Covid19 - Alaska Travel Update

Updated: Friday, November 20, 8:57 a.m. ADT

The health and safety of Alaska’s visitors and residents, along with its member businesses, remains a top priority to the Alaska Travel Industry Association (ATIA), the state’s leading membership association for Alaska’s travel industry. ATIA continues to provide important and timely information regarding COVID-19 to ensure safe and reliable travel decisions for those visiting the 49th state.

Per Alaska Health Order No. 6, starting November 16, travelers do one of the following:

Obtain molecular-based test 72 hours before departure and upload negative result into the Alaska Travel Portal.
If tested 72 hours before departure and awaiting results, travelers will need to upload proof of test taken into the Alaska Travel Portal and quarantine at personal expense while waiting.
If a non-resident arrives without a pre-test, testing is available for $250 per test. The traveler will be required to quarantine at personal expense while waiting on results.
A second test taken between 5 and 14 days after arrival is recommended, but not required.

Click here for more information on national testing sites and the five FDA-approved home-collection COVID tests.

Testing will remain available at no cost to Alaska residents, who will also have the option for a 14-day quarantine. Alaska residents traveling back to home communities in rural Alaska will now have the option of testing at the airport sites to prevent bringing the virus into our small communities.

More information can be found on the State of Alaska Department of Health and Social Services dedicated travel information website.

Statewide restrictions have been updated for traveling to communities within the state. Per Alaska Health Order No. 8, Section B, beginning November 21, travelers going from a community located on the road system (including the Alaska Marine Highway System) to a community not located on the road system will need to follow additional testing protocols, in addition to checking with local jurisdictions as they may have individual requirements for traveling to and in respective communities. There are no changes to traveling between communities on the road system. See the Alaska Municipal League's latest community updates here.

The Canadian border remains closed to non-essential road traffic through December 21, 2020. See the latest updates here.

Many Alaska tourism businesses are open under the Reopen Alaska Responsibly plan. We encourage you to stay in touch with us to discuss the opening schedule and health and safety protocols before cancelling or postponing your trip.

Alaska – and the families, businesses and communities that benefit from Alaska tourism – are here for you and will work with you to ensure your dream trip to Alaska becomes a reality.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continues to post updated information for travelers. We encourage travelers to look to CDC guidance on healthy travel habits, including washing hands, social distancing, covering coughs, calling your health provider first if you don’t feel well and self-isolating if you have come in contact with someone who has become ill.

Contact us if you have any questions on traveling to Alaska or State of Alaska health mandates.  

Thank you for traveling safe!