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Once again international travel is coming to a standstill worldwide as cases surge and a more contagious variant of Covid-19 has emerged. Proof of negative Covid-19 tests and quarantines continue to keep many travelers at home but there are still a few countries where Americans can travel without restrictions.
Here are the last 3 countries in the western hemisphere that Americans can travel to without having to get a PCR test before arrival.
Costa Rica
Costa Rica recently dropped their PCR test requirement on October 26th allowing Americans to arrive in the country without proof of a negative Covid-19 test.
Costa Rica does however require all U.S. travelers to fill out an online health pass before departure. Americans will also be required to have at least $50,000 of medical Covid-19 coverage.
On October 13th, the U.S. government dropped the travel advisory for Costa Rica from a Level 4 ‘Do Not Travel’ to a Level 3 ‘Reconsider Travel’.
With its warm tropical weather, gorgeous beaches and endless outdoor adventure, Costa Rica is a great winter escape for American travelers.
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a top destinations among U.S. travelers every winter. Americans are able to visit the country without needing to provide proof of a negative Covid-19 test or quarantine upon arrival.
In a recent announcement, the Dominican Republic government announced they would extend their free travel insurance program to all U.S. travelers staying in hotels.
American tourists need to fill out the online ‘Electronic Ticket‘ and generate the QR code that will be scanned when entering the Dominican Republic.
On November 19th, The United States government reduced the level 4 ‘do not travel' advisory for the Dominican Republic to a level 3 ‘reconsider travel‘.
From white sand beaches to luxury all-inclusive resorts, the Dominican Republic is visited by millions of U.S. tourists every winter.
Mexico
Mexico is the number one destination for U.S. travelers and has continued to be throughout the pandemic. American travelers are not required to present proof of a negative covid-19 test or quarantine upon arrival.
All U.S. travelers must complete an online Health Declaration Form and print or store the QR code on your phone for verification upon arrival.
On September 8th, the U.S. Department of State dropped the level 4 advisory for Mexico to a level 3 ‘Reconsider Travel'.
Although Americans are free to arrive in Mexico by air, the closure of the U.S. and Mexico land border to non-essential traffic is still in effect. However many U.S. travelers are reporting that they have crossed the land border without issue. A couple from Arizona who did not want to be identified told Travel Off Path that they weren't even stopped at the border. “We were given the peace sign as they waved us through.”
The top spot in Mexico for Americans is the resort city of Cancun. It was last reported that over 3 million travelers have visited the city with a majority of international arrivals being American.
Flight connectivity to Cancun has been restored from every major city in the United States.
All three destinations still give Americans a great opportunity for warm tropical getaway this winter. For American travelers looking to stay within the United States, be sure to check the latest State by State travel restrictions. Both California and New York are requiring all arrivals to quarantine for 14 days.
U.S. travelers that are feeling a little more adventurous and willing to take the risk of traveling across the world can also enter North Macedonia, Tanzania and Albania without quarantines or testing.
For travelers that are willing to get tested before arrival, see the complete list of where Americans can travel right now.
All U.S. travelers should be aware that all the countries on this list are rated a level 4 health warning by the CDC.
The risk of contracting Covid-19 is ‘very high'.
According to the CDC “Travel increases your chances of getting and spreading COVID-19. Staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others from COVID-19.“
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Disclaimer: Current travel rules and restrictions can change without notice. The decision to travel is ultimately your responsibility. Contact your consulate and/or local authorities to confirm your nationality’s entry and/or any changes to travel requirements before traveling. Travel Off Path does not endorse traveling against government advisories
d
Tuesday 12th of January 2021
Also, why do you continue to allow some posters to continue to post extreme anti-COVID statements and perpetuate anti-science hoax propaganda in the comments? Disappointed to continue to see the same comments in each post. You’re running a travel blog with a large platform and there is a sense of ethics and responsibility that comes with this. We all need to be responsible travelers during these times with hospitals and infrastructure that aren’t as strong as Canada & US. Not censoring some of these comments here really sends the wrong message to casual viewers on this page.
Kashlee Kucheran
Tuesday 12th of January 2021
We get hundreds of comments a day, left by some of our millions of readers a month. We ultimately try our very best to moderate any polarizing, political, or extreme comments as we truly don't want them either. We ourselves are pro-mask, pro-vaccine, and very pro-science, but we try and keep the website and its content as neutral as we can. Do some slip through the moderator's cracks? yes of course they do. Our #1 priority is to be researching and publishing useful and helpful articles, and that means we can't spend as much time in the comment section. As much as we really dislike any form of extremism, we also don't want to censor people's free speech (to a limit of course) If a mod goes through some comments and deem them as 'middle ground' or someone sharing their point of view in a reasonable sense, they will leave it up. Trust me, you don't even want to see the list of the hundreds of comments that don't make it through on a daily basis... they are something to behold!
David
Tuesday 12th of January 2021
Lots of articles leaking Americans are going to need a COVID test to return back to the states if they’re abroad. Any insight here? TPG & WSJ have sourced it supposedly beginning late January.
Kashlee Kucheran
Tuesday 12th of January 2021
Yes we have heard of the rumors as well, but until the decree is made, it's hard to speculate. Press is uncertain if it will include citizens or not, if a quarantine will be available in lew of people that can't get a test in time, and what date it will start. But yes, it will probably be happening very soon
blaquehart b
Thursday 7th of January 2021
Thank God I found this article.I'm not interested in finding the "safest" place to visit during this nonsense. What happen to people's sense of adventure? America is no longer the home of the free and certainly not the brave. I need a vacation to get away from these annoying and pitiful hypochondriacs. There is more to life than dreading death. I've been itching to get back to CR and now Mexico is also the list.
I need to do some serious research to see how the activity/tour business is doing in Costa Rica. Been wanting to get out to Acapulco as well. Thanks for this article!
Dean
Tuesday 5th of January 2021
Kind of irresponsible post at this point, eh?
Kashlee Kucheran
Tuesday 5th of January 2021
I don't think so at all. American citizens are still legally allowed to travel, and those 3 countries are actively campaigning for visitors. We are in Mexico right now and on the way here we wore masks the entire time, were religious about sanitation and social distancing, and were extremely cautious. Daily life inside of Mexico is the same... we follow all health protocols to a T. Many Americans returning back home (depending on state) will likely have to do some sort of PCR test on arrival, test to release program, or quarantine to keep their communities safe of any possible transmission.
Stephen White
Tuesday 5th of January 2021
I'm happy to see that Costa Rica dropped its PCR test requirement. We've been to Mexico (August/September) and plan to visit the DR soon. It's wonderful to see some countries welcoming travelers instead of forbidding them to enter. I have a pretty good hunch that these 3 countries will recover economically much faster than the countries that are in lock down.