This morning, the government of Canada officially announced the first substantial change to the Canadian border in over a year. Beginning July 5th at 11:59 p.m. EDT, i.e. July 6th, fully vaccinated travellers who are permitted to enter Canada will no longer be subject to the federal requirement to quarantine. This includes Canadian citizens, Canadian permanent residents, and foreign nationals who are currently eligible to enter Canada.
Foreign nationals eligible to enter Canada must be entering for non-discretionary reasons. This includes the following foreign nationals:
- Individuals with certain immediate or extended family members who are Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or persons registered under Canada’s Indian Act and who are staying in Canada for 15 days or more;
- Individuals authorized to travel to Canada for compassionate reasons;
- Temporary foreign workers;
- Some international students; and
- Other exempt individuals detailed here.
Fully vaccinated travellers will still need to complete pre-arrival and post-arrival testing in Canada. However, they will not be subject to a day-8 COVID-19 test or be required to stay at a government-approved hotel upon arrival in Canada.
Fully vaccinated travellers must upload their vaccination documentation to the ArriveCAN app prior to their arrival at the Canadian border and answer all health and security related screening questions at the border.
Individuals are considered fully vaccinated when they 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. These vaccines can be received from any country, but documentation must be provided in English, French, or with a certified translation. Currently, those vaccines are manufactured by Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD, and Janssen (Johnson & Johnson).
There are no changes to Canada’s current border measures for non-vaccinated travellers. Namely, they will be required to stay at a government-approved hotel, take a day-8 COVID-19 test, and remain in quarantine until the end of their 14 day quarantine. Children who aren’t vaccinated continue to be exempt from the government-approved hotel requirement but will still be required to quarantine for 14 days and test as required, even if they are not eligible for a vaccine at this time.
Canadian officials have also announced that, while the current travel ban with India will be renewed for an additional month, the travel ban with Pakistan will expire.
Importantly, some provinces may have provincial quarantine restrictions that will need to be followed upon entry into Canada.
If you’re coming into Canada, you should plan in advance for the ever-changing quarantine requirements. Please do not hesitate to reach out to our office with any questions or concerns.
