Today, the government of Canada officially announced the details of its first step in easing restrictions at the Canadian border.
Fully Vaccinated Travellers Permitted Beginning July 5th 2021
Beginning July 5, 2021, at 11:59 p.m. EDT, travellers who are fully vaccinated will be permitted to enter Canada without being subjected to the federal requirement to quarantine or take a COVID-19 test on day-8. Fully vaccinated travellers will also no longer need to stay at a government-authorized hotel.
To be considered fully vaccinated, travellers must have received all the necessary doses of a vaccine, or a combination of vaccines, accepted by Health Canada. The vaccination must have occurred at minimum 14 days prior to arrival in Canada. The vaccines currently approved by Health Canada include Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD, and Janssen (Johnson & Johnson).
Documentation Required To Prove Vaccination Status Against COVID-19
Travellers may receive the vaccine in any country as long as they are able to provide supporting documentation of the vaccination in English, French, or with a certified translation. Fully vaccinated travellers will be required to upload the documentation to the ArriveCAN software application prior to their arrival in Canada. The Canadian government will provide further detail regarding ArriveCAN and the information required by July 5, 2021.
All travellers must still be exempt from travel restrictions in order to travel to Canada. This includes Canadian citizens, Canadian permanent residents, and foreign nationals eligible to travel to Canada.
Foreign Nationals Eligible Under Non-Discretionary Purposes
Those travelling as foreign nationals and eligible to enter Canada must be entering for non-discretionary reasons. This includes foreign nationals such as temporary foreign workers, some international students, and air and marine crew members, amongst others.
This morning, the government also broadened the category of foreign nationals eligible to travel to Canada to include foreign nationals who have received Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) issued after March 18, 2020.
Fully vaccinated travellers will still be required to follow standard travel requirements, which includes pre- and on-arrival COVID-19 testing. Moreover, all travellers will need to present a quarantine plan and be prepared to quarantine in the event that their test comes back negative, or they do not meet all of the border exemption conditions.
Quarantine-exempt travellers will still need to abide by other public health measures, such as wearing a mask and following other quarantine or safety restrictions that individual provinces have put in place.
Travellers who are not fully vaccinated, such as individuals who have only received one dose of the vaccine or who have recovered from COVID-19, will still have to abide by the current travel restrictions in place. Children ineligible to be vaccinated are also required to follow current border measures. This includes booking a three-night stay at a government-authorized hotel prior to departing for Canada, and completing a mandatory 14-day quarantine and day-8 COVID-19 test.
If you are planning on travelling to Canada, it is important to be aware of the travel restrictions that may apply to you. Contact Abramovich & Tchern Lawyers today with any questions or concerns you may have regarding the Canadian border.
