A medical assistant takes off her face shield after removing a nasal swab sample from a patient for COVID-19 testing at Xpress Urgent Care in Tustin, California (AP Photo / Jae C. Hong, file).
What COVID-19 tests are required for international travel?
It depends where you are going.
To limit the spread of new coronavirus variants, many countries require arriving travelers to submit a recent negative test.
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For example, the US will accept results of either a test that detects the genetic material of the virus – considered the most sensitive type of test – or a rapid test that looks for viral proteins called antigens. The tests must not have been performed more than three days prior to departure for the United States
Healthcare professionals usually do more delicate laboratory tests with a nasal swab that take a day or more to get results. Rapid tests have a processing time of around 15 to 30 minutes and are increasingly used to screen people at test sites, offices, schools and nursing homes. For some rapid tests, users can wipe themselves at home.
For both tests, the U.S. requires electronic or printed evidence of the negative result from a medical laboratory. This means that even if you plan on the faster test, you will likely need to see a doctor who can provide records.
England is similar in structure and accepts results from both types of tests. However, the health authorities there have additional requirements, including the fact that the tests meet certain thresholds for accuracy. Travelers need to verify that their test meets standards.
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After the countries introduced different requirements, the officials of the European Union agreed to standardize the requirements across the 27-nation bloc.
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The AP answers your questions about the coronavirus here series. Send them to: FactCheck@AP.org.
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