March 2023 travel update

Spring is almost here, which means many people want to travel during spring break to enjoy the mild weather or take advantage of off-season travel discounts. There are relatively few international travel restrictions affecting travel. However, some popular pre-pandemic destinations remain difficult to reach.

US travel restrictions

U.S. citizens and permanent residents do not face travel restrictions when traveling domestically or returning from abroad. Individuals wishing to enter the United States for tourism or business will continue to face multiple requirements.

Access to Vaccine Mandates in the United States

The United States requires most foreign visitors to be fully vaccinated before entering by air. As a reminder, this entry requirement does not affect returning citizens.

mask requirements

Wearing a face mask in public is also optional in most cases, but the federal government continues to encourage the practice. No major airport or public transport hub has an indoor mask requirement.

However, some airlines and destinations may require passengers to wear masks in the cabin on some flights.

pre-arrival test

Several Western countries, including the United States, require all returning citizens and tourists to undergo a negative pre-arrival test in these circumstances:

• Returning from travel in China, Hong Kong or Macau
• Have been to any of the above locations within the past ten months and have flown through Seoul, Toronto or Vancouver

This testing requirement applies to all affected travelers entering the United States who are at least two years old. When coming from anywhere else in the world, no testing requirements apply.

Canadian travel restrictions

In addition to requiring a valid travel passport, Americans can drive or fly to Canada without restrictions. The country canceled its testing and quarantine protocols for international and domestic travel in 2022.

Caribbean travel restrictions

With few exceptions, the Caribbean islands have returned to normal. Visit popular destinations like Aruba, Bahamas, Dominican Republic and Jamaica with no entry restrictions.

Turks and Caicos Islands Travel Restrictions

The Turks and Caicos Islands are the only known tourist destination among the Caribbean islands that restrict tourists. Travelers 18 and older will need to be fully vaccinated until March 31, 2023, but will not need pre-arrival testing or Covid-19 travel insurance.

Unvaccinated adults cannot currently visit the islands. The country has not yet indicated whether they will extend the travel vaccine mandate until March 3, 2023.

Latin America travel restrictions

Latin America has no entry restrictions for vaccinated tourists. However, a negative pre-arrival test is required for unvaccinated travelers entering these countries:

• Bolivia
• Brazil
• Chile
• Colombia
• Honduras
• nicaragua
• Suriname
• Uruguay

Public masking requirements may vary by country.

European travel restrictions

There are no coronavirus-related entry restrictions from Europe, despite a year-long conflict between Russia and Ukraine hampering travel to Eastern Europe. The airline will launch several new international flights to the African continent in 2023.

ETIAS postponed until 2024

While the world has been watching pandemic-related travel restrictions for the past three years, long-term travelers to Europe may need to obtain special travel visa waivers for trips of 90 days or less.

The European Union announced in late February that the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) requirement was postponed from November 2023 to 2024. This travel visa requires travelers from 59 of the 62 countries that do not currently require a visa to obtain permission through ETIAS to visit most European countries.

Once the system is rolled out, travelers from the US may need to apply for an ETIAS permit at least 96 hours before arriving in Europe. The good news is that your certificate is valid for three years and you can visit various countries of ETIAS.

When ETIAS launches, all travelers from the United States will need to be processed through ETIAS. In addition, travelers between the ages of 18 and 70 must pay an application fee of 7 euros. Children and elderly passengers can apply for free.

The system was originally slated to launch in 2019, but has been delayed several times. In addition, some regions are implementing similar biographical data agreements, such as the ESTA program in the United States.

Africa travel restrictions

Most popular African destinations such as Egypt, Morocco and South Africa have zero entry restrictions for vaccinated and unvaccinated people.

Entry protocols for most of continental Europe vary by destination. In general, fully vaccinated tourists can enter without restrictions, while unvaccinated tourists can expect pre-arrival testing in most destinations.

Asia travel restrictions

Many popular Asian destinations are open for business and tourism, but entry requirements vary. Currently, popular beach resorts such as Cambodia and Thailand do not require pre-arrival testing for unvaccinated or vaccinated guests. But it’s still common for states to have testing requirements if you don’t have a recent vaccine.

China travel restrictions

China officially lifted quarantine requirements and daily flight restrictions on January 8, 2023. Unfortunately, the country has not yet issued tourist permits. It is open to business travel, students and returning citizens. Those eligible to enter China must obtain a negative PCR test within 48 hours of arrival.

Japan travel restrictions

Japan reopens to travel in 2022, but still requires unvaccinated people to take a negative test before arriving. No additional entry protocols currently apply.

Philippines travel restrictions

Like Japan, the Philippines has no restrictions on people who are fully vaccinated, while those who are not vaccinated must test negative before arrival.

Indonesia travel restrictions

Indonesia is open to fully vaccinated travelers, but it is one of the few countries in the world that still bans entry to unvaccinated travelers. The country is an overlooked destination for tropical vacations.

Oceania travel restrictions

There are no entry restrictions to visit Australia or New Zealand, regardless of the traveller’s vaccination status.

final thoughts

March will be an excellent time for domestic and international travel. So far in 2023, the world has seen the fewest travel restrictions since border closures first began. With warmer weather in the global north, no restrictions is great news for those looking to book spring travel and avoid the heat and crowds.

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