Where and how to get a free Covid test in New York?

France requires a negative Covid test on return

• From December 4, 2021, French authorities require anyone arriving from a country outside the European Union to present a negative Covid test result taken within 48 hours before arrival in France.
• French government spokesperson Gabriel Attal did not specify whether the test must be a PCR or antigen test. Since he only mentioned a negative test result, either a PCR or antigen test is acceptable. If one type were required, he would have said so.

Where and how to get a Covid test in New York

• If you’re staying in New York, you’ll have no trouble finding a Covid test. Be aware that prices vary widely: we called several labs in New York and some charge $150 for a PCR test.
• We also contacted LabQ, a laboratory that runs about fifty free testing sites in Manhattan alone. Simply show up at one of their tents with your passport. As a foreign visitor, the test is FREE for you. You can find all locations on the lab’s website. Note that some sites are closed on Saturday and Sunday, while others close only on Saturday.
• These are PCR tests, and results are emailed to you within 24 hours of your sample collection. You’ll receive a QR code that you can show to the airline at check-in for your flight to France.
• Joëlle, a member of our Destination New York Facebook group, got tested at a LabQ tent and shares two tips. First, she recommends registering on the lab’s website beforehand. “It’s not required, but it saves the few minutes it takes to do on-site,” she explains. Also note that you’ll be asked whether you want a PCR or antigen test: make sure to request the PCR test, because the lab doesn’t issue a certificate for the antigen test. And here’s a third tip: ask them to put a “STAT” label on your sample. With this label, the test is analyzed much faster. “You get results overnight, or by early morning at the latest, via SMS and email with a link.”

Some locations for free Covid testing

Here are several addresses for LabQ mobile testing sites:

• In the Staten Island Ferry terminal: 4 South Street, Manhattan. Closed Saturday and Sunday.
• In TriBeca, at the corner of Canal Street and Broadway. Closed Saturday and Sunday.
• In Greenwich Village, at the corner of 5th Avenue and Washington Square North. Closed Saturday.
• Near Bryant Park, at the corner of 6th Avenue and 39th Street. Closed Saturday.
• Inside Grand Central Terminal, New York’s main train station. Closed Saturday.
• Near Times Square, at the corner of Broadway and 54th Street. Closed Saturday and Sunday.
• On Grand Army Plaza, at the corner of 5th Avenue and 59th Street. Closed Saturday and Sunday.
• On Columbus Circle, near the southwest entrance to Central Park. Closed Saturday.
• In the Upper West Side, at the corner of Broadway and 71st Street. Closed Saturday.
• In the Upper East Side, at the corner of 3rd Avenue and 76th Street. Closed Saturday and Sunday.
• In Brooklyn, in the Dumbo neighborhood, at 55 Washington Street. Convenient if you want to walk the Brooklyn Bridge or Manhattan Bridge afterward. Closed Saturday and Sunday.

These tests are free. You’ll see that these tents and mobile sites display “Free Covid-19 Testing,” as shown in the photo above. We called them to confirm: these tests are indeed free for foreign visitors.

Covid testing at airports

• If you didn’t manage to get a Covid test during your stay, you can get one directly at New York’s airports a few hours before departure. Airlines recognize these tests, so you can fly without any issues. Of course, this means arriving at the airport much earlier.
• At New York’s JFK Airport, the Adams Medical testing center is in Terminal 1, at the departure level, next to counter B. Open daily from 8 am to 11 pm, it offers rapid PCR tests with results in 2 to 3 hours ($220), and antigen tests with results available in one hour maximum ($179). Find more information on the Adams Medical lab website. I recommend registering in advance to avoid long waits.
• At Newark Airport, you’ll find a GABISA Medical-XpresCheck testing center in Terminal B, on level 3, near the main entrance. Open daily from 8 am to 6 pm, it offers rapid PCR tests with results in one hour ($250). Here too, it’s recommended to book your test in advance on the XpressCheck website.