On March 11, 2020, United States President Donald Trump announced new travel restrictions in order to help fight the spread of the coronavirus. As news surrounding the coronavirus is ever changing, many travelers have been left unsure as to what to do with their travel plans. Along with being your partner through in travel, Fox World Travel is also committed to being a trusted resource to help keep you up to date with the changing industry landscape. Below you’ll find the information on what you need to know about the March 2020 government travel update.

Set to take effect on March 13, 2020, after 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, the U.S. will restrict travel to the United States from the Schengen zone of Europe.  What this means is that any U.S. citizen or lawful U.S. permanent resident that is returning to the United States after visiting one of the Schengen Area countries in the last 14 days must enter the U.S. through an approved airport.

Foreign nationals who have visited a country in the Schengen Area within the last 14 days will be denied permission to travel to the United States.

These new travel restrictions are in addition to recent ones put into place earlier this year, which restricted people who were traveling from Iran and mainland China, not including Hong Kong and Macau, to the U.S.

What is the Schengen Area? 

The Schengen Area of Europe is comprised of 26 countries, which includes: 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.

Though near the Schengen Area, the United Kingdom and Ireland are not being affected by the new travel update.

Stay up to date with our coronavirus resource hub for the latest news and helpful information.

What are the Approved Airports People Need to Travel Through? 

The approved airports for people coming returning to the U.S. from a country within the Schengen Area are as follows:

• Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (Atlanta, GA).
• Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (Dallas/Fort Worth, TX).
• Detroit Metropolitan Airport (Detroit, MI).
• Newark Liberty International Airport (Newark, NJ).
• Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (Honolulu, HI).
• John F. Kennedy International Airport (New York City, NY).
• Los Angeles International Airport (Los Angeles, CA).
• Chicago O’Hare International Airport (Chicago, Ill).
• Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Seattle, WA).
• San Francisco International Airport (San Francisco, CA).
• Washington-Dulles International Airport (Washington, D.C.).

What to do if You’re Scheduled to Arrive at a Non-Approved Airport

Since the approved airports are restricted to a few larger hubs throughout the country, many travelers returning home might not be scheduled to pass through these locations. In this situation, Fox will be assisting travelers to re-route their flights to one of the approved airports.

As we always have and always will, we are committed to being your travel partner as we navigate through this changing landscape.