The best FAQs as of today 3-13-20
14 Day Ban For All Non USA Residents Who Visited Schengen Area
The simplest way to look at this new US policy decreed by President Donald J. Trump is a mandatory 14 day waiting period for any non US citizen who has been inside the Schengen Area of the European Union, before they can enter the USA. It doesn’t matter if you’re European or any other nationality, just whether you’ve been there lately.
Schengen Zone Countries: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
If you’ve visited other non-Schengen European countries, you’re ok, for now. For example, Ireland is a non-Schengen country, so travel between the US and Ireland should be exempt from the restriction.
Does the US-Europe travel ban effect all EU nationals?
Here’s the most important takeaway – it doesn’t matter if your passport is from a European Union Schengen Zone country or from Mars – all that matters is if you’v been in a Schengen Zone country lately. Obviously, citizens of Mars may face their own immigration issues.
If you are a New Zealander who was visiting Europe before a trip to the USA, you’re excluded, but if you’re a European who’s been in New Zealand for the last two weeks coming to the USA, you’re not.
How long will this Trump EU-USA travel ban last?
The travel ban takes effect Friday, March 13th 2020 and lasts for 30 days. By our math, that should mean an end date of April 11th/12th. That doesn’t mean the policy won’t be extended, or ended early. The administration has noted that it will review the situation as it evolves.
What this means is that anyone hoping to visit the USA in the next 30 days must be outside of the Schengen Zone of Europe for at least 14 days before they hope to enter, regardless where they’re from.
What defines a “US Permanent Resident”?
A permanent resident of the United States of America is typically defined as “green card” holder, which means you have the indefinite right to live and work in the USA. You do not need to be a US citizen, or even born on US soil to be a permanent resident.
This ban does not apply to permanent residents, aka people with green cards through work, family or other means, or US citizens holding US passports. You can read more on the distinction here.
the UK really not included in the ban?
For now, the United Kingdom is not facing any restriction for travel into the USA. If you haven’t been in the Schengen Zone of Europe and are in the UK, or will visit the UK, there’s nothing stopping you in either direction, other than the typical ESTA for entering the USA.
This does not however allow you to hop a flight from a Schengen country and then jump on a flight to the USA. As noted, all travelers must wait 14 days to enter the USA from their last day in a Schengen EU country.
Can American still travel to Europe?
Totally, but it’s not without challenges. Since airlines can’t transport any non permanent residents of the USA who have been in Schengen area countries to the USA, it’s more than likely that the vast majority of flights from Schengen European areas will be cancelled for the next 30 days. Beyond that, it’s anyone’s guess.
There’s nothing stopping an American from going to Europe and having an amazing trip, but if you’re making future plans, you may want to book the long haul flight to the UK, or via the UK and figure out the rest. Upon return in the US, there’s no mandatory quarantine for US citizens, but they can expect questions from CBP.
What if I have a booking and can’t travel now?
If a government is not allowing you to travel, it’s a completely different ball game than you deciding you don’t want to go by yourself. In circumstances such as this one, airlines should offer a full refund or at the very least, travel credit for the entire amount, without any change or cancellation fees.
Speak directly to the airline operating your flight or the hotel you’ve booked to sort out any changes or cancellations. If you’re cancelling a trip that’s not being hindered by a government mandate, it’s actually better to wait and see if better cancellation options pop up, than proactively cancel.
Isn’t there already a pandemic presence in the USA?
Yes, indeed. There are already quite a few cases in the United States, but the Trump administration notes that their response was better than any other country, so this is a move to prevent a further spread by all those other countries. You can make of that what you wish.
Since the move was done unilaterally, without consulting the European Union or other world groups, the European Commission voiced their disapproval of the measures in the media today and this may create the risk of retaliatory measures in Europe for US travelers.
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