November 14, 2021

What are Canada’s new entry requirements for international travellers?

In September, Canada officially reopened its borders, allowing fully vaccinated foreign visitors to enter the country for any reason — including travel, business, and education. And now, with the overseas travel ban being lifted in Australia, there’s never been a better time to plan a trip to the Great White North.

In addition to receiving two doses of an approved vaccine, visitors to Canada must also meet several other criteria to enter the country. Below, we’ve outlined the entry requirements you should know about before booking your flight to Canada as part of your round the world trip.

Be fully vaccinated

All foreign visitors over the age of 18 must meet the Canadian government’s definition of a fully vaccinated traveller.

To qualify, you must have received at least two doses of the following vaccines vaccine

AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD (ChAdOx1-S, Vaxzevria, AZD1222)
Bharat Biotech (Covaxin, BBV152 A, B, C)
Janssen/Johnson & Johnson
Moderna (mRNA-1273)
Pfizer-BioNTech (Comirnaty, tozinameran, BNT162b2)
Sinopharm BIBP (BBIBP-CorV)
Sinovac (CoronaVac, PiCoVacc)

The second dose should have been administered at least 14 days before you enter Canada. You should also not have any signs of symptoms when you arrive and will need to submit all required COVID-19 information to ArriveCAN. Booster shots are not required to enter the country. At this moment, it is not mandatory to have a boosted dose to enter Canada.

Unvaccinated children or adult dependents can enter with you, but they will be subject to various quarantine and testing requirements for 14 days after arrival.

In recent changes, the above rules also apply to essential travellers to Canada, as of 15 January 2022. This includes family members of Canadians, permanent residents and athletes. Any unvaccinated travellers need to meet certain exemptions to be allowed entry, however, they will still undergo testing and quarantine.

Get a pre-entry test

Canada requires that all travellers over the age of 5 (including citizens and permanent residents) have proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of your flight departure time. Specifically, you must complete a molecular test (such as a PCR test), as rapid antigen tests are not accepted.

Electronic and paper test results are permitted, as long as they include:

Name and date of birth
Name and address of the testing facility
Type of test
Date of test
Test result

Make sure to keep these test results with you for the first two weeks after entering Canada.

Upload digital proof of vaccination

Within 72 hours of travelling, upload official proof of your vaccination to the Canadian government’s digital platform, ArriveCAN. Your vaccination proof document can be a photo or PDF and should include the following details:

Your name
The government or organisation that provided the vaccine
Vaccine brand name and identifying details
Date of vaccination

You should also have proof of vaccination (electronic or paper) when you arrive at the border, as well as for your initial 14 days after arrival. If your proof of vaccination isn’t in English or French, you must have a certified translation into one of those two languages.

Be prepared to take a COVID-19 test upon arrival

As a fully vaccinated traveller, you might need to take a mandatory randomised arrival test. If you are chosen to do so, you will be notified at border control. Some exemptions apply for children and people who recovered from COVID-19 in the past 180 days.

You may be required to complete the test at the airport or at your accommodation, depending on the instructions you receive. Regardless, it must be taken on the day of your arrival. If you test positive, you’ll be directed to contact local public health authorities.

Have a backup quarantine plan

When you get to the border, a border control representative will make an official judgment on whether or not you qualify as a fully vaccinated traveller. If they find that you don’t meet the criteria, you will need to have a plan to quarantine for 14 days. You’re required to describe this plan in ArriveCAN and may be asked about it at border control.

Entry restrictions are still in flux across the globe, so it’s best to book any upcoming trips through a qualified travel agency. As travel experts, the agents at Airfare Geeks understand the latest rules and requirements of all popular destinations for Aussie tourists, including Canada, the USA, Europe, and Asia.

Looking for round the world airfares or multi-city flights, Visit the Airfare Geeks website or call us on (02) 9188 7823 to learn more.