• Requirement for Proof of Negative COVID-19 Test for All Air Passengers Arriving in the United States

    January 27, 2021

    If you plan to travel internationally, you will need to get tested no more than 3 days before you travel by air into the United States (US) and show your negative result to the airline before you board your flight, or be prepared to show documentation of recovery (proof of a recent positive viral test and a letter from your healthcare provider or a public health official stating that you were cleared to travel).

    On January 12, 2021, CDC announced an Order requiring all air passengers arriving to the US from a foreign country to get tested no more than 3 days before their flight departs and to present the negative result or documentation of having recovered from COVID-19 to the airline before boarding the flight. Air passengers will also be required to confirm that the information they present is true in the form of an attestation. This Order is effective as of 12:01am EST (5:01am GMT) on January 26, 2021.

    More information on this order, including frequently asked questions, is available on the CDC website.

  • Bulgaria: CDC COVID Testing Requirement

    January 21, 2021

    The US Embassy in Bulgaria has confirmed the new testing requirements for travelers to the USA, effective as of January 26.

    Beginning January 26, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), will require all air travelers, two years of age or older, to present a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of their travel in order to be admitted into the United States. This includes U.S. citizens and adoptees.

    Airlines will confirm the negative test result for all passengers before boarding. Airlines will deny boarding of passengers if they do not provide documentation of a negative test or recovery. This requirement is separate from the visa application process.

    Travelers should be tested no more than 72 hours before their flight to the US departs. They must be tested with a viral test (NAAT or antigen test) to determine if they are currently infected with COVID-19. They must have documentation of their results (paper or electronic) to show the airline, an attestation to the veracity of the test, or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 in the preceding 90 days.

    U.S. Embassies and Consulates are unable to provide COVID-19 testing to U.S. citizens and adoptees so adoptive families and adoptee children will need to be tested at a Bulgarian hospital or clinic prior to their planned flight to the United States.

    IAN’s Foreign Supervised Provider in Bulgaria has already researched the locations in Sofia that can perform Covid testings for the adoptive parents and their children. They will assist all US families traveling back to the USA, so that they can be tested prior to their planned flight to the United States.

  • CDC Expands Negative COVID-19 Test Requirement to All Air Passengers Entering the United States

    January 12, 2021

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expanding the requirement for a negative COVID-19 test to all air passengers entering the United States.

    Before departure to the United States, a required test, combined with the CDC recommendations to get tested again 3-5 days after arrival and stay home for 7 days post-travel, will help slow the spread of COVID-19 within US communities from travel-related infections. Pre-departure testing with results known and acted upon before travel begins will help identify infected travelers before they board airplanes.

    Air passengers are required to get a viral test (a test for current infection) within the 3 days before their flight to the U.S. departs, and provide written documentation of their laboratory test result (paper or electronic copy) to the airline or provide documentation of having recovered from COVID-19. Airlines must confirm the negative test result for all passengers or documentation of recovery before they board. If a passenger does not provide documentation of a negative test or recovery, or chooses not to take a test, the airline must deny boarding to the passenger.

    This order was signed by the CDC Director on January 12, 2021 and will become effective on January 26, 2021.

    You can read the full statement issued by the CDC at: https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2021/s0112-negative-covid-19-air-passengers.html