On September 26th, the Government of Canada announced the removal of all Covid-19 entry restrictions, as well as testing, quarantine, and isolation requirements for anyone entering Canada, effective October 1, 2022.
Canadian authorities have taken a layered approach to border management. As the pandemic situation has continued to evolve, adjustments to border measures have been informed by the latest evidence, available data, operational considerations, and the epidemiological situation, both in Canada and abroad.
Canada’s travel measures mitigated the full impact of Covid-19 for travelers and workers in the transportation sector. They helped keep communities safe.
Omar Alghabra, Minister of Transport
The removal of border measures has been facilitated by a number of factors, including modeling that indicates that Canada has largely passed the peak of the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 fueled wave; Canada’s high vaccination rates; lower hospitalization and death rates; as well as the availability and use of vaccine boosters (including new bivalent formulation), rapid tests, and treatments for Covid-19.
Effective October 1, 2022, all travelers, regardless of citizenship, will no longer have to:
- submit public health information through the ArriveCAN app or website;
- provide proof of vaccination;
- undergo pre- or on-arrival testing;
- carry out Covid-19-related quarantine or isolation;
- monitor and report if they develop signs or symptoms of Covid-19 upon arriving to Canada.
Transport Canada is also removing existing travel requirements. As of October 1, 2022, travelers will no longer be required to:
- undergo health checks for travel on air and rail; or
- wear masks on planes and trains.
Although the masking requirement is being lifted, all travelers are strongly recommended to wear high quality and well-fitted masks during their journeys.
We maintained that the measures were temporary and that we would adjust them as situation changes.
Omar Alghabra, Minister of Transport
Cruise measures are also being lifted, and travelers will no longer be required to have pre-board tests, be vaccinated, or use ArriveCAN. A set of guidelines will remain to protect passengers and crew, which will align with the approach used in the United States.
Individuals should not travel if they have symptoms of Covid-19. If travelers become sick while traveling, and are still sick when they arrive in Canada, they should inform a flight attendant, cruise staff, or a border services officer upon arrival. They may then be referred to a quarantine officer who will decide whether the traveller needs further medical assessment as Covid-19 remains one of many communicable diseases listed in the Quarantine Act.
Canada currently requires most travelers to be fully vaccinated. In spring of this year, the need for vaccinated travelers to get tested before their arrival was removed. Pre-arrival testing for unvaccinated or partially vaccinated children between 5 and 11 years old was also lifted.
