How to enter the U.S. by land from Mexico when the border is opened
A week away from the U.S. Government opening its land borders with Mexico and Canada after 20 months closed to foreigners due to the Covid-19 pandemic, more details are known about the requirements to be able to enter the country.
With one week to go before the U.S. Government opens its land borders with Mexico and Canada after 20 months closed to foreigners due to the Covid-19 pandemic, more details are known about the requirements to be able to enter the country. Since March 2020, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has a limited entry at the northern and southern borders due to the pandemic, and the federal government suspended entry of foreigners who had recently visited certain countries.
Last month, the Administration announced that it would abandon country-specific restrictions and adopt travel policies that focus primarily on vaccination to move toward a resumption of travel. Thus, new requirements for travelers entering the United States at land and ferry ports with Mexico and Canada will take effect on November 8.
Proof of vaccination
Foreign nationals traveling to the United States for tourism or other "non-essential" purposes will be allowed to enter the country if they present proof of full covid-19 vaccination. Upon arrival at a land port of entry or ferry terminal, the traveler must present proof of covid-19 vaccination "as detailed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)."
Need to be fully vaccinated
CDC considers a person to be "fully vaccinated" if 14 days have passed since receiving an accepted single-dose vaccine or since receiving the second of a two-dose vaccine. A person is also considered "fully vaccinated" 14 days after they have received "a full series" of an "active" vaccine during the AstraZeneca or Novavax vaccine trials in the U.S. CDC also considers a person fully vaccinated 14 days after they have received two doses of any "mixed" combination of accepted covid-19 vaccines, given with at least a 17-day break.
What types of vaccines will be accepted?
CDC has determined that all vaccines approved and licensed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will be accepted, as well as all vaccines that have an Emergency Use List (EUL) from the World Health Organization. The most widespread vaccines, such as those of Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson&Johnson, AstraZeneca, Novavax, Sinovac, and Sinopharm will be accepted, but not the Russian Sputnik V, of which more than 19 million doses arrived in Mexico in recent months.
Ports of entry
The new regulation will apply at all land entry points and ferry terminals, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), indicated that to reduce delays travelers can opt for "innovative technologies" such as biometric facial registration and recognition. There are currently 167 ports of entry at the U.S. borders with Mexico and Canada. "Travelers should factor longer wait times at border crossings into their plans and are reminded to be patient," DHS said in a bulletin.
