What does level 1 mean for your international travel plans?
If you are itching to go away and have a vacation abroad there are a few guidelines you need to know.
If you want to go overseas, do your homework and also get tested. Picture: iStock
After the announcement of the new lockdown level 1 regulations in line with President Cyril Ramaphosa’s national address on Sunday evening, travel plans are back on track to a certain extent.
Ramaphosa confirmed South Africa would move to level 1 lockdown as the country has seen a decline in daily Covid-19 cases.
If you are itching to go away and take a vacation abroad, there are a few guidelines you need to know.
International travel plans in level 1:
- Travelling outside the curfew (12am-4am) for long-distance departures is permitted. The person travelling needs to be in possession of a valid boarding pass as proof of flight or a copy of the airline ticket.
- Five airports open for international travel with standard infection control measures are OR Tambo, Cape Town, King Shaka, Kruger Mpumalanga and Lanseria airports.
- All international travellers arriving at these airports must provide a valid certificate of a negative Covid-19 test obtained no later than 72 hours before the date of travel.
- If the traveller fails to submit a negative Covid-19 test, they will be required to do an antigen test on arrival at the destination at their own cost.
- In the event the traveller tests positive for Covid-19, they will be required to isolate at their own cost for a period of 10 days.
In January and February, both the UK and the US banned South Africans from travelling to their countries amid warnings of a new, more transmissible coronavirus variant.
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Travellers from South Africa are now allowed to travel to the US, according to the US Embassy website after the level 1 restrictions were announced.
Travel restrictions for US and UK pertaining to South African travellers:
- All airline passengers to the United States two years and older must provide a negative Covid-19 viral test taken within three days of travel.
- Alternatively, travellers to the US may provide documentation from a licensed health care provider of having recovered from Covid-19 in the 90 days preceding travel.
- Travellers from SA are still not permitted to travel to the UK unless they have a legally permitted reason to do so.
For travel plans to other countries, visit their embassy website to find out more about the restrictions and protocols in place.
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