PCR test on the day they set foot in the country.
United Arab Emirates (UAE)
The government requires all expatriates returning to UAE to have a negative PCR test taken from the last 96 hours. The test must be administered by a government accredited lab and you will present these results when boarding. If you are from any of these countries:
Algeria, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, Kuwait, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Maldives Islands, Mauritius, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, Somalia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, and the United States.
Then you can present a negative PCR test result taken from the last 96 hours. Expatriate residents coming from any of these countries are also given the option to take the test in Dubai when they arrive.
If you are from any of these countries:
Afghanistan, Angola, Argentina, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Chile, Cote d’Ivoire, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Georgia, Ghana, Greece, Guinea, Hungary, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Senegal, Slovakia, Somaliland, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
You will need to take the PCR test twice. The first test must be within 96 hours before your departure, and the second one must be done upon arrival in Dubai. Both tests must have a negative result to proceed to enter. If the covid-19 test result upon your arrival shows a positive result, you will be subject to mandatory isolation. For further details regarding UAE’s guidelines, click here.
Conclusion
Other countries have similar PCR test guidelines to travel like the countries listed above. However, it is crucial to check their traveling policies on the country’s website to avoid unnecessary issues regarding your travel. Always remember to check out the types of tests the government is accepting. Like the list above, some countries may not accept a PCR test to travel, but some will. Based on the examples above, an individual needs to show proof of a negative test for COVID-19 to travel abroad, whether it is a PCR test or not.
Urgent Care Omaha clinics offer two types of Rapid Covid-19 testing, including the rapid Sofia SARS Antigen FIA test. This test is a Point of Care (POC) test that can deliver results within 15 minutes.
Additional Readings:
Testing and International Air Travel
International Travel During COVID-19
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