5 Things You Need to Know Before Booking a COVID-19 Test Abroad

According to the latest CDC guidelines, every air traveler arriving in the United States needs to present a negative COVID-19 test result in order to enter the country. That's created a whole new step for U.S. travelers considering international travel - and a variety of new factors to consider when planning that next trip.

The testing procedure can vary widely and can even affect the overall cost of travel since travel insurance doesn't generally cover testing. Knowing what to look for can help assure a smoother travel experience.

Here are five important things to consider about testing abroad.

(Note: travelers and travel advisors should verify details about testing policies and costs before booking, since they're subject to change.)

Depending on the location and whether it's a PCR or rapid antigen test (both of which are acceptable for re-entry into the United States), response times can vary from less than one day to 72 hours or more. This makes it crucial to plan ahead and schedule the test so that results will be ready before the flight home. Bluefields Bay Villas, a collection of six villas in Jamaica, for example, asks guests to complete a form upon arrival and arranges a test with a local lab 24 hours before departure, at a cost of $75 per test plus a $20 travel fee. At Seven Stars Resort & Spa, in Turks & Caicos, meanwhile, results arrive within an hour from the free rapid antigen test.

Prices for COVID-19 tests vary widely, ranging from free to several hundred dollars - so it may pay to shop around if a traveler is sensitive to pricing.

Antigen tests are offered free to guests at Melia Hotels International properties in Mexico and the Dominican Republic, as well as Iberostar properties in Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Brazil. Antigen tests are also free at a number of all-inclusive in Mexico and the Caribbean, including Hard Rock Hotels, UNICO 20°87° Hotel Riviera Maya, Nobu Hotel Los Cabos, and Royalton Resorts in Mexico and the Caribbean. The Saint Lucia Tourism Authority, meanwhile, lists more than 20 hotels on the island that offer free PCR and/or rapid antigen testing, with results delivered within 72 hours.

Prices can vary by property as well as by destination. In the Maldives, for example, PCR tests cost $165 at The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort but are free for guests at Soneva Fushi and Soneva Jani resorts, as well as at the Nautilus Maldives and Milaidhoo Island Maldives resorts.

Onsite testing at hotels, of course, may be easiest for travelers, but there are other options, as well. El Mangroove, part of Marriott International's Autograph Collection in Costa Rica, arranges for guests to take a PCR test for $160 at a nearby medical center or $220 at the hotel. It's a similar setup at Casa Kimberly, a boutique hotel in Puerto Vallarta, where guests pay $250 for tests at a private clinic or receive it at the hotel for an additional $100.

To make it easier for travelers and travel advisors to access information about testing, a variety of tourism organizations - including those that represent Los Cabos, Puerto Vallarta, Quintana Roo, Riviera Nayarit and San Miguel de Allende, to name a few - list labs and hospitals that provide COVID-19 testing for travelers. In the United Kingdom, a medical services company called Nomad Travel represents clinics that offer PCR tests in London, Bristol, Cardiff, Manchester and Dublin. And at Merida International Airport, in Mexico's Yucatan state, travelers can even take a COVID-19 test inside the terminal building, which makes especially good sense for travelers arriving for a short stay.

A variety of tour operators around the globe have upped their offerings to arrange COVID-19 testing for guests. In Mexico, Los Cabos-based Pure Cabo arranges antigen tests (for $149) and PCR tests (for $319), performed onsite wherever the guest is staying.

Abercrombie & Kent also offers onsite testing by working through its local offices; in Egypt, for example, the company can arrange tests in Cairo, Luxor and Aswan. Alluring Africa, meanwhile, arranges onsite tests in Kenya, with fees that vary between $100 and $150 per person and some properties requiring an additional transportation charge. In Rwanda, tests cost $60 and are arranged by a variety of local destination management companies, according to Visit Rwanda, the national tourism organization.

Negative results are what everyone wants from a COVID-19 test, of course. But travelers should also consider the cost and consequences of testing positive, since that usually requires a longer stay in the destination they're visiting. Some organizations and hoteliers have created new policies to address this possibility.

In the Dominican Republic, for example, all travelers arriving until March 30, 2021, receive free insurance that covers medical expenses, accommodations, meals and airline change fees for visitors who are ill and can't leave the country because of COVID-19. The insurance, however, only applies to those staying in hotels and resorts, not Airbnb, VRBO or other short-term rentals.

A few hotel companies - including Palladium Hotel Group, Karisma Hotels & Resorts and AMResorts - also have policies in place that cover the cost of accommodations for a set amount of time for positive-testing guests.

Other hoteliers simply offer discounts for medically required extended stays. Velas Resorts, for example, offers a 75 percent discounted on its listed web rates, while Fairmont Mayakoba offers a set price of $199 per room per night plus taxes, including breakfast, for those who must stay longer due to positive test results, with an additional fee of $99 per adult per night for the all-inclusive plan.