COVID question

[JVG 31]

My wife is traveling home to the Philippines in December and returning in January. She has been fully vaccinated and plans on getting the booster when available. My question is, does she need to get a COVID test prior to departure from the US and prior to returning back to the US? 
Thank you in advance

[Adventine 3,201]

***Moved to the Philippines regional forum as this concerns travel US-PH-US***

 

 

[Kby175 115]

That depends on the airline, some airlines require a negative covid test 72 hours prior to departure you would have to check the airlines website. 

 

The Philippines does not require a negative covid test to enter, 7 days into your quarantine they will come to your hotel and test you before you can leave.

 

These rules are fluid and could be changing soon.  

[flicks1998 1,044]

2 hours ago, JVG said:

My wife is traveling home to the Philippines in December and returning in January. She has been fully vaccinated and plans on getting the booster when available. My question is, does she need to get a COVID test prior to departure from the US and prior to returning back to the US? 
Thank you in advance

As of today, Philippines does not require a Covid test.  That is done after arrival.  The US requires a negative PCR or antigen (rapid) test 3 days before departure to the US.  That is a federal requirement and your wife will need to do this or she wont be able to board.  Note that its 3 days before departure and NOT 72 hours so you have more time than the 72 hours.  If you have any questions on this requirement, the link below will tell you everything you need.

 

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/testing-international-air-travelers.html

[RO_AH 1,659]

3 hours ago, flicks1998 said:

As of today, Philippines does not require a Covid test.  That is done after arrival.  The US requires a negative PCR or antigen (rapid) test 3 days before departure to the US.  That is a federal requirement and your wife will need to do this or she wont be able to board.  Note that its 3 days before departure and NOT 72 hours so you have more time than the 72 hours.  If you have any questions on this requirement, the link below will tell you everything you need.

 

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/testing-international-air-travelers.html

Thank you for this. I had been looking at PAL site and State of Hawaii site and both said no test is needed. I really hate to subject my 2 and 3 year old son's to this

[Bochog 10]

6 hours ago, JVG said:

My wife is traveling home to the Philippines in December and returning in January. She has been fully vaccinated and plans on getting the booster when available. My question is, does she need to get a COVID test prior to departure from the US and prior to returning back to the US? 
Thank you in advance

Better check the airline.

 

If it's PAL, I don't think they require a negative COVID test. I think they require a quarantine upon arriving though. The hotels should be booked, and a valid booking will be checked before boarding.  PAL has partnered with a lot of hotels. Check wit them for a hotel bundle.

[flicks1998 1,044]

1 hour ago, Bochog said:

Better check the airline.

 

If it's PAL, I don't think they require a negative COVID test. I think they require a quarantine upon arriving though. The hotels should be booked, and a valid booking will be checked before boarding.  PAL has partnered with a lot of hotels. Check wit them for a hotel bundle.

Its not the airline making the rules, its each countries governments.  PAL will follow that which is, no test to enter the Philippines as that will be done after arrival, however going to the US, a COVID test is required.  The link provided above has all the details for that. 

[flicks1998 1,044]

1 hour ago, RO_AH said:

Thank you for this. I had been looking at PAL site and State of Hawaii site and both said no test is needed. I really hate to subject my 2 and 3 year old son's to this

Unfortunately they start testing at the age of 2 and up so they will need to take that Covid test.  You wont even be able to board the flight to the US without it.  In fact, we had to show our test results outside of NAIA to be allowed in the terminal.

 

I have only done the PCR test which for a 2 and 3 year old, they are probably going to cry since half your brain comes out with the swab, plus it leaves a burning sensation in your nose for a few minutes.  Maybe someone who has done the antigen (rapid) test can say what thats like.  Maybe they are similar, I dont know.  If the antigen test doesnt pull out your brain, that one may be best for your kids.

[Bochog 10]

14 minutes ago, flicks1998 said:

Its not the airline making the rules, its each countries governments.  PAL will follow that which is, no test to enter the Philippines as that will be done after arrival, however going to the US, a COVID test is required.  The link provided above has all the details for that. 

I never said that it was the airline making the rules. My whole point in suggesting to check the airline is that they typically have a page dedicated for travel rules. When my wife went home a couple of months ago, rather than looking at IATF recommendations, we just checked with PAL.

 

Thank you for your correction, albeit the smugness.

[top_secret 2,448]

22 minutes ago, flicks1998 said:

Maybe someone who has done the antigen (rapid) test can say what thats like.  Maybe they are similar, I dont know.  If the antigen test doesnt pull out your brain, that one may be best for your kids.

Well a swab is a swab, so that part is identical for a swab test whether PCR or Antigen.  Saliva based RT-PCR and Antigen testing are now both available in the Philippines and is also acceptable to the US.  So if the swab seems overly traumatizing for the little ones, they could spit in a cup instead. 

[flicks1998 1,044]

9 minutes ago, Bochog said:

I never said that it was the airline making the rules. My whole point in suggesting to check the airline is that they typically have a page dedicated for travel rules. When my wife went home a couple of months ago, rather than looking at IATF recommendations, we just checked with PAL.

 

Thank you for your correction, albeit the smugness.

Sorry if you feel there was smugness, but it was just more matter of fact.  You always need to be careful on checking with airlines on travel rules and restrictions, especially during Covid.  Many times they cannot keep up, although PAL does a relatively decent job although sometimes slightly out of date.  Pre-Covid I used to travel to alot of Level 4 (Red) countries and many times airlines would have to double or triple check if I was even allowed to travel.  I always had back up information so I could educate them on why I could go and without that information the airline most likely would have not allowed me to check in.  Also, I move all of our organizations expats and business travelers around the world.  I have to be on top of many countries travel requirements.  For example, there is a trip planned for our executives to go to Italy in a few days.  The airline forwarded travel rules to all of them saying that they must take a Covid test within 72 hours from arriving in Italy, even if vaccinated.  This went against the information I had already told them and cause an unexpected "scare" in the organization.  However, Italy has an exemption that if you spend less than 120 hours in the country for business purposes, no Covid test is required.  However, after entering Rome, they are flying to Sicily the next day.  Sicily requires travelers who have been in the US in the last 14 days to take a Covid test upon arrival (and not at the airport) but at a medical facility.  The airline knew nothing about these rules.  I find airlines to be one of the worse sources of information, mainly because they just cant keep up with the changes fast enough. 

 

I have many more examples on when airlines made mistakes.  Once I was flying Singapore to the Philippines on a temporary passport as my passport was stolen in Manila.  If you have seen those temporary passports before, they are only good for 1 year, plus the bio page is almost like a sticker and the passport is very very thin.  It almost looks fake.  Jetstar was telling me I could not travel on that passport to the Philippines.  I had to escalate to numerous levels of management at the airport where they finally agreed that I could travel.  They were clueless on how temporary passports worked.  And that passport already had multiple Philippine stamps in it.

 

I could list many other reasons to take airline information with a grain of salt.  

1 minute ago, top_secret said:

Well a swab is a swab, so that part is identical for a swab test whether PCR or Antigen.  Saliva based RT-PCR and Antigen testing are now both available in the Philippines and is also acceptable to the US.  So if the swab seems overly traumatizing for the little ones, they could spit in a cup instead. 

Thats a good point.  The spit test may be easier.  Especially if they are teething   

[Kby175 115]

Just an FYI the question was about leaving for the Philippines not arriving from the Philippines, the CDC link is for people arriving in the United States which was not the question.  You must get a covid test entering the United States but not leaving the United States, some airlines want you to have a covid test before flying inside the US or leaving the US some do not.  

[Adventine 3,201]

Actually the trip is going to be US-PH-US, so all the info mentioned above is going to be relevant at some stage of OP's wife's travel.