Stuck overseas with a surprise extended stay? Here’s what you should do if you test positive for COVID-19 while traveling abroad

Nowadays, lots of people are scared to travel―and even get outside of their homes―due to the rising number of those who test positive for COVID-19. The number of cases is now higher than ever before.

With the highly transmissible Omicron variant becoming the dominant variant in the US and in other parts of the world, many people expect more positive cases to be reported each day. 

This leaves travelers with the grappling question: “What if I test positive for COVID while traveling internationally and get stuck somewhere far from home?” 

So, what should you do if you test positive for COVID while traveling internationally and you cannot get on a flight back to the US? 

1. Know your destination’s quarantine requirements and Visa requirements. 

Different countries have different regulations in place should you test positive for the virus upon arrival or during your stay. Most commonly, they will require you to buy your COVID-19 Health insurance when applying for a Travel Health Visa. 

Regardless of where you travel, you must check with your destination’s embassy to know what will be covered by the insurance and what you’ll have to pay at your own expense once your test result comes out positive. 

Also, consider what will happen if you’re forced to stay for another two weeks abroad or however long it takes to be cleared by a doctor. 

If you’re in a country that offers a 30-day Visa upon arrival, you have to assess whether or not it will expire when your quarantine period is completed. If yes, make sure to contact your home country’s embassy immediately for assistance. 

Here are some of the major destinations this winter who have mandated isolation or quarantine policies: 

The United Arab Emirates

If your PCR test comes back as positive when you’re in UAE, you will need to isolate for 10 days, report your contact person on travel insurance, install COVID-19 DXB App and follow the required steps. 

Even if you don’t have any symptoms, you will have to complete the 10-day home or institutional isolation still. You are not required to take another PCR test once the isolation period is complete. And if you begin to develop any symptoms, you can call the DHA toll-free number on 800 342 to book a virtual medical consultation through the “Doctor for Every Citizen” service or book an appointment at a COVID-19 assessment centre. 

Upon completing the isolation period, you will get a clearance certificate via SMS. If you cannot meet the conditions for home isolation, you can contact the DHA hotline on 800 342 to request for a transfer to an institutional isolation facility. 

The isolation period ends after completing 10 days from the date of taking the PCR test.

France

If you test positive for COVID in France and you’re fully vaccinated (including a booster, in line with French Pass Sanitaire requirements) you must self-isolate for 7 days from the day on which you first develop symptoms, or 7 days from the date of the positive test result. Self-isolation can be reduced to 5 days if you take a negative PCR or antigen test (supervised, not self-administered) on day 5 and you have not displayed any symptoms over the previous 48 hours. 

If you’re unvaccinated or partially vaccinated, you must self-isolate for 10 days from the day on which you first develop symptoms, or 10 days from the date of the positive test result. Self-isolation can be reduced to 7 days if you take a negative PCR or antigen test (supervised, not self-administered) on day 7 and you have not displayed any symptoms over the previous 48 hours.

Italy

If you test positive for COVID, you will be required to self-isolate for 10 days minimum. 

If you are symptomatic, you’ll need to be without symptoms for at least the last 3 days and take an antigenic or molecular test. If you continue to test positive, your quarantine period could be extended to 21 days.

Mexico

Mexico currently has the most relaxing policy: you will need to isolate and postpone your return until it's safe for you to end isolation. Some of the hotels even offer free rooms or discounted rates to self isolate until you receive a negative Covid test. 

On almost every major U.S. airline, guests can board the aircraft and fly 5 days after a positive test, as long as they are symptom-free. You will need a negative test or a letter of recovery after 5-days has elapsed and you are symptom-free.

Jamaica

Visitors testing positive for COVID-19 will be placed in isolation at lodging accommodation, intended stay location, or government facility as determined by the Jamaican Ministry of Health and Wellness. Travelers who require isolation should be prepared to pay the cost of isolation accommodation. 

It is highly advised that travelers consider travel insurance to protect against risks and financial losses that could happen while traveling. The isolation period can range from 5 to 10 days, or longer. After 5 days, the individual is required to take a PCR test at personal expense. Only the Jamaican Ministry of Health and Wellness can authorize release from isolation based on symptom-based or infectiousness period data. 

Release may be granted 5 days from diagnosis.

Costa Rica

Tourists testing positive for COVID-19 while in Costa Rica will be issued a sanitary quarantine order, that varies from 10 to 14 days depending on the severity of the infection. Tourists who are issued a sanitary order must secure lodging for the duration of the quarantine.

The Ministry of Health has stated this sanitary order cannot be appealed, even if subsequent test results taken during the 10–14-day mandatory quarantine are negative for COVID-19.

Only Costa Rica’s Ministry of Health has the authority to determine the length of quarantine for persons who test positive in Costa Rica.

Dominican Republic

If you test positive you may be quarantined at the hotel in an isolated room category, unless hospitalization is required. 

The Ministry of Health advises of mandatory quarantine or self-quarantine for COVID-19 positive patients. 

Please call *462 for further instructions.

The United Kingdom

The standard self-isolation period is 10 full days, yet you can now stop self-isolating after 7 days, instead of 10, if you get two negative lateral flow test results on days 6 and 7.

In Scotland, the 10-day limit is still in force. Currently, cutting the isolation time is under consideration for individuals who are fully vaccinated or boosted. 

There are two different test available in the UK: a PCR test (needed if you have a Covid 19 symptoms) and rapid tests (needed if you do not have symptoms). If you get a positive lateral flow test result, you do not need to confirm the result with a PCR test. 

2. Know where to stay if you test positive abroad. 

Should you test positive overseas, you have to find a safe place to stay―whether that’s in a government-mandated facility or a hotel. 

If you think resort life is not for you, look for accommodations that offer extended stays or Airbnbs that offer a safe place to stay. It’s preferable that you choose facilities that are accessible for meal delivery and immediate medical services. 

3. Be ready to buy insurance options that cover COVID-19-related expenses. 

In a world where the pandemic still remains unsolved, you must be ready for the possibility of a positive test result. 

If you’re traveling internationally any time soon, it’s important to budget for or purchase insurance for an unexpected quarantine period abroad. This is because quarantines could stretch for days―not just two weeks―so having insurance will be of great help.

Most travel insurances treat Covid as a regular medical event. So you will be eligible for benefits such as trip cancellation, trip interruption, emergency medical and medical evacuation.

For example, if your PCR test result is positive and you are in the country where have to quarantine, you want to reach out to the doctor right away and report it because for the claim, your doctor has to complete the Attending Physician Form, then you can submit the claim for hotel expenses under Trip Interruption (starting from 100% of Trip Cost) 

4. Identify your emergency transportation option. 

There are two types of medical transport membership: MedjetAssist and MedjetHorizon. Both offer these medical transport benefits: 

• Hospital-to-hospital medical transfer
• COVID-positive travelers can decide which medical facility they want to be transferred 
• Transfer of mortal remains
• Travel medical emergency referrals, monitoring, telephone interpretation, and message relay 

If you’re a Medjet member and you’re hospitalized abroad due to COVID-19, the company will transport you to a home hospital of your choice. Medjet offers these services for all members. 

You may test positive for Covid for weeks after your recovery. If you are still testing positive after recovery, you may instead travel to the US 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).

The bottom line is, if you test positive for COVID-19 while traveling internationally, you won’t be able to return to the US until you have a negative test or proof of your recovery. So, you need to keep the above mentioned tips in mind to know what to do on your surprise extended stay abroad. 

If you are not vaccinated, the CDC guidelines call for you to get tested again 3 to 5 days later and quarantine yourself at home for 7 days after arriving in the country. If you are vaccinated, you are still asked to get tested after 3 to 5 days but you won’t be required to quarantine. 

Arming yourself with knowledge on what you should do in case you test positive for COVID-19 somewhere else will help you ensure you are provided with high-quality care even in the worst-case scenario. 

Inform yourself of the protocols of the country or countries you’re planning to visit. As much as possible, avail a COVID-19 travel insurance policy for the unexpected, as this is highly important more than ever these days.