Here’s What Travellers Need to Know as Canada Cancels Pre-Entry Tests

A traveller walks past a departures COVID-19 testing sign at Pearson International Airport on Dec. 3, 2021. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press)

The federal government has scrapped the pre-arrival COVID-19 testing requirement for all fully vaccinated travellers coming into Canada, taking another major step back to normalcy.

Federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos said in a virtual press conference on Thursday that the country is “entering into a transition phase of this pandemic,” as he announced the removal of pre-entry COVID-19 testing effective on April 1, at 12:01 a.m. EDT.

Here is what you need to know if you are planning a trip to Canada after that day.

Fully Vaccinated Travellers

Starting April 1, fully vaccinated travellers coming into Canada by air, land, or water will no longer be required to take a PCR molecular test or an antigen test prior to departure.

Travellers are considered fully vaccinated if they have received one dose of the Janssen/Johnson & Johnson vaccine or at least two doses of the following approved COVID-19 vaccines (including a mix of two accepted vaccines):

• AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD (ChAdOx1-S, Vaxzevria, AZD1222)
• Bharat Biotech (Covaxin, BBV152 A, B, C)
• Moderna (Spikevax, mRNA-1273) including for children aged 6 to 11 years
• Novavax (NVX-COV2373, Nuvaxovid, Covovax)
• Pfizer-BioNTech (Comirnaty, tozinameran, BNT162b2) including for children aged 5 to 11 years
• Sinopharm BIBP (BBIBP-CorV)
• Sinovac (CoronaVac, PiCoVacc)

To qualify as a fully vaccinated traveller to Canada, one must have received the second vaccine dose at least 14 calendar days before entering Canada.

All travellers are still required to submit their mandatory information through the ArriveCAN mobile app or on the Canadian government website before their arrival.

Travellers will be asked to answer a series of questions about their vaccination status and travel history. Those who fail to complete their ArriveCAN submissions may be subjected to testing upon arrival and must quarantine for 14 days, regardless of their vaccination status, according to a news release issued on March 17.

Partially Vaccinated Travellers

Pre-entry testing requirements have not changed for partially or unvaccinated travellers who are currently allowed to come to Canada. Unless otherwise exempt, all travellers aged 5 years and older who do not qualify as fully vaccinated must continue to provide the following accepted types of pre-entry COVID-19 test results:

• A valid negative antigen test, administered or observed by an accredited testing provider, taken no more than one day before their scheduled flight departure time, or their arrival at the land border or marine port of entry.
• A valid, negative molecular test taken no more than 72 hours before their scheduled flight departure time, or their arrival at the land border or marine port of entry.
• A previous positive molecular test taken at least 10 calendar days and no more than 180 calendar days before their scheduled flight departure time, or their arrival at the land border or marine port of entry.

It is noted that positive antigen test results will not be accepted for boarding a flight or entry to Canada.

Unless otherwise exempt, all travellers to Canada who do not qualify as fully vaccinated will continue to be tested on arrival and on day 8 of their mandatory 14-day quarantine.

Travelling to Canada Between Now and April 1

Currently, travellers can come to Canada by land, air, or water regardless of their vaccination status if they are a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident of Canada, a person registered under the Indian Act, or a protected person such as a refugee.

However, travellers who are symptomatic with COVID-19 and want to come to Canada by air, will have to present a valid pre-entry test result or a medical certificate to show that their symptoms are not related to COVID-19 before boarding a public flight.

Those travelling by land or water won’t be turned away at the land border, but may be fined $5,000 per person (plus surcharges). To avoid this fine, they will have to wait until at least 10 calendar days have passed after receiving a positive test result before entering Canada. The 10-day period starts the day following the day of testing.

If you are a foreign national who is not qualified as fully vaccinated, you may now only come to Canada under limited circumstances, such as being approved for entry for compassionate reasons (attending funerals, caring for or visiting critically ill person who is a Canadian resident, or other accepted statuses).

A Ukrainian national fleeing the Russian invasion but who is not fully vaccinated may now come to Canada through the temporary residence program, the Canada-Ukraine authorization for emergency travel.

Click here for more information on entering Canada at this time.

Random Testing on Arrival Continues After April 1

On Feb. 28, the government removed the on-arrival mandatory testing for fully vaccinated travellers, meaning that fully vaccinated travellers may be randomly selected for a COVID-19 molecular test upon arrival.

This has not changed with the further removal of the pre-entry testing on April 1.

Travellers selected for this on-arrival random testing are not required to quarantine while awaiting their test result.

Duclos noted that while the government has dropped these testing requirements, they could be brought back later if the COVID-19 situation deteriorates again.

“Today’s announcement is encouraging, but let us remember that all measures are subject to review. We will continue to adjust them as the epidemiological situation evolves,” he said.