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COVID-19: Information for Canadians in the U.S.

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March 20, 2020

UPDATED – January 18, 2022

You must use ArriveCAN to enter Canada!

All travellers coming to Canada must submit their mandatory information in ArriveCAN (free App or website), including their digital proof of vaccination and a quarantine plan within 72 hours before arriving in Canada. For more information, visit www.canada.ca/arrivecan.

If you are a foreign national travelling for discretionary purposes and don’t submit your information through ArriveCAN, you may be denied entry into Canada.

Canadian citizens, permanent residents or persons registered under the Indian Act won’t be denied entry, but you:

Full details on the current measures in place for travellers entering or returning to Canada are available online: https://travel.gc.ca.

BORDER CHANGES

Exemptions ending for certain travellers entering Canada

Effective , some foreign national travellers who were previously allowed to enter Canada without being fully vaccinated will now be required to be fully vaccinated in order to enter Canada. There will also be changes to testing and quarantine exemptions for certain travellers, regardless of citizenship, entering Canada.

Find out if you can enter Canada

TRAVELLING TO CANADA

Fully vaccinated travellers, arriving by land or air, who are eligible to enter Canada and who comply with specific criteria will not be required to quarantine or complete a day-8 test. In addition, fully vaccinated travellers arriving by air will not be required to stay at a government-authorized accommodation (GAA) to await their on-arrival test result.

Who is eligible to enter Canada?

To benefit from the reduced public health measures, travellers must:

1)     Be eligible to enter Canada;

2)     Be fully vaccinated: To be considered fully vaccinated, a traveller 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. Canada will expand the list of COVID-19 vaccines that travellers can receive to be considered fully vaccinated for the purpose of travel to Canada.

3)     Meet all criteria to be considered for the fully vaccinated traveller exemption such as providing proof of a valid pre-arrival COVID-19 molecular test before boarding a plane or arriving at the land border and, submitting mandatory information including a digital proof of vaccination in English or French in ArriveCAN.

Foreign nationals, including United States (US) citizens, can travel to Canada as visitors only if they’re eligible. Restrictions vary depending on where you’re coming from.

Travellers who previously tested positive for COVID-19

Starting January 15, 2022, travellers who have previously tested positive for COVID-19 must provide proof of a previous positive test result taken between 11 and 180 days ago.

For travellers entering Canada: While Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and persons registered under the Indian Act will still be able to enter Canada if they are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated, they will not be permitted to travel beyond their point of entry within Canada on a connecting flight or by rail. These travellers should plan their return accordingly by selecting a Canadian airport that is closest to their final destination, and expect to be subject to testing and quarantine.

Vaccinated parents travelling with unvaccinated children

If you qualify as a fully vaccinated traveller, your unvaccinated children must follow specific requirements when you return to or enter Canada. This applies to unvaccinated children under 12 years of age who are accompanying a parent, step-parent, guardian or tutor who qualified as a fully vaccinated traveller when they entered Canada.

Unvaccinated children under 12 must complete pre-entry, arrival and Day-8 tests, unless you have evidence that the child had a positive COVID-19 test taken 11 to 180 days prior to arrival in Canada or the child is under 5 years of age.

Unvaccinated and partially vaccinated youth 12 to 17 years of age are subject to the 14-day quarantine, and all testing requirements for pre-entry, arrival and Day-8 tests, whether or not they are accompanied by travellers who qualify as a fully vaccinated traveller

Dependents 18 years of age or over who are unvaccinated because of mental or physical limitation may enter but must follow all testing and quarantine requirements, even when they are accompanied by parents or guardians who qualify as a fully vaccinated traveller.

Mandatory submission of information via ArriveCAN

Fully vaccinated travellers must submit their mandatory information including their digital proof of vaccination in English or French using ArriveCAN (either via the App or the Web portal) before arriving at the border. Travellers will be able to upload their proof of vaccination into ArriveCAN in the new version which will be released on July 5th as of 12:01 a.m. EDT. Travellers must use the most up-to-date version released on July 5th in the Google Play Store and the App Store for iPhone. If travellers are unable to enter their information themselves, they can have a friend or family member enter the information for them.

All other restrictions remain in place

There are no changes for travellers who are not fully vaccinated. They are still subject to a 14-day quarantine, all testing requirements (pre-arrival, on arrival/day-1 and day-8) and the mandatory submission of information via ArriveCAN before arriving in Canada.

Get informed and be prepared

Before heading to the border, travellers should inform themselves and fully understand their obligations by ensuring their eligibility to enter Canada and reviewing the COVID-19 vaccinated travellers entering Canada Web page.

Travellers to Canada may experience delays at the border due to the enhanced public health measures. The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) will not compromise the health and safety of Canadians for the sake of border wait times. The CBSA thanks travellers for their patience.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

Learning institutions whose COVID-19 readiness plans have been approved by their provincial or territorial government will soon be able to welcome more international students back to their schools. Amended travel restrictions took effect on October 20, allowing international students to enter Canada if their designated learning institution (DLI) has an approved COVID-19 readiness plan in place.

The list of DLIs with an approved COVID-19 readiness plan in place will be posted on IRCC’s web page for international students affected by COVID-19 restrictions and updated regularly as provinces and territories identify additional schools.

WHILE IN THE U.S.

The Embassy of Canada and our Consulates are currently operating with very reduced on-site presence in line with U.S. and Canadian government guidance. We are facing high demands for support and advise against visiting in person. If you require consular assistance, please contact us by phone at 1-844-880-6519 or email at [email protected].

For emergency assistance, please contact: 1-800-387-3124 / [email protected]. You can also follow our social media channels (Twitter, Facebook and Instagram) for ongoing guidance and check this page regularly for updates. Please also visit www.travel.gc.ca and register yourselves as Canadian citizens abroad to receive updates from the Embassy.

While in the U.S., you should monitor local media and follow instructions from local authorities. Be sure to use credible sources for information about COVID-19.

Social media accounts to monitor:

Twitter

Facebook

You can also find much reliable, up-to-date information on the following sites:

STAY CONNECTED

Please share this important information with other Canadian citizens in your area. Encourage them to register with ROCA (https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/registration) to enable them to receive important safety updates from the Government of Canada.

Additional resources and information: