1. Eliminating COVID-19 testing for air and land crossings of less than 72 hours
Effective November 30, 2021, fully vaccinated individuals with right of entry to Canada, who depart and re-enter the country within 72 hours of leaving Canada are exempt from providing a pre-entry COVID-19 molecular test result.
This exemption is only for trips originating in Canada taken by fully vaccinated
- Canadian citizens,
- permanent residents or
- individuals registered under the Indian Act,
- people with medical contraindications as defined in the Orders in Council (OIC);
- unvaccinated children under 12 who are accompanying their parent, step-parent, guardian or tutor. The accompanying adult must be fully vaccinated (or have a contraindication) and have right of entry into Canada.
Travellers will be responsible for maintaining proof of the 72-hour period to show airline/rail companies and border officials as required (e.g., boarding pass, travel itinerary).
2. Expanded list of accepted vaccines for the purpose of travel
Accepted vaccines
- √ Pfizer-BioNTech (Comirnaty, tozinameran, BNT162b2)
- √ Moderna (Spikevax, mRNA-1273)
- √ AstraZeneca (Vaxzevria, COVISHIELD, ChAdOx1-S, AZD1222)
- √ Janssen/Johnson & Johnson (Ad26.COV2.S)
Starting November 30 2021, 03:01 AM EST, the following COVID-19 vaccines will be accepted:
- Bharat Biotech (Covaxin, BBV152 A, B, C)
- Sinopharm (Beijing) BBIBP-CorV (Vero Cells)
- Sinovac (CoronaVac, PiCoVacc)
3. Entry Requirements: Adjustments for certain travellers entering Canada
As of November 30, 2021, travellers need to be fully vaccinated to travel within Canada with very few exceptions.
As of January 15, 2022, unless exempt, all travellers will only be allowed to enter the country if they arefully vaccinatedwith one of the vaccines approved for entry into Canada. Limited exceptions including:
- agricultural and food processing workers;
- foreign marine crew members;
- those entering on compassionate grounds;
- new permanent residents;
- newly resettled refugees;
- children under the age of 18 who are currently exempt from the travel restrictions
- national interest exemptions.
4. ArriveCAN: New requirements for essential travellers
As of November 30, 2021,all exempt essential service providers will be required to identify their vaccination status in ArriveCAN, regardless of whether or not they are allowed to enter as unvaccinated.
Exempt essential travellers include those travelling as/for:
- most essential service providers (including most temporary foreign workers, emergency service providers and marine researchers);
- cross-border work (e.g., you regularly cross the border to work);
- medical and health care support (e.g., health care practitioner, to receive medical care, or to transport medical equipment or supplies);
- trade and transport (e.g., truck driver or crew member on any aircraft, shipping vessel, or train); and
- people who live in integrated trans-border communities.
Until January 15, 2022, if an exempt essential traveller is not vaccinated, they will still be able to get an ArriveCAN receipt. After January 15, 2022, they must be fully vaccinated to get an ArriveCAN receipt. As of this date, most travellers who are currently exempt from quarantine will need to be fully vaccinated to enter Canada. They will also be required to upload their proof of vaccination in ArriveCAN.
5. Mandatory vaccination for federally regulated transportation sectors
As of November 30, 2021, a valid COVID-19 test will no longer be accepted as an alternative to vaccination for travel within Canada. To take a flight or a train, travellers must be fully vaccinated with one of the expanded list of vaccinations unless they qualify for a limited exemption to this requirement.
(Source: IRCC)