Skip to main content
A COVID-19 test device against a yellow, green, and dark teal background. (Washington Post illustration; iStock)

Traveling in the U.S. soon? Get tested before your trip, CDC says.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has updated its coronavirus guidance for domestic travel, urging travelers to take a test close to departure regardless of vaccination status.

The agency said on its website that anyone traveling within the United States should think about “getting tested as close to the time of departure as possible,” no more than three days ahead of a trip. The agency previously only recommended testing before domestic travel for those not up to date on their coronavirus vaccinations.

(iStock/Washington Post illustration)

9 questions about the omicron variant and travel, answered

As countries around the world react to the new and little-understood omnicrom variant of the coronavirus, travelers are once again facing unexpected border closures, evolving entry rules and a dark cloud of potential cancellations.

The United States on Wednesday joined the list of more than 20 countries that detected cases of the new variant, health authorities said. It wasn’t immediately clear if that would trigger new restrictions for Americans traveling to other countries.

Subscribe to Testing