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A Division of the International Studies Office

Fall 2021/Spring 2022 Travel Guidance for International Students and Scholars

December 8, 2021

Any international travel during Fall 2021/Spring 2022, which includes Reading days and Winter break, must adhere to the following re-entry requirements. Please note that the requirements below are subject to change. UVA no longer requires fully vaccinated students to quarantine upon arrival. COVID-19 testing is still required upon entry to the US. 

Important Travel Updates: Test and Vaccination Requirements Effective December 6, 2021

Per CDC, if you plan to travel internationally and re-enter the U.S., you are required to do the following:

  1. You are required to be fully vaccinated. Bring your official proof of vaccination.  
  2. Obtain a COVID-19 viral test (regardless of vaccination status or citizenship) no more than 1 day before you travel by air into the United States. You must show your negative result to the airline before you board your flight.
    1. You must be tested with a viral test that could be either an antigen test or a nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT).  Rapid tests are acceptable if they are a viral test that meet the requirements under the Order.
    2. If you recently recovered from COVID-19, you may instead travel with documentation of recovery from COVID-19 (i.e., your positive COVID-19 viral test result on a sample taken no more than 90 days before the flight’s departure from a foreign country and a letter from a licensed healthcare provider or a public health official stating that you were cleared to travel).

All international students and scholars must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before returning from international travel. 

  • You are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after your final dose of the vaccine (approved by the World Health Organization).
  • You must obtain a negative COVID-19 test taken within 1 days of travel to the United States to present to the airline before you board your flight.
  • Testing upon arrival in the US is required by UVA.

Post Arrival COVID-19 Testing

  • All tests must be a viral PCR test for COVID-19 (which includes UVA’s saliva testing). Tests may be obtained at any COVID-19 testing site, including UVA BeSafe Testing Sites. Please visit besafe.virginia.edu for testing locations, hours, and additional details.
  • Students: PCR test results obtained outside UVA must be uploaded to the HealthyHoos Patient Portal.

COVID-19 Vaccination Status

All UVA students and scholars who will live, learn, or work in person at the University of Virginia during the 2021-2022 academic year must be fully vaccinated. Students who are fully vaccinated with a World Health Organization (WHO) Emergency Use Listing (EUL) approved COVID-19 vaccination series (see listing here) must upload their proof of vaccination to HealthyHoos Patient Portal.

Dependents

  • Please review the requirements for travel through this fact sheet. 

Travel Signature Requirements

Travel Signatures can be requested by completing the "I-20 Reprint Request" or "DS-2019 Reprint Request" on ISSP Connect.

Documents needed before entry:

  • Proof of COVID-19 vaccination status 
  • Negative COVID-19 result taken within 1 day of travel to present to the airline before you board your flight
  • Valid Passport
  • Valid F-1 or J-1 Visa
  • I-20/DS-2019 signed for travel
  • EAD and proof of employment if on F-1 OPT
     
  • F-1 Students and Form I-20:
    • The digital signature from your DSO is acceptable, but you must print your I-20 and sign with wet ink. I-20 stored on your phone or other electronic device is NOT permitted. You must have a hard copy of your I-20 upon entry.
  • J-1 Students and Scholars and Form DS-2019:
    • You should already have a hard copy with a wet signature, which will need to include a travel signature in the Travel Validation by an ISO advisor. Please drop off your DS-2019 at Minor Hall and complete a travel signature request in ISSP Connect.

 

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Please continue to check your University email, the International Students and Scholars Program website and the COVID FAQ webpage for updates.