Offers RT-PCR test results in less than 24 hours.

Venistat Mobile Labs in New York, New York.

Cost: $300 out of pocket, not billed to insurance. Results in an hour or less only for travelers who need documentation.

Urgent Medical Care and MRI in Jersey City, New Jersey.

The cost is $149 for travel purposes (but you can file a claim with your insurance for reimbursement). Offers RT-PCR tests for travel with guaranteed same-day results.

Test Well in Reno, Nevada, and South Lake Tahoe, California.

Cost: $299 for 90-minute turnaround and $149 for 24-hour turnaround. Offers 24-hour and 90-minute turnaround for RT-PCR testing. Cost: $175 for the test, which doesn't include doctor consultation.

Medical Offices of Manhattan in New York City, New York.

Offers COVID-19 tests for travelers within six hours.

Frontage Laboratory in Exton, Pennsylvania (35 minutes from Philadelphia).

Elite Medical Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Cost: Price varies by location and whether it's in-home or in the office.

DMCovid-19 Test offers travel PCR testing by housecall nationwide in all states except Alaska and Hawaii it also has nine physical locations.

Complete Health Partners in Nashville, Tennessee.

COVIDCheck in San Diego, Orange County, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Denver.

That said, if you're looking for a faster way to get a PCR test, it may cost you as these facilities may not accept insurance. Though PCR tests generally take around 72 hours for results, some urgent care facilities have introduced 'rapid PCR tests,' where you can receive your results as fast as 30 minutes. Check to see if you can get a rapid PCR test These tests are popular for quick turnaround times but are less accurate than PCR tests and aren't valid to enter some countries, such as Canada. Some destinations also won't accept rapid antigen tests, which check for proteins on the virus's surface.

The tests that often won't help you with travel are antibody tests, blood tests that can identify if a previous COVID-19 infection caused your immune system to produce COVID-19 antibodies. In this guide, we'll primarily focus on testing sites that provide these more accurate PCR tests, though keep in mind that some destinations, like Hawaii, only accept PCR tests from a specific list of testing providers.

These are the most reliable tests for detecting active COVID-19 infections and are considered the 'gold standard' of testing. You'll usually need a PCR test (polymerase chain reaction) for travel. Not all COVID-19 tests are created equal, and not all are suitable for international travel. Keeping track of which COVID-19 test you need can seem daunting. If you've taken a COVID-19 test during the pandemic, you might have been bewildered by the sheer number of options. (Photo by Brittany Murray/MediaNews Group/Long Beach Press-Telegram via Getty Images)Īntigen test. Many facilities can provide results between 48 and 72 hours, but that isn't always true – especially now.Īlso, keep in mind that some testing sites deliver results over the phone, which likely won't be suitable for boarding an aircraft or entering a country. Some destinations require negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests taken within a certain time, usually 72 hours, before departure. Some will require full cash payment when requested for travel (instead of due to symptoms or exposure). We found that some tests are entirely free, while others require a copay or are covered with insurance. To help you prepare, we researched where you can get tested in 25 major metropolitan areas. If you need a COVID-19 test for travel, you might be wondering where you can get one, what type of test you'll need to take, how long it will take to get an appointment (and wait for results), and what it will cost. But depending on where you want to go (and as omicron spreads) a negative COVID-19 test result might be required, particularly if you're not vaccinated or are traveling with unvaccinated children. Unfortunately, COVID-19 testing is still a reality for the times in which we live.Įarlier this year, some countries dropped testing requirements for fully vaccinated travelers as more people got COVID-19 vaccines. Some companies are reporting shortages, and in major cities like New York, blocks-long lines have formed of people trying to get tested.įor more TPG travel news and tips delivered each morning to your inbox, sign up for our free daily newsletter. The omicron variant has complicated travel plans and, depending on where in the country you're located, made it difficult - if not impossible - to get a test. If you've tried to get a COVID-19 test for travel or for peace of mind recently, you might have run into significant delays.

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