Key Points
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On
- On
August 9, 2021 , at12:01 a.m. EDT , fully vaccinated citizens and permanent residents ofthe United States (currently living in theU.S. ) will be permitted to enterCanada for non-essential, discretionary travel. - For
U.S. travelers without full-vaccination status, and all other foreign nationals, Canadian borders remain closed. Exemptions remain in place for individuals meeting requirements laid out in the Quarantine Act. - Have received the complete series of a vaccine (or combination of vaccines) accepted by the
Government of Canada at least 14 days prior to entering Canada: - Travelers may receive their vaccine in any country;
- Travelers must present evidence supporting their vaccination in English, French or with a certified translation and the original.
- Meet all pre-entry COVID-19 testing requirements;
- Be asymptomatic upon arrival to
Canada ; and, - Possess a digital or paper version of vaccination documentation in French or English (or certified translation(s), along with the original). Government officials may ask to review them.
- Any individuals who have recovered from COVID-19, but continue to test positive, may present a positive COVID-19 molecular test result on a specimen taken 14 to 180 days before arrival in
Canada . This will satisfy part of the pre-arrival test criteria. - Post-arrival testing for fully vaccinated travelers has changed. Fully vaccinated travelers will not need a post-arrival test unless they are randomly selected to participate in the new border testing surveillance program. If randomly selected, travelers will complete a Day 1 COVID-19 molecular test. This program seeks to track new COVID-19 variants and vaccine effectiveness.
- Mandatory testing requirements remain in place for unvaccinated travelers.
Overview
Eligible travelers must:
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Be a fully vaccinated American citizen or permanent resident; and
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Acceptable vaccines are manufactured by Pfizer-BioNTech,
Additionally, fully vaccinated travelers must:
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Submit all COVID-19-related information electronically through ArriveCAN, including proof of vaccination prior to departure for
Important Note about Children:
Unvaccinated children under 12 years of age, and unvaccinated dependent children (with certain mental or physical conditions) carrying
Finally, all travelers must still present a quarantine plan and prepare to fulfill it if border officers determine quarantine necessary. They will also be required to follow public health measures in place (i.e., masking in public places), for 14 days after entry in
What are the Changes?
Beginning on
New Testing Requirements
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Canadian citizens and permanent residents travelling to the
Lifting Temperature Screening Requirements
Effective
Lifting Quarantine Requirements for Fully Vaccinated Travelers
Effective
Eased Testing and Quarantine Requirements for Alternative Vaccination/Travel Situations
If travelers cannot be fully vaccinated due to a health condition, they may qualify for eased quarantine and testing requirements. These travelers will be required to follow a modified quarantine. More details will be released soon.
Travelers arriving in
Looking Ahead
As vaccination rates continue to rise and COVID-19 case numbers decrease, it is possible that the Canadian Government will relax more restrictions in time. Employers with
Originally Published
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
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