Canada: Authorities extend COVID-19-related travel restrictions through Sept. 30 /update 42

Event

Officials in Canada have issued orders to extend the country's current COVID-19-related travel restrictions through at least Sept. 30.

The current requirements to enter Canada are the following:

• Nonresident foreign nationals ages 12 and older must be fully vaccinated with an approved COVID-19 vaccine (those manufactured by Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca/COVIDSHIELD, or Janssen/Johnson & Johnson) at least 14 days before entering Canada and have proof of their vaccination.

• Travelers must upload their proof of vaccination and other travel information to the ArriveCan website within 72 hours before travel. For more details, click here.

• Unvaccinated children under the age of 12 can enter without undergoing quarantine and without a pre-travel test if accompanied by a fully vaccinated parent or guardian.

• Unvaccinated individuals ages 12 and older (or ages five and older if not accompanied by a vaccinated adult) allowed to enter Canada must show proof of a negative result from either an antigen test taken within one day before travel or a molecular test taken within 72 hours before travel.

• Unvaccinated nonresident foreign nationals remain banned from entering Canada, except for those traveling for essential reasons, temporary workers, international students, and diplomats. Those allowed entry must self-quarantine for 14 days. Some workers, including those who cross the border regularly, may be exempt from the quarantine requirement, provided they do not display COVID-19 symptoms.

• Unvaccinated Canadian citizens and permanent residents can enter the country but must also quarantine for 14 days upon arrival. All unvaccinated individuals must take tests on arrival, on day eight, and day 14 of their 14-day quarantine period.

All air passengers must wear a protective facemask. Persons exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms are generally not allowed to board planes to Canada or take domestic flights or trains. Travelers within Canada are no longer required to be fully vaccinated to travel by plane or train domestically, or to board international flights.

Additionally, authorities have paused the random testing of fully vaccinated passengers arriving by plane in Canada until at least mid-July. When it resumes, random testing will be performed outside of airports. Mandatory random testing for travelers entering by land is ongoing. Passengers selected for random testing will not have to quarantine while awaiting the results.

Foreign nationals traveling by land to Alaska from the US Lower 48 may only enter Canada through one of five border crossings: Abbotsford-Huntington, Kingsgate, or Osoyoos in British Columbia; North Portal, Saskatchewan; or Coutts, Alberta. Authorities will refuse travelers who attempt to enter Canada northbound through any other border crossing and reroute them to an approved crossing. Persons entering Canada from Alaska may use any border crossing.

Authorities could reimpose, extend, further ease, or otherwise amend any restrictions with little-to-no notice depending on disease activity over the coming weeks.

Advice

Heed all official directives. Reconfirm all health-related travel requirements before travel. Confirm appointments in advance.

Resources

WHO Coronavirus Knowledge Base
Canada - Coronavirus Updates
Canada - Travel Restrictions
Canada - ArriveCan website