Canada Welcomes Fully Vaccinated Foreign Travelers
Starting September 7th, all foreign travelers who have been fully vaccinated with one of the approved Covid-19 vaccines can make non-essential trips to Canada, skipping a 14-day quarantine requirement. Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, discretionary travels to Canada have been banned. Last month, the Canadian government made an initial step to open the country?s borders by allowing all fully vaccinated travelers from the United States to enter Canada without quarantine. Now, citizens of other countries in the world can visit Canada too.
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New travel rules to enter Canada
Beginning September 7th, all fully vaccinated international travelers may arrive in Canada and be exempted from quarantine, if they:
- have no Covid-19 symptoms
- have proof of a valid Covid-19 molecular negative test (taken 72 hours before arrival in Canada) ANTIGEN TESTS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED
- have filled out a health declaration card (ArriveCAN) with the required information (72 hours in advance of arrival in Canada)
- are admissible according to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act
To be considered fully vaccinated, the full series of vaccination approved by the Canadian government must be received at least 14 days before the intended date of entry to Canada. Vaccination proof attached to ArriveCAN must be either in French or English. Travelers can upload a certified translation. Moreover, foreign travelers can be randomly selected to be tested against COVID-19 upon arrival.
ArriveCAN
The ArriveCAN is an online form obligatory for all travelers entering Canada by air, sea, or land. The form was intended to minimize the COVID-19 spread in the country. Travelers can obtain it either online or using the ArriveCAN app. The ArriveCAN must be submitted within 72 hours (3 days) before the intended entry to Canada. Upon crossing the Canadian borders, a traveler is obliged to present ArriveCAN confirmation. The form can be filled out only by fully vaccinated applicants.
COVID-19 vaccines approved in Canada
All international travelers who plan to travel to Canada must be fully vaccinated with one of the following:
- Johnson&Johnson
- Moderna
- Pfizer
- AstraZeneca
Important note for travelers from India and Morocco: Travelers coming from those two countries who wish to enter Canada must show proof of a negative COVID-19 test result that needs to be taken outside their home country. Moreover, they must depart from that country where the test was taken to be allowed to enter Canada. These special restrictions were introduced due to the recent increase of COVID-19 cases in India and Morocco.
Unvaccinated children
Minor travelers who are not vaccinated can enter Canada in the company of their fully vaccinated legal guardians or parents. Children aged 12 or older are subject to quarantine. Those unvaccinated minors can follow particular rules to skip quarantine requirements.
eTA to Canada
One more document needed to enter Canada is eTA, which stands for Electronic Travel Authorization. The system was introduced in 2016 and allows a pre-screening of all foreigners willing to enter Canada by air. eTA can serve the purpose of trips related to business, tourism, or transit. Citizens of eligible countries do not need to go through a time-consuming procedure to get a traditional visa to Canada. Instead, they may choose an online alternative by submitting an online application for eTA.
