COVID-19 Testing & Vaccine Requirements

The information below describes the measures we are taking to increase guest safety and mitigate any potential risk to the remote communities we visit on our adventures. These requirements are subject to change as the global situation evolves and health agencies issue additional guidance.

Please scroll down for answers to FAQs about our requirements. If you have questions that are not answered here, contact our Adventure Concierge team at 800-543-8917 or email concierge@nathab.com. Thank you for supporting our efforts to be responsible travelers.

Nat Hab requires all guests 12 and older to be fully vaccinated in order to participate.
Nat Hab also requires all guests to obtain a negative COVID-19 PCR test result prior to departure, in addition to proof of full vaccination for those 12 and older. The timing of your pre-trip test will vary based on your trip's starting location.
Exact details regarding any testing required for your trip will be kept up to date at this link. We will include a reminder to check the link in your Pre-Departure Briefing package, which we will send to you approximately 30 days before your trip. This package will also include your itinerary, packing list, luggage tags, health kit and other useful items. We will email another reminder to check it approximately two weeks before your departure, and we suggest that you check it again a few days before you leave home, as requirements are changing frequently.
To stay up to date regarding individual country entry requirements, please click here and search for the country you will be visiting. On each country page, scroll down to the "Entry, Exit and Visa Requirements" section.
For more information about the CDC-required test to enter or re-enter the United States, please click here.

Updated August 24, 2021

FAQs

Why are you requiring vaccines? This was a difficult decision for us to make but, ultimately, in surveying thousands of our guests we were overwhelmingly told that they feel safer and more comfortable traveling in small groups that are fully vaccinated. Additionally, we feel it's vital that our groups are vaccinated from COVID-19 when we travel to the small communities worldwide who provide us with services, as they frequently lack the medical facilities required to handle an outbreak. As a conservation travel company, we believe that we should share in the responsibility of helping to protect not just the places we go, but the people that make our trips possible. Lastly, by having all trip members vaccinated, our COVID-19 protocols can be relaxed to a degree, giving all guests greater freedom of movement as we explore nature. What is required in order to participate in a Nat Hab trip? For all trips departing on or after August 1, 2021, Nat Hab will require all guests 12 and older to be fully vaccinated in order to participate. Guests under the age of 12 will be required to obtain a negative COVID-19 PCR test result prior to departure.

For all trips departing on or after August 7, 2021, Nat Hab will require all guests to obtain a negative COVID-19 PCR test result prior to departure. The timing will vary based on your trip's starting location. Please consult our Destination Requirements page for more information.
What kind of vaccine is required? At this time, Nat Hab is accepting the four COVID-19 vaccines authorized for emergency use by the FDA (the U.S. Food & Drug Administration) or the EMA (European Medicines Agency). Those are Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson (Jannsen).

Guests must be fully vaccinated by the trip departure date. Per the CDC, individuals are considered fully vaccinated two weeks (14 days) after their second dose in a two-dose series, such as the Pfizer, Moderna or AstraZeneca vaccines, or two weeks (14 days) after a single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson's vaccine. What proof do I need to provide? Fully vaccinated guests can upload their vaccination card to their Adventure Portal prior to departure. We recommend bringing your vaccination card with you on the trip, as well as any necessary negative test results that are required.

For trips departing on or after August 7, 2021, all guests need to bring proof of a negative test result with them on the trip. What does it mean to be fully vaccinated? Per the CDC, individuals are considered fully vaccinated two weeks (14 days) after their second dose in a two-dose series, such as the Pfizer, Moderna or AstraZeneca vaccines, or two weeks (14 days) after a single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson's vaccine. Guests must be fully vaccinated by their trip departure date. What if I am on a custom or private trip? All guests, including those on custom or private trips, must provide proof that they are fully vaccinated. For trips departing on or after August 7, 2021, they will also need to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test. While your household unit may be traveling together, we will come into contact with many others during the trip such as guides, hotel and restaurant staff, and community members. We seek to be responsible travelers in the places we visit, which includes doing our part to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Are the Expedition Leaders and field staff going to be vaccinated? Nat Hab will require our Expedition Leaders and field staff to get vaccinated in those regions where vaccines are accessible to them. In countries where vaccines are not accessible to them, Expedition Leaders and field staff will be tested prior to the trips and will apply appropriate protocols including the use of masks and distancing. Will there still be protocols in place on the trip? Yes. While exact protocols are shifting based on ever-changing guidance, we continue to follow protocols based on guidance from the WHO, CDC, and local guidelines to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Our protocols involve a combination of enhanced sanitation, hand washing, face masks, and physical distancing. More information on our protocols can be found here.
Are there exemptions to the vaccine requirement? Yes, though they are limited. Nat Hab is only allowing exemptions for those who are ineligible to receive an FDA-authorized vaccine based on their age (i.e., children under 12 years old for trips departing August 1, 2021 and afterward).

The age-related exemption is based on the ages for which the vaccine is authorized by the FDA, not the date at which an adult is able to receive the vaccine due to availability in their state or country.
What if I have a previous positive COVID-19 test or proof of antibodies? Nat Hab is requiring proof of full vaccination to participate in the trip, unless you are ineligible as referenced above. Prior positive test results or proof of antibodies are not sufficient. What about children? For trips departing on or after August 1, 2021, children under 12 are exempt from the vaccine requirement. Children under 12 must arrive to the start of the trip with a negative COVID-19 PCR test result.

If the country where your trip starts does not have an entry test requirement, the test must have been administered within five days prior to the trip. For example, if your trip begins on a Saturday, the test must have been administered the previous Monday or afterward.

If the destination country has an entry test requirement, the test must comply with that entry requirement. What if I am unable to be fully vaccinated in time for my trip? We hope you can travel with us this year. If you are unsure that you will be fully vaccinated before your trip starts, please contact your Adventure Specialist so we can discuss options with you. What if I choose not to get the vaccine? In the interest of traveler safety we must insist on our vaccine protocols. Should travelers decide to forgo their vaccine for a reason not stated above we will unfortunately not be able to accommodate them on a Nat Hab trip. Is any testing required pre-trip? All guests will be required to arrive at the start of their trip with verification of a negative COVID-19 PCR test, regardless of vaccination status.

If you are not a U.S. resident and your trip starts in the United States, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control require that all travelers age two and older receive a negative test result for COVID-19 in the three days prior to departure.

To stay up to date regarding individual country entry requirements, please click here and search for the country you will be visiting. On each country page, scroll down to the "Entry, Exit and Visa Requirements" section.

Exact details regarding any testing required for your trip will be kept up to date at this link. We will include a reminder to check the link in your Pre-Departure Briefing package, which we will send to you approximately 30 days before your trip. This package will also include your itinerary, packing list, luggage tags, health kit and other useful items. We will email another reminder to check it approximately two weeks before your departure, and we suggest that you check it again a few days before you leave home, as requirements are changing frequently. Where can I find a test pre-trip? Most communities are now offering testing, and local health organizations can provide testing locations, or ask your doctor for a referral. We recommend checking with your local CVS or Walgreens pharmacy; they have thousands of locations offering testing with results typically available in two to three days. For a map of testing sites, click here. If your community is not offering testing, LabCorp has at-home testing kits for your convenience with a one- to two-day turnaround for results. If these options do not work for you, please let us know as soon as possible and we can assist. Will there still be testing on the trip? Maybe. If there is any testing required (e.g., to cross a border or visit a specific region) Nat Hab will arrange those tests for all guests. Nat Hab may also administer a rapid test during the trip as an extra precaution. If you have recovered from COVID-19 within three months before your trip, you may test positive again so please bring documentation of recovery from your doctor stating that you have been cleared to travel as well as your recent positive test result.

Per the CDC, "If you have had a positive viral test in the past three months, and you have met the criteria to end isolation, you may travel instead with documentation of your positive viral test results and a letter from your healthcare provider or a public health official that states you have been cleared for travel. The positive test result and letter together are referred to as documentation of recovery."

All guests on international trips will be charged $244 per person starting in June 2021, for all in-country tests and the CDC-required test to return home.

Exact details regarding any testing required for your trip will be kept up to date at this link. We will include a reminder to check the link in your Pre-Departure Briefing package, which we will send to you approximately 30 days before your trip. This package will also include your itinerary, packing list, luggage tags, health kit and other useful items. We will email another reminder to check it approximately two weeks before your departure, and we suggest that you check it again a few days before you leave home, as requirements are changing frequently. Will Nat Hab help me get the CDC-required test when returning home from an international trip? Yes. Nat Hab will facilitate all on-trip testing as well as the test required by the CDC in order to return home to the U.S. If you are traveling independently after your Nat Hab adventure, we will be happy to provide resources to assist you with obtaining any required COVID-19 tests.

In 2021, all guests on international trips will be charged $244pp, for all in-country tests and the CDC-required test to return home. Guests on our Polar Bear trips will be charged $149pp. What should I do after my trip? If you've been fully vaccinated, CDC currently recommends getting tested for COVID-19 three to five days after returning from international travel.

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