We Evaluated the CDC-Approved COVID Home Tests for International Travel—Here’s What You Need to Know

When the CDC released new guidance regarding its COVID testing requirement for international travel, effective December 6, 2021, many U.S. travelers already overseas had to rush to get a COVID test within a day of returning home. The updated rules reduced the testing window from three days to one and apply to all travelers—regardless of vaccination status—aged two and older.

According to the CDC: “Currently, all air passengers aged 2 years and older traveling to the U.S., regardless of vaccination or antibody status, must present a negative COVID-19 viral test result or documentation of recovery, unless exempt.”

This means all travelers entering the U.S. need to provide evidence of a negative COVID test (PCR, antigen, or approved home tests) taken within one day before travel.

Some countries, such as Iceland and Denmark, offer convenient and affordable (in some cases, free!) same-day test results, but this is not the norm worldwide.

Until then, having a supply of COVID-19 home or self-tests can ease travel hassles. As of January 15, 2022, the Biden-Harris Administration mandates that insurance companies and group health plans cover the cost of at-home COVID-19 tests, making them eligible for reimbursement through your private health insurance if you have it.

Travelers should be mindful of potential issues before purchasing and packing these tests (see below for our detailed reviews).

To comply with CDC guidelines, the tests can be self-administered as long as they adhere to these criteria:

• The test must be a SARS-CoV-2 viral test (either a nucleic acid amplification test [NAAT] or an antigen test) that has received Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
  
• The testing must involve a telehealth video call where an authorized individual from the manufacturer oversees the testing process in real time. (Note that some FDA-authorized self-tests with telehealth services may require a prescription, as noted by the CDC.)
  
• The telehealth provider must generate a report that verifies the patient’s identity, the name of the lab or healthcare entity, the type of test, and the date of specimen collection.
  
• Airlines and U.S. officials at entry points must be able to verify your identity along with your paper or digital documents containing your test results.

For travelers preferring to get tested at their destination, many airlines and international hotels, including those in Mexico, Costa Rica, and the Caribbean, now offer testing options and resources to assist Americans in meeting CDC testing requirements while abroad.

Considering bringing a self-test? The CDC warns that certain countries may have regulations or restrictions on importing COVID-19 test kits that are not authorized or registered there. "Travelers planning to take a U.S.-authorized test abroad should consult local authorities at their destination for guidance before traveling," advises the CDC.

Approved at-home COVID tests for international travel

What are the available test kits for those interested in bringing one along? We evaluated the following COVID-19 test kits that comply with CDC standards, offer self-testing options, provide results without needing a lab, and include telehealth services.

BinaxNOW COVID-19 Antigen Home Test

The BinaxNOW COVID-19 home test is among the few tests with FDA emergency use authorization that eliminates the need to send a sample to a lab. This rapid antigen self-test can identify both symptomatic and asymptomatic cases of COVID-19 and is suitable for children as young as 4 when an adult collects the sample—those aged 15 and above can self-administer the test.

Developed by Abbott, a leading health and medical diagnostics firm, the BinaxNOW test is overseen by a trained telehealth professional via a video call through eMed.com, which also sends test results directly to the user’s email. The standard kit includes one nasal swab, and the sample collection method is less invasive compared to the much-dreaded deep nasal swab techniques.

"It was super easy," shares Bryan Kinkade, Dinogo’s publisher, who utilized the BinaxNOW home tests for his family's trip to Costa Rica in spring 2021. His key tip is to ensure a “strong Wi-Fi connection” for downloading the app and conducting the telehealth video call. "They guide you through the entire process," he notes, explaining that the test is reminiscent of a pregnancy test—results appear in about 15 minutes. The healthcare provider returns to the video to confirm the results, which you can instantly see in the app.

After receiving his results, he uploaded them straight into the United Airlines app for check-in for their return flight to the U.S. "I went through the same process with my wife and son, and within 45 minutes, my son was back on the beach for an afternoon surf. We were with friends who had been anxious all week, worrying about whether the local clinic would be open or if there would be a long wait for results," he recalls.

Ellume COVID-19 Home Test with Azova

Voluntary Recall Notice: On October 1, 2021, Ellume announced a voluntary recall for certain lots of its COVID-19 Home Test due to an “increased chance” of yielding false positive results. A safety communication on October 5, 2021 from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) confirmed that this issue stemmed from a recent manufacturing problem, emphasizing that “negative results do not seem to be impacted.” To check if your Ellume COVID-19 Home Test is part of the recall, compare the lot number on the test carton with those listed on Ellume’s website. If you have any unused tests from an affected lot, you can request a replacement at ellumecovidtest.com/return.

While BinaxNOW has attracted more attention, Australia-based digital diagnostics firm Ellume was actually the pioneer in launching a COVID-19 home test. They collaborated with Alaska Airlines and Delta Air Lines to provide passengers convenient access to home antigen tests. (A 15-minute test with video supervision by Azova offers results for both asymptomatic and symptomatic individuals aged two and older.) How did they achieve this speed? Dr. Sean Parsons, Ellume’s CEO and founder, had been aiming to launch a home flu test since 2010 and quickly adapted to secure approval for a COVID test. “The FDA was already familiar with our technology from our flu test developments,” Parsons shared with Dinogo. “We feel like we’re on the verge of exciting advancements—we're already preparing to merge our flu and COVID technologies into a combined COVID-flu test, which is the next logical step. It’s on its way!”

Until that time arrives, international travelers can bring one test kit for each family member aged two and older. As long as the Wi-Fi connection is stable and a video-call appointment is booked a week in advance, they can use the Ellume test anywhere around the globe. The kit features a user-friendly smartphone app that prompts you to input the patient's basic information (name, age, address) before showing a mandatory instructional video that can't be skipped (somewhat tedious by the fourth viewing, but understandably necessary). After following the step-by-step guide, you swab each nostril, dip the swab into the provided fluid, and position the fluid reader near your phone for 15 minutes. A buzzer sounds, and your results are ready, which are also sent to your email.

Just a friendly reminder that with all antigen tests, false positives can occur. (My two-year-old received one, causing quite a bit of panic and necessitating a follow-up PCR test at a local clinic.) "A false positive is incredibly frustrating and anxiety-inducing; however, a false negative poses real danger. That’s the trade-off," explains Parsons. "So we committed to being vigilant about detecting positives. Consequently, we achieved the best clinical performance among all rapid tests on the market. This remains crucial when traveling. If you take our test and it’s negative, you can be quite confident that you’re actually negative." —Laura Dannen Redman

Cue COVID-19 Test for Home or OTC Use

On March 5, 2021, Cue Health received Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the FDA to market its lab-quality molecular COVID test for over-the-counter sales. This nucleic acid amplification test provides rapid results—the entire process takes less than 20 minutes—while maintaining PCR-level accuracy. Think of this as a worthwhile home COVID-test option for frequent travelers, in-person meetings, or business trips; companies like Google and the NBA have sent Cue packages home to their employees, and U.S. schools have utilized them for testing grades K–12.

At a minimum, you would need to purchase the Cue Reader—a compact device about the size of a stack of Post-It notes—along with a pack of 3 or 10 individual-use nasal swab tests. First, charge the reader and download the Cue Health app (available on iOS and Android). Once the app is fully installed, follow the step-by-step instructions: insert a cartridge to warm it up in the reader, perform a self-nasal swab, and then place the swab into the cartridge. Approximately 20 minutes later, the results will appear on your phone, and you can also print them if needed.

The results are highly dependable—an independent study by the Mayo Clinic indicated that Cue’s COVID-19 test aligns with central lab results at an impressive 97.8 percent accuracy. However, they come at a price: the Cue Reader is priced at $249, while a pack of three swab tests costs $225. To gain access to CDC-compliant supervised testing for international travel, you need to enroll in a Cue+ Complete membership ($90 monthly), which offers 20 tests annually, a discounted Cue Reader ($149), 20 percent off additional COVID-19 tests, free same-day delivery in select regions, 24/7 access to board-certified doctors, e-prescriptions, prescription renewals, and physician-ordered lab tests.

Despite the high cost, these tests have been the most effective I’ve used in the last six months, including for my young children (ages two and four). I haven't used them abroad yet, but I plan to and will share my experience regarding the telehealth appointment's convenience. —L.D.R.

Detect Covid-19 Test

On December 15, 2021, Detect, Inc. released its at-home molecular COVID tests, which have received FDA EUA authorization for over-the-counter use by individuals aged two and up. Although Detect takes about an hour, making it longer than many other at-home tests, it provides results with PCR-level accuracy, which is still quicker than waiting for lab results that can take from 24 hours to several days.

Similar to Cue, this testing method requires the purchase of a small device called the Detect Hub to process results from a single-use nasal swab. To begin, you must download the Detect App (available on iOS and Android) and follow the straightforward step-by-step video instructions. After plugging in the Hub, roughly the size of a computer mouse, you can swab your nose, swirl the swab in a liquid-filled test tube, and place the tube in the Hub for processing, which takes 55 minutes. Afterward, you add a dropper of liquid into the test reader and insert the test tube to get results in about 10 minutes. A single line near the “2” on the reader indicates a negative result for COVID-19, while two lines or a single line near the “1” indicates a positive result.

In terms of precision, Detect tests deliver results that are on par with PCR tests. FDA-reviewed clinical studies indicate that Detect’s COVID-19 tests achieved an accuracy of 97.3 percent, slightly below Cue’s 97.9 percent accuracy.

When looking at price, Detect offers a more budget-friendly option compared to Cue. The Detect Hub costs $39, and individual tests are priced at $49 each (limited to three tests per order). Alternatively, for $75, you can buy a Detect COVID-19 Starter Kit, which includes one hub and one test, saving you $13 compared to purchasing them separately. If items are out of stock, it's a good idea to check back frequently, as a limited quantity of Detect COVID-19 tests will be released at 12 p.m. EST on weekdays via detect.com.

To ensure your results are CDC-compliant for international travel, you also need to purchase a $20 voucher for a video observation session that provides a CDC-certified report. While the voucher codes for the video session are emailed to you after purchase, the hub and tests are shipped free via standard delivery (expedited shipping is available for an additional cost). Since I haven't traveled internationally with these tests yet, I haven't had the chance to try the video observation session, but I'll share my experience when I do. —Lyndsey Matthews

Correction (May 11, 2021): The initial version of this article stated that the BinaxNOW COVID-19 Antigen Self Test, available for $24 at Walgreens, met the CDC’s requirements for international arrivals. This test does not satisfy the CDC’s criteria and is intended for personal use. The BinaxNOW COVID-19 Antigen Home Test, which can be found on eMed.com and mentioned earlier, does fulfill the CDC’s requirements for international arrivals.

This article was originally published on May 10, 2021; it has been updated throughout 2021 and again on January 14, 2022, with new information.