ONTARIO – This spring mark a new milestone for Canada as the Canadian borders seem to surpass more than a million travellers since the start of the pandemic.
Therefore, as of late last week, the government of Canada announced they are adding further changes to the border measures for certain eligible travellers.
Effective April 25, 2022, the following easing of border measures will come into effect:
- Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated children aged 5-11 accompanied by a fully vaccinated parent, step-parent, guardian or tutor will no longer be required to complete a pre-entry COVID-19 test for entry to Canada.
- Pre-entry tests will still be required for partially vaccinated or unvaccinated travellers 12 and older who are currently eligible to travel to Canada.
- Children under five years of age are not required to provide a COVID-19 test result.
"I want to thank the Canadians everywhere who have rolled up their sleeves to get vaccinated and encourage everyone to stay up-to-date with COVID-19 vaccines by receiving all doses recommended for them, including booster doses. The health and safety of Canadians remains our top priority, and as vaccination levels and healthcare system capacity improve, we will continue to consider further easing of measures at the borders based on science,” said The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Health.
Additionally, all fully vaccinated travellers will no longer be required to provide a quarantine plan upon entry. This requirement will also be removed for children aged 5-11 who are accompanied by a fully vaccinated parent, step-parent, guardian, or tutor and travellers with a medical contraindication to a COVID-19 vaccine.
Furthermore, fully vaccinated travellers arriving in Canada on or after April 25, 2022, will no longer be federally required to do the following for 14 days after arriving:
- mask while in public spaces
- monitor and report if they develop signs or symptoms
- quarantine if another traveller in the same travel group exhibits signs or symptoms or tests positive
- maintain a list of close contacts and locations visited
As a reminder, all travellers are still required to use ArriveCAN to provide mandatory travel information within 72 hours of their arrival to Canada and/or before boarding a plane or cruise ship destined for Canada, including:
- contact and travel information, and
- vaccination information and proof of vaccination (if applicable).
Fully vaccinated travellers who do not submit their information to ArriveCAN:
- won't be eligible for the fully vaccinated traveller exemption (i.e., they may have to submit a pre-entry test result and suitable quarantine plan, quarantine and undergo testing in Canada);
- may face additional delays at the border for public health questioning; and
- may be subject to fines or other enforcement action.
Regardless of vaccination status, all travellers must also continue to wear a mask throughout their entire travel journey.
The Honourable Omar Alghabra, Minister of Transport states, "The gradual easing of travel restrictions is part of our balanced and science-based approach to managing COVID-19 and its variants. Although some restrictions may be easing, air and rail travellers are reminded that they are still required to wear a mask throughout their travel journey. Wearing a mask offers an extra layer of protection for you and your fellow travellers and will help keep Canadians, workers and our transportation system safe.”
While some federal requirements are being lifted for certain eligible travellers, all travellers entering Canada by air, land or water must adhere to the federal requirements and those outlined by their province or territory.
"We are committed to a safe reopening, one that provides predictability and flexibility and shows the world that Canada is one of the safest places to travel,” said The Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance. “Today's announcement is another step forward for travelling families, tourism workers and business owners, and the Canadian economy as a whole."
Although, Travellers are returning to a border that is managed differently than they once knew. With new requirements, which can mean delays during peak periods, the Canada Border Service is working to mitigate long border wait times. Still, they also remind the public that there are ways that travellers can make the process easier.
Travellers can do their part to reduce wait times by always coming prepared with their passport and COVID-19 vaccination information, plus completing their mandatory ArriveCAN submission within 72 hours before arriving at the border.
The Canada Border Service Agency has also established modern processes to improve the traveller experience and manage volumes, like the International-to-Domestic and the International-to-International programs that significantly decrease connection times and the Primary Inspection Kiosks and the free ArriveCAN App and website.
As COVID-19 public health measures continue to evolve, the Canada Border Service Agency invites travellers to keep abreast of all requirements by consulting the Government of Canada COVID Travel and Borders website.
