Canada to ease border restrictions for vaccinated travelers

July 20, 2021

Land Line Staff

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Canada plans to ease border restrictions for travelers who are fully vaccinated for COVID-19.

On Aug. 9, Canada will allow nonessential travel for fully vaccinated American citizens and permanent residents, according to a news release from the Public Health Agency of Canada.

U.S. residents entering Canada will be required to submit information electronically through the ArriveCAN app. Though truck drivers have been exempted from the border being closed to nonessential travel, they must comply with reporting requirements to enter the country.

Entry to Canada will continue to be prohibited for U.S. travelers who are not fully vaccinated and for all other foreign nationals unless they already meet an exemption set out in the orders made under the Quarantine Act.

To be eligible to enter Canada, fully vaccinated American citizens and permanent residents must have received the full series of a vaccine – or combination of vaccines – accepted by the Government of Canada at least 14 days prior to entering Canada. Currently, those vaccines are manufactured by Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD, and Janssen (Johnson & Johnson). Travelers can receive their vaccine in any country, and must provide evidence supporting their vaccination in English, French or with a certified translation (along with the original).

Travelers must also be asymptomatic upon arrival and have a paper or digital copy of their vaccination documentation in English or French (or certified translation, along with the original) ready to show a government official on request.

The changes were made because of increased vaccination rates in Canada, declining COVID-19 cases and reduced pressure on health care capacity. Restrictions on all discretionary travel at the Canada-U.S. border were initially implemented on March 21, 2020.

Also, as long as Canada’s COVID-19 epidemiology remains favorable, on Sept. 7 Canada plans to open Canada’s borders for discretionary travel by travelers from any country who have been fully vaccinated with Canada-accepted vaccines at least 14 days prior to entering Canada and who meet specific entry requirements.

Canada also plans to lift the temperature screening requirement at airports on Aug. 9 and eliminate the three-night government-authorized hotel stay requirement for all travelers arriving by air.

Unvaccinated travelers will be required to undergo Day 1 and Day 8 COVID-19 molecular tests, and complete a mandatory 14-day quarantine, subject to limited exceptions. LL