According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, fully vaccinated travelers will be able to enter the country without having to present a COVID-19 pre-entry test. The new rule is to become effective on April 1st, 2022 at 12:01 AM EDT,
For partially vaccinated or unvaccinated travelers currently required to travel to Canada, the pre-entry testing requirements remain unchanged. Unless exempted, all travelers 5 years of age or older who are not fully vaccinated must continue to present evidence of an accepted type of pre-entry COVID-19 test result.
We’ve said all along that we would adjust our border measures based on public health recommendations and that is exactly what we’re doing today.
Omar Alghabra, Canada’s Minister of Transport
The accepted types of test results are:
- A valid negative antigen test, administered or observed by an accredited laboratory or testing provider, performed outside Canada no later than one day prior to the departure time of their originally scheduled flight or arrival at the land border or seaport of entry; or
- A valid negative molecular test performed no later than 72 hours prior to the time of departure of the originally scheduled flight or arrival at the land border or sea port of entry; or
- A previous positive molecular test performed at least 10 calendar days and no more than 180 calendar days prior to the time of departure of the originally scheduled flight or arrival at the land border or sea port of entry. It is important to note that positive antigen test results will not be accepted.
Canada will continue to require travelers to upload their travel details and proof of vaccination to ArriveCAN, the website the government has set up to track traveler contacts. Those who do not complete the ArriveCAN submission will have to undergo testing and serve a 14-day quarantine upon arrival, regardless of their vaccination status. Travelers taking a cruise ship or plane will be required to submit their information within 72 hours prior to embarkation.
Vaccines accepted by the Government of Canada are:
- AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD (ChAdOx1-S, Vaxzevria, AZD1222)
- Bharat Biotech (Covaxin, BBV152 A, B, C)
- Janssen/Johnson & Johnson
- Moderna (mRNA-1273)
- Novavax (NVX-COV2373, Nuvaxovid, Covovax)
- Pfizer-BioNTech (Comirnaty, tozinameran, BNT162b2) including for children 5 to 11 years of age
- Sinopharm BIBP (BBIBP-CorV)
- Sinovac (CoronaVac, PiCoVacc)
To be considered a fully vaccinated traveler, you must have received, at least fourteen calendar days prior to the day you travel at least two doses of a vaccine accepted by the Government of Canada for travel; or a mixture of two accepted vaccines; or at least one dose of the Janssen/Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
The Canadian government will not consider a traveler as fully vaccinated if the dose does not meet the amount listed above, or if the traveler has recovered from the disease before or after receiving only one dose.
According to tracking data compiled by The Washington Post, 82.6% of the Canadian population is fully vaccinated, one of the highest vaccination rates in the world.
