Canada lifting pre-entry testing for fully vaccinated travellers

The Government of Canada announced that it is lifting the pre-entry test requirement for fully vaccinated travellers next month.

Starting April 1, fully vaccinated travellers who enter Canada by air, land or water will no longer need to provide a pre-entry COVID-19 test result.

Pre-entry testing requirements for partially or unvaccinated travellers who are currently allowed to travel to Canada will not be changing.

Unless otherwise exempt, all travellers five years of age or older, who do not qualify as fully vaccinated, must continue to provide proof of an accepted pre-entry COVID-19 test result:

• A valid, negative antigen test, administered or observed by an accredited lab or testing provider, taken outside of Canada no more than one day before their initially scheduled flight departure time or arrival at the land border or marine port of entry; or
• A valid negative molecular test taken no more than 72 hours before their initially scheduled flight departure time or arrival at the land border or marine port of entry; or
• A previous positive molecular test taken at least 10 calendar days and no more than 180 calendar days before their initially scheduled flight departure time or arrival at the land border or marine port of entry. Positive antigen test results will not be accepted.

Travellers arriving in Canada from any country, who qualify as fully vaccinated, may still need to take a COVID-19 molecular test on arrival if selected for mandatory random testing. These travellers will not be required to quarantine while awaiting their test results.

All travellers will continue to be required to submit their mandatory information in the ArriveCAN mobile app or website before their arrival in Canada. Travellers who arrive without completing their ArriveCAN submission may have to test on arrival and quarantine for 14 days, regardless of their vaccination status.

Travellers arriving by cruise or plane must submit their information in ArriveCAN within 72 hours before boarding.

Travellers should check if they are eligible to enter Canada and meet all entry requirements before heading to the border.

“Adjustments to Canada’s border measures are made possible by a number of factors, including Canada’s high vaccination rate, the increasing availability and use of rapid tests to detect infection, decreasing hospitalizations and growing domestic availability of treatments for COVID-19. As vaccination levels and healthcare system capacity improve, we will continue to consider further easing of measures at the borders-and when to adjust those measures-to keep the people in Canada safe,” said Jean-Yves Duclos, Canadian Minister of Health.

“Lifting the pre-entry testing requirements for travellers to Canada will make it easier for Canadians to safely take advantage of emerging opportunities for personal and business travel, as Canada’s transportation system recovers from the pandemic.”