Editor’s Note: Coronavirus cases remain high across the globe. Health officials caution that travel increases your chances of getting and spreading the virus. Staying home is the best way to stem transmission. Below is information on what to know if you still plan to travel, last updated on September 19, 2022.
If you’re planning to travel to Canada, here’s what you’ll need to know and expect if you want to visit during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The basics
Canada is now recording an average of 2,800 new cases per day.
The country is open to fully vaccinated travelers.
What’s on offer
This is the ultimate destination for adventure. Whether it’s skiing and snowboarding in the Rockies or bear watching in the wilds of Ontario, Canada has everything to satisfy travelers who want to spend time in the great outdoors.
Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal and Quebec City are all perfect for city breaks, with first rate culture, food and entertainment on offer.
Who can go
Citizens and permanent residents are allowed to enter Canada, but if unvaccinated they must self-quarantine for 14 days.
Vaccinated international travelers are allowed to enter as of September 7, 2021. Accepted Covid-19 vaccines in Canada are: Pfizer-BioNTech; Moderna; AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD; Janssen/Johnson & Johnson; Sinopharm; Sinovac; and COVAXIN, matching the World Health Organization (WHO) Emergency Use Listing (EUL).
“Foreign nationals who are not fully vaccinated will continue to be required to meet an exemption or be traveling for a non-discretionary purpose,” says the Government of Canada website.
In March, Canada announced it will lift its Covid-19 pre-entry test requirement for fully vaccinated travelers beginning April 1, saying that the pandemic was entering a “transition phase.”
Also, the Canadian government no longer recommends that Canadians avoid nonessential travel.
Read more on the changes here.
What are the restrictions?
All permitted arrivals must use the ArriveCAN app or website to submit travel and contact information, a 14-day quarantine plan (if unvaccinated and granted an excemption) and a Covid-19 symptom self-assessment.
The quarantine plan must detail where you will stay, how you will get there and how you will arrange for delivery of essentials such as groceries and medicine. Failure to stick to the plan can lead to six months’ jail time and a CAD$750,000 (US$593,000) fine.
In early June, Canada announced it’s lifting a nationwide Covid-19 vaccine mandate that required domestic rail and air travelers to provide proof of vaccination before boarding. This will take effect on June 20.
What’s the Covid-19 situation?
Cases numbers in Canada are stable following a dramatic surge in Covid-19 cases led by the Omicron in early 2022.
Canada is presently reporting 2,800 cases per day on average.
About 83% of the population is fully vaccinated for Covid-19 as of September 19, 2022.
What can visitors expect?
Provinces have been relaxing the rules on social gatherings, indoor dining, masks and travel in recent months in response to rising vaccination rates and a decrease in cases.
You can keep up with detailed travel rules among the provinces here.
Useful links
Our recent coverage
When Covid-19 restrictions made it difficult for a Canadian bride to have her family at her US wedding, she did the next best thing – she brought her wedding to the border. Read more about their special day here.
Canada has reopened to US travelers. Find out more in our guide to crossing the border.
Ottawa made it into our list of best winter cities. We’ve looked at Old Quebec’s European charm. And if you’re into extreme skiing, Canada has options here. The Revitalization Project tattoos women in the remote Inuit communities.
Joe Minihane, Julia Buckley, Paula Newton and Karla Cripps contributed to this report.
