Any sign of the US allowing EU visitors (non essential)

Juran · 29-07-2021 10:35am #1

I read this article in the Irish Independent this morning, I feel for the poor lady, but does she realise that you can't fly to the US right now unless you have pre-authorization for medical treatment, college, essential business, etc. It does not matter if you have a vaccine cert, border control will refuse entry.

We want to go for Christmas, I really hope US opens its borders to vaccinated tourists. Is there any indication that the Biden administration will change the rules in the coming months ?

I recall reading before that September was the time the US was aiming for. They are losing billions to loss tourism.

‘End of my tether’ – mum might have to cancel US visit to daughter over delay in Digital Covid Cert

https://www.independent.ie/world-news/coronavirus/end-of-my-tether-mum-might-have-to-cancel-us-visit-to-daughter-over-delay-in-digital-covid-cert-40700125.html

Nigel Fairservice · 29-07-2021 10:43am

I think the US government said as recently as July 26 that they are keeping the travel ban at the moment due to Delta variant. Opening up will probably depend on how well things are going domestically there. Can't vaccinated Americans travel to Europe now?

Juran · 29-07-2021 10:54am

Yes, vaccinated US tourits can visit Ireland. My relatives from the US came home in June, more in July, and another load are coming in August.

I know the UK are going to allow vaccinated US tourists.

I dont know if vaccinated US tourists can visit all EU countries, or if its country by country rules.

sunbabe08 · 29-07-2021 10:57am

Yeah Americans can come over, but they either have to be vaccinated or get a negative test before hand to get on the plane.

i have flights booked for April next year, so I'm hoping things will have calmed down by then

Micky 32 · 29-07-2021 12:12pm

I don’t think i’d be too optimistic about the USA opening their borders anytime soon. I will go as far saying this time next year the border will still be closed. The problem is Delta won’t go away especially when half the country is anti vax.

Atlantic Dawn · 29-07-2021 12:29pm

Canada are letting in all vaccinated visitors from start of September, I'd say potential for US to follow similar timeline. They are ahead of US in vaccination numbers. One way around US ban is to spend 2 weeks in a non travel ban country and then go direct to US from there.

fly_agaric · 29-07-2021 12:38pm

Yes I agree it might be a while. Pandemic has been very instructive about where balance of power now lies in the US-EU relationship IMO. The US economy has expanded over past few decades and afair is now much, much larger than the (combined) EU one even factoring out Brexit effect. They used to be similar in size back in 90s/early 00s or EU was slightly larger.

IMO they don't give much of a shít any more. They will open up to EU inward travel when it suits them, probably depending on some domestic political considerations (e.g. would imagine when they think about it at all, the Trump-tending voters quite like the ban on EU travellers to the US given their hero brought it in).

fly_agaric · 29-07-2021 2:44pm

^^The travel ban for Europeans doesn't even make that much sense when you look at which countries from outside EU/EEA are allowed in.

Yes, I don't think the ban has much of a positive public health effect on the US at this stage, or will affect fairly inevitable progress of Delta Covid-19 variant there. Expected thing would be to just reciprocate here and allow in EU travellers given they provide sufficient proof of their fully vaccinated status.

Fact that US just don't bother shows it is political + it persists because the EU has 0 leverage & Biden just has too much other more important stuff on his plate right now to get to it.

US travellers (who might complain at home + raise the political pressure), even unvaccinated ones, already have pretty much full access to the EU now anyway.

Duff · 29-07-2021 4:40pm

I've a NYC trip booked for September which I've given up hope on. Going to try reschedule for maybe Paddy's Day and pray it's lifted by then.

ceadaoin. · 29-07-2021 5:39pm

Pressure to lift this is starting to build. There are tens of thousands of visa holders who are blocked from reentering, and also, massive backlogs at embassies around the world as staff are busy processing exemptions. It has very little support, even among republicans. He's going to have to do something about it. It's not like it's actually having any impact on cases. Americans are free to go wherever they want and come back and the rest of the world is able to come here. What is the point?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2021/06/26/europe-travel-ban-hardship/

Former Former Former · 29-07-2021 5:55pm

I can see where the US are coming from here tbh.

They have a huge vaccine resistance / complacency issue, primarily among those who think that Covid is a hoax, that mask wearing is an assault on liberty or that Jesus will protect them from any harm.

Now, if you give these lunatics the ammo of "what's the point in vaccinating everyone here if dem foreigners are swarming in...", then they'll never get the job done.

It doesn't make any sense but that's what they're dealing with.

ceadaoin. · 29-07-2021 5:59pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117679637#Comment_117679637

But "dem foreigners" are coming in. From everywhere else in the world except the EU and Canada. US citizens can come and go as they please. They are blaming the unvaccinated now but it doesn't change the fact its been in place for over a year, even before vaccines, and been extended several times. You can get round the ban by spending 2 weeks in a "safe" country first. It is completely pointless and people are starting to get pissed off

Former Former Former · 29-07-2021 8:36pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117679651#Comment_117679651

I don't disagree (although I think China, India and Iran are also banned?) - I'm just trying to guess at reasons for keeping it in the face of so little evidence.

We (Ireland) might get an earlier pass since we're not in Schengen.

zom · 03-08-2021 4:31pm

US travellers told to avoid Ireland due rising Covid-19 case numbers:

www.thejournal.ie/us-travel-ireland-5513525-Aug2021/

wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/covid-4/coronavirus-ireland

Micky 32 · 05-08-2021 12:22am

https://www.google.ie/amp/s/amp.rte.ie/amp/1239098/

Green shoots?

Juran · 05-08-2021 4:50pm

No dates given yet ... hope its in the next 2 or 3 months.

Duff · 07-08-2021 4:31pm

Going to push my September trip to NYC back. The o/h wants to re-book for mid December, but I'm leaning more towards Paddy's Day as I'm still a bit wary we'll be able to travel to the US by Christmas. What do you think, lads?

Kermit.de.frog · 07-08-2021 6:01pm

Situation kind of annoys me.

Had the Brits not actively allowed the virus tear through their population to suit Boris Johnson and mutate then we'd a different situation by now in relation to travel in all likelihood throughout Europe and the US.

I really think there should be consequences for countries that behave irresponsibly and impact their neighbors and further afield through this pandemic.

/rant

is_that_so · 08-08-2021 3:03pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117720262#Comment_117720262

Know of a family booked for Christmas. They feel confident but keeping an eye all the same.

deeperlearning · 08-08-2021 3:43pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117677982#Comment_117677982

The large trade surplus the EU has with the US would be a more logical explanation.

In 2010, the EU had a trade surplus with the United States of EUR 61 billion. The trade surplus remained throughout the whole period, reaching EUR 150 billion in 2020.

The US is a good customer.

Duff · 08-08-2021 4:38pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117723756#Comment_117723756

You'd hope they'd have the ball rolling by Christmas alright, but I don't think I can take the build up of excitement of going only for it to be cancelled again ☹️

Bit cynical · 08-08-2021 4:56pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058201304/any-sign-of-the-us-allowing-eu-visitors-non-essential

Kind of depressing that the article does not point out that even with the DCC she could not have gone to the US.

helimachoptor · 08-08-2021 8:06pm

fwiw, I've been speaking to someone in the Dept of Trade & Employment for the last while (for commercial/company reasons) , a couple of months ago, the expectation was that restrictions would be lifted around Independence day - 1) due to high initial rate of vaccine take up 2) no delta variant (in large scale).

Biden made a statement i think around 4 weeks ago now, when he met Merkel that information on restrictions being lifted would come within days. However, what came in the next few days (no inside information on this decision) was confirmation Delta has scared the US shitless and the ban would remain.

Since then Biden has said they are working on a plan and will share details (but no timelines), but its clear that if you want to go to US you will need to be jabbed. I think its linked somewhere else on the forum, but CDC are saying vaccines are prevening serious illness, but not preventing transmission. So if they open borders even to vaxxed people there will be some tranmission linked to that. However, having friends that are living in the US now, an unvaxxed and 100% infected person can hop on a plane and go where ever they want, so international ban doesnt make a lot of sense

Person i'm dealing with is a mid level public servant, so not sitting in the Oval Office, but they are involved in trying to get jobs and investment into the US and at the moment, companies wont pull a trigger if they cant get over there.

Marty Bird · 09-08-2021 10:56am

When Canada went down the route of only allowing jabbed travellers in was inevitable the US would follow, I’ve a spot at the Boston Marathon in Oct safe to say that’s not going to happen for me now😢

Tazz T · 09-08-2021 11:01am

Looking like the EU may reciprocate and ban US travellers from entering the EU soon. I think they were expecting the US to open their borders in return for letting the US in and that obviously didn't happen and now US figures are on the rise.

https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/eu-most-likely-to-reintroduce-entry-ban-on-us-next-week-sources-claim/

hynesie08 · 09-08-2021 1:41pm

I'm booked for NYC 18th-26th December, I'm about 95% confident it'll be fine, but obviously there's a small niggle in the back of my head.

Agree on paddy's (Patty's) day in new York, **** parade and a **** amateur hour for drinkers.

fly_agaric · 09-08-2021 4:56pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117727262#Comment_117727262

Be a bit of a joke if rest of EU (well Schengen countries) thinks the US are presenting an increased risk due to their anti-vaxx/anti-govt. cohort providing a good reservoir for maintaining large amounts of spread of Delta & other variants and restricts them again (!) and we don't change anything.

Govt. here afair had some EU citizens (but not others) having to do the mandatory quarantine for a time on a somewhat arbitrary basis IMO. The whole policy around international travel in this pandemic has been so bad and illogical at times in both Europe and the US.

Have always thought many of the Asian countries who've just been very strict on it from the start and have stayed that way (+ will probably remain mostly "closed", at least until they complete vaccination programmes) have had the right idea even if causes suffering for people whose families are scattered across several countries.

Duff · 09-08-2021 5:03pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117727931#Comment_117727931

Looked at flights last night for March and they're actually about €20 cheaper than what I'd originally booked! Ah yeah, I know, I've family on Long Island and have been in NYC for pretty much every holiday there is. I'll have to decide this week anyway. Might gamble on Christmas alright.

helimachoptor · 18-08-2021 12:12pm

https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2021/0818/1241454-restrictions-on-us-europe-travel-could-be-eased-soon/

I had heard this yesterday via the person i'm speaking to

ongarite · 20-08-2021 1:45pm

Tech companies are getting their non-US staff into the country with NIE visa.

My company have started the process for our staff to get into US for training in next few weeks.

Swampy · 20-08-2021 1:50pm

i'm booked for a few night in NY early december. i'd say it will be grand by then.

Any sign of the US allowing EU visitors (non essential)

Comments