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Each week, it seems that more and more countries are taking steps to incentivize tourists to come back as easily as possible, and 15 destinations have reduced requirements to varying degrees this month alone.
It can be hard to keep up with the ever-changing requirements each day, so we’ve compiled the latest country reopening news from the past couple of weeks, all in one place for your convenience.
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Cambodia has announced eased entry requirements for fully vaccinated passengers, specifically the dropping of both the pre-arrival and upon-arrival testing requirements currently in place.
Fully vaccinated travelers can now enter Cambodia without having to quarantine or submit tests of any kind, according to guidance issued by the Cambodian government on March 17, which also noted that these travelers can obtain a visa upon arrival.
Unvaccinated travelers are still required to undergo a 14-day quarantine, according to the U.S. Embassy in Cambodia.
Unlike the other destinations on this list, most travelers will have to wait to book trips to Hong Kong, as the region does not intend to announce any plans of resuming international tourism until the current “unprecedented epidemic” they’re experiencing “subsides,” according to remarks by Chief Executive Carrie Lam last week.
Hong Kong, however, did announce that residents would be able to again enter Hong Kong via air beginning on April 1 and the ban on foreign flights would be lifted. Hong Kong is also set to allow transit passengers at its main airport beginning April 1.
“I can tell you that we have plans — after controlling this fifth wave and preferably having the Compulsory Universal Testing that will enable us to eliminate any remaining infections in society, we will certainly have plans or a pathway to open up Hong Kong again for our own people and for international travel,” Lam said on March 10. “We will try to map out a pathway for resuming this travel for people who want to come to Hong Kong.”
As far as future entry protocols, Lam confirmed Hong Kong’s Center for Health Protection is “adjusting our own quarantine and isolation policies … that will enable people under quarantine or under isolation to be discharged after two repeated tests on day six and day seven,” while “still adhering to the same quarantine arrangement for inbound travelers.”
Direct flights from the U.S. to Hong Kong are currently suspended through April 1, and non-Hong Kong residents are still being barred from entry if arriving from outside greater China, according to the U.S. Consulate General in Hong Kong. Otherwise, fully vaccinated travelers can come from the mainland, Macau or Taiwan, subject to varying testing and quarantine guidelines outlined by the consulate.
Read more: Hong Kong finally reopens to travelers, but you’ll still need to quarantine
Citing a “dramatic increase” in daily case numbers recently, Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Ismail Sabri Bin Yaakob said the country will begin transitioning to its endemic phase April 1, which includes allowing foreign nationals back into the country.
The prime minister noted that April 1 marks a “temporary phase” before the country officially moves into the endemic phase, subject to further guidance from the World Health Organization.
Starting April 1, travelers who are fully vaccinated can avoid quarantine by submitting results of a negative PCR test two days before departure for the country, in addition to a rapid test within 24 hours of arrival.
Details regarding entry protocols for unvaccinated people have not yet been released but all travelers, regardless of vaccination status, must complete an online application, in addition to a predeparture form, through the country’s MySejahtera app.
For now, face masks will remain mandatory in public.
For entry into Malaysia from Thailand, Brunei or Indonesia, travelers can use the designated Vaccinated Travel Lanes, which facilitate coordinated movement through participating Asian countries.
“In the meantime, I would also like to inform that for countries that are still closing their border gates, the people can still take advantage of the Vaccinated Travel Lane method that has been agreed by the Malaysian Government with the countries involved,” the prime minister announced on March 8. “In the near future, VTL will also be utilized to implement inbound and outbound movements between Malaysia-Thailand, Malaysia-Brunei and Malaysia-Indonesia.”
More information on using VTLs is available from the Malaysian Transport Ministry here.
Currently, all travelers to Mongolia, regardless of vaccination status, no longer have to submit to pre-arrival or upon-arrival testing requirements nor submit to quarantine, according to updated guidance released by the Mongolian government effective March 14.
The new rules apply to all incoming travelers, regardless of origin country and age. Mongolia does not require incoming travelers to show proof of vaccination but asks travelers to complete a medical declaration form upon arrival.
Americans are exempt from visa requirements for travel up to 90 days, per the U.S. Embassy in Mongolia.
As is the case for much of Asia, tourists across the world have eagerly awaited reopening news related to Singapore regarding quarantine-free travel. Currently, incoming fully vaccinated passengers age 12 and older from more than 30 countries, including the United States, are eligible to apply to visit without quarantine thanks to the country’s Vaccinated Travel Lanes at entry points to allow a certain number of travelers from specific countries to pass through daily.
At the time of publication, quarantine-free travel is allowed among passengers from Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Canada, Denmark, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Malaysia, Maldives, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Qatar, the Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the U.S., Greece and Vietnam.
On March 10, government officials indicated their intention to eventually welcome back all fully vaccinated travelers without quarantine.
“We do want to pivot to … as long as the traveler is vaccinated and can prove that, they should be able to enter the country without quarantine,” Transport Minister S. Iswaran told CNBC on March 10.
Effective March 16, if you are coming from a country that is not included on Singapore’s VTL list, you also have the option of transiting through specific countries within the previous seven days prior to entering Singapore, including from most of Europe.
To verify if you are eligible to enter Singapore at a given time, consult Singapore’s Immigration & Checkpoints Authority’s SafeTravel portal.
Travelers to Singapore must submit very specific forms of vaccination proof depending on their country of origin. For example, travelers vaccinated in the U.S. can provide one of the following:
Related: It’s about to get a lot easier to visit Singapore
Next, all travelers must also apply for a Vaccinated Traveler’s Pass online, specifically for travel originating within 3-60 days at the time of application. Note that a VTP is valid for 13 days from your chosen date of entry.
As of March 14, travelers must submit negative results of a self-administered ART COVID-19 test taken within 24 hours of arrival in Singapore, the results of which are to be uploaded online before moving freely around the country.
Lastly, all visitors must obtain a COVID-19 insurance policy covering a minimum of $30,000 worth of costs, and apply for a visa if applicable.
U.S. passport holders do not require a visa to enter Singapore, per Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Following the lead of other Asian nations, South Korea plans to welcome back fully vaccinated travelers without quarantine starting April 1, per its Ministry of the Interior and Safety, which said the quarantine-free rule will apply to travelers who are both vaccinated and boosted with three doses of a two-dose vaccine or two doses of a one-dose vaccine.
As far as timing, visitors must be vaccinated within 14-180 days of entry for their vaccination status to be considered current and valid. The new quarantine exception will include people vaccinated outside of Korea, excluding vaccinated visitors from Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine and Myanmar, who must quarantine for seven days.
All travelers must continue to complete steps ahead of travel, including submitting their vaccine records to Q-code prior to arrival and scan the provided QR code when requested by immigration officials upon entry. Additionally, travelers age 6 and older must submit results of a negative PCR test taken within 48 hours of departure.
Health screenings may be in place at some airports, per the U.S. Embassy in Korea, which also notes that transiting passengers from the U.S. who do not pass through immigration at Korean airports are exempt from testing requirements for stays less than 24 hours.
Read more: Cambodia, South Korea and Vietnam loosen COVID-19 restrictions as Asia reopens for tourists
More good news for fully vaccinated visitors looking to head to Thailand, as travelers will no longer have to test before arrival come April 1. However, you’ll still need to take a PCR test on your arrival day, in addition to taking an antigen test on day five, per updated guidance released by the TAT Newsroom, which promotes Thailand tourism.
Those two test requirements will take effect for vaccinated travelers on April 1, and travelers will be expected to quarantine for at least one night in a government-approved hotel while awaiting test results, per the U.S. Embassy in Thailand. The day five test may be self-administered, after which you should upload negative test results to the MorChana app, which allows you to move freely throughout the country under the eyes of the Thai government.
Existing entry guidelines will remain the same as of April 1, which include obtaining an online Thailand Pass prior to travel, during which process you’ll also be asked to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination and prepay for the aforementioned COVID-19 tests.
Unvaccinated travelers are able to enter Thailand by submitting to quarantine for 10 days in a designated quarantine hotel in Bangkok, Samut Prakan, Pattaya, Phuket or Samui before they can travel to other parts of Thailand, per the Thai Embassy.
Read more: Thailand just resumed its quarantine waiver for vaccinated arrivals
Fully vaccinated travelers to Kenya no longer have to take a PCR test in order to enter, per updated guidance issued by the Kenyan Ministry of Health on March 11.
“There will be no paper verification of COVID-19 test results and vaccination certificates upon arrival into Kenya,” according to the U.S. Embassy in Kenya, which notes that travelers need to upload either document into Global Haven before boarding their flight to generate a QR code. You must then upload that QR code while completing a Travelers’ Health Surveillance Form.
“Visitors must scan the QR code from this application on entry,” says the embassy. “Travelers are encouraged to complete this in advance as wifi connections may be unreliable upon arrival.”
However, unvaccinated travelers 5 and older must continue to take a PCR test within 72 hours of departure for Kenya, in addition to taking a rapid test upon arrival at the airport for $30. If said test were to be positive, you must self-isolate for an undetermined amount of time.
About the only step travelers must take is completing an online passenger locator form on the country’s Jitenge platform.
There are no longer any capacity limits for indoor gatherings nor are face masks required in public anymore.
After allowing certain Costa Rican businesses to operate at 100% capacity as long as attendees show proof of vaccination on March 1, the same will be applied to establishments, activities and events without requiring vaccination proof come April 1, according to the Costa Rica Tourism Board.
Like before the pandemic, travelers from the U.S. can visit Costa Rica without obtaining a visa for stays up to 90 days.
Current entry rules remain in place until next month, including completion of an online digital health pass and possession of COVID-19-related health insurance, the latter of which is required for unvaccinated travelers.
Related: Rest and relaxation, rainforest edition: Los Altos Resort in Costa Rica, part of Hyatt
On March 19, Aruba became the latest Caribbean destination to drop all COVID-19-travel restrictions, including that travelers must present a negative COVID-19 test upon arrival or proof of vaccination.
The news follows Aruba’s decision to drop the pre-travel testing requirement for vaccinated travelers in February.
This means the only pre-travel step required for travelers to Aruba, regardless of vaccination status, is to complete an online embarkation form. Upon arrival at the airport, you are expected to wear a face mask; note that individual businesses may ask you to do so as well.
Otherwise, travel to Aruba at this time should be a relatively easy lift.
Read more: Aruba drops all COVID-19 restrictions
All COVID-19-related travel restrictions for the country of Hungary were lifted as of March 7, according to a press release issued by Hungarian officials.
“In accordance with this, it is possible to enter the territory of Hungary by public road, railway, water and air traffic – regardless of citizenship and protection against the coronavirus – but other general conditions of entry (e.g. a valid travel document) must be provided,” according to the Hungarian police.
In total, this means that no testing, quarantine or pre-travel documentation is required on the part of the traveler.
More information on U.S. citizens traveling to Hungary is available via the U.S. Embassy in Hungary.
On March 22, the Netherlands announced it will be dropping its predeparture testing requirement for arrivals from within the European Union, as the country prepares to lift COVID-19 restrictions wholly on March 23. This includes no longer requiring face masks to be worn on public transit, excluding airports and flights, according to a government press release announcing the changes.
However, travelers are not off the hook with testing requirements entirely, as the Netherlands government still advises all travelers to take a self-test upon arrival, in addition to a second test five days later. In other testing news, results of a negative COVID-19 test nor proof of vaccination will no longer be necessary for entry to large events within more than 500 people.
Additionally, all incoming travelers must complete an online health declaration form.
With the soon-to-be-implemented entry requirements, travelers to the Netherlands from outside the EU or Schengen Area, such as the U.S., are able to enter by showing proof of vaccination.
Related: The Netherlands drops predeparture testing ahead of Easter travel spike
All remaining COVID-19 restrictions were dropped for visitors to the United Kingdom as of March 18, which is good news for both vaccinated and unvaccinated travelers alike as neither passenger type will be subject to any entry requirements, including the passenger locator form and arrival testing procedures, both of which were quite cumbersome, speaking from my experience this summer.
Read more: The final remaining travel restrictions in the UK will be scrapped
Since March 8, travelers to Chile do not need to take a COVID-19 test upon entering, but travelers age 2 and older must still take a PCR test within 72 hours of boarding their flight for the country, per updated entry requirements released by Chile Travel on March 16.
Additionally, travelers may be subject to random PCR or antigen testing upon arrival in Chile. If the latter is administered, you may wait at the point of entry until receipt of negative results.
All visitors age 6 and older must be fully vaccinated to enter, in addition to completing an online travel affidavit form up to 48 hours before boarding and possessing health insurance with a minimum coverage amount to meet any COVID-19-related costs that may arise.
Read more: Why I ‘broke’ quarantine in Chile — and what it’s like entering the country now
Joining their Australian neighbors, New Zealand is set to bring back international travelers sans quarantine starting May 1, specifically fully vaccinated travelers from approximately 60 countries around the world, including travelers from the U.S.
In further good news for Americans seeking to visit, New Zealand is waiving the visa requirement for visitors from specific countries, including the U.S., U.K. and most European Union member countries.
“Travelers from countries not on this list cannot enter New Zealand until October 2022, although this is set to be reviewed by the New Zealand government,” the New Zealand Labour Party said in a press statement on March 16.
Although the country is welcoming back visitors after nearly two years, stringent testing requirements will remain in place as all arrivals must submit a negative COVID-19 test before departing for New Zealand, in addition to taking a rapid test upon arrival and again on either day five or six of their stay.
Ahead of the general public, Australians will be permitted to enter starting April 12.
“Closing our border was one of the first actions we took to stop COVID-19 two years ago. It did the job we needed,” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said in a statement. “But now that we’re highly vaccinated and predicted to be off our Omicron peak, it’s now safe to open up.”
Read more: New Zealand will finally start to reopen its borders
In the past two weeks, several Asian countries have announced reopening dates to welcome back American tourists.
Additional countries declaring reopening plans, particularly ones like New Zealand that have implemented among the strictest of protocols for the past two years, seem to suggest this wave of increased reopenings will continue each week.
Be sure to check back for a regularly updated guide.
Featured photo of Singapore by seng chye teo/Getty Images.
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Oops! Did you mean…
Welcome to The Points Guy!
The credit card offers that appear on the website are from credit card companies from which ThePointsGuy.com receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers. Please view our advertising policy page for more information.
Editorial Note: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
