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SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — Starting Monday the border between the United States and Mexico reopened to non-essential travel. The border had been closed since March 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Here are some of the things you may want to know if you plan to cross the border into San Diego: 

Yes. Whether crossing at a land port of entry or by ferry terminal, travelers are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 when crossing the border for non-essential travel. That applies if they are 18 or over. 

If someone under the age of 18 wants to cross the border without being vaccinated, they can do so with a vaccinated adult. 

These requirements do not apply to U.S. citizens, permanent residents (including those with commuter status), foreign-born individuals aged 17 or under, or foreign-born travelers engaged in activities deemed essential (including H1b and H2b visa holders).

TRAVEL ALERT: The temporary restriction on non-essential travel at US land border ports of entry remains in effect. Essential travel and trade continue unimpeded. Essential travel includes, but is not limited to: pic.twitter.com/oj90sQzuPH

Customs and Border Patrol officers will accept verifiable paper or digital proof of vaccination. The CDC website outlines verifiable forms of proof of vaccination here. 

According to the CDC, for purposes of entry into the United States, vaccines accepted will include FDA-approved or authorized and WHO Emergency Use Listing vaccines. More information is available here.

COVID-19 vaccines currently approved or authorized for emergency use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration include: Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson [J&J]/Janssen

COVID-19 vaccines that have been listed for emergency use by the World Health Organization include: AstraZeneca/Oxford, Sinopharm, Sinovac and five others as of Nov. 3, 2021.

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In addition to checking proof of vaccination, officers will ask travelers to verbally attest to their reason for travel and their COVID-19 vaccination status during inspection.

“The first step is the verbal attestation, but at any point where the officer may request it, they should have a vaccination card available to present,” said Matthew Davies, Executive Director for U.S. Customs and Border Protection

Not all travelers will be asked to show proof of vaccination. CBP officials said it will be done at random so travelers should be ready but not everyone will be stopped.

"Any non-citizen attempting to enter the United States through illegal means or without appropriate documentation may be subject to expulsion or removal," according to the Department of Homeland Security website.

ATTENTION TRAVELERS: Starting November 8, fully vaccinated, non-citizen travelers arriving at a U.S. land port of entry or ferry terminal for non-essential travel should be prepared with appropriate documentation upon arrival. DETAILS VIA @DHSgov: https://t.co/N45wn66UzM pic.twitter.com/lT9zgJXopJ

Those crossing the border for essential travel will not be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 at the current time. However, starting in January all inbound travelers will be required to show proof of vaccination.

More information can be found on the DHS fact sheet here. 

WATCH RELATED: CBP provides update on US-Mexico border reopening plans  - Nov. 2, 2021

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