Exemption for eligible fully vaccinated travelers - Government of Canada

Starting at 11:59 pm ET on July 5, 2021, there will be some exemptions for people eligible to enter Canada, who also meet specific conditions for fully vaccinated travelers.

You may qualify for certain exemptions to quarantine and testing requirements if you:

• are eligible to enter Canada

• are asymptomatic

• meet the Government of Canada requirements of fully vaccinated travelers

• meet all other entry requirements, including entering your information in ArriveCAN before arrival

Those who meet the requirements may be exempt from:

• quarantine

• hotel stopover (for air travellers)

• day-8 testing requirement

Travel restrictions on who can enter Canada remain in place.

Foreign nationals (including U.S. citizens) coming to Canada for non-essential reasons will be turned away at the border.

Determine if you’re fully vaccinated.

To be considered fully vaccinated, you must have received the full series of a vaccine – or a combination of vaccines – accepted by the Government of Canada at least 14 days prior to entering Canada. The list of accepted vaccines may expand in the future.

If you received your vaccines outside Canada, it’s still accepted but proof of vaccination must be uploaded digitally in ArriveCAN and must only be in French or English, or certified translation into French or English.

Accepted vaccines:

• Pfizer (Comirnaty, tozinameran, BNT162b2)

• Moderna (mRNA-1273)

• AstraZeneca (Vaxzevria, AZD1222, Covishield)

• Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) - single dose

Arrival testing

Register in advance for your test to save time at the border.

Follow the instructions provided to you upon entry to Canada to complete your arrival (day 1) test. Airports and some land borders have on-site testing or sample observation services where you can complete your test before continuing on to your destination.

If you receive a home test kit instead, complete it on the day you arrive and send it to the lab following the instructions provided.

If your arrival test is negative:

• follow local public health measures

• maintain a list of all close contacts for your first 14 days in Canada

• keep copies of your proof of vaccination for 14 days

If your arrival test is positive:

• isolate yourself from others right away

• you will be contacted by your local public health authority

• follow their instructions

• keep copies of your proof of vaccination for 14 days

How to meet the fully vaccinated exemption

You must use ArriveCAN to enter your proof of vaccination, quarantine and travel information. You must enter this information within 72 hours before your arrival in Canada.

If you don't provide the required information in ArriveCAN before arriving at the border you won't be considered for the exemption, even if you meet all the other requirements.

If you meet the exemption, you may receive notifications from ArriveCAN; however, you won't be required to send in reports.

Providing proof of your vaccination

In ArriveCAN, you must provide:

• the details of your first dose (date, country and vaccine you received)

• the details of your second dose if one was required (i.e., for Pfizer, Moderna, and AstraZeneca vaccines)

• a photo(s) or PDF file(s) of the record of your vaccination(s), such as receipts or confirmations from the vaccinating organization. These must be in English, French, or a certified translation into English or French.

If your proof of vaccination doesn't meet all of the requirements it will be considered invalid and you will be required to:

• stay a government-authorized hotel to await the results of your arrival test before continuing on to your place of quarantine (if arriving by air)

• complete a quarantine period of at least 14 days

• complete a second test on day 8 of your quarantine

Final determination of your vaccination status will be made at the border. You must bring a digital or paper copy of your proof(s) of vaccination with you.

No exceptions for partially-vaccinated travellers

At this time, there are no exemptions from testing, hotel stopover or quarantine for travellers who haven't received the full series of a vaccine or a combination of vaccines accepted by the Government of Canada.

Mark your date.