Canada is easing quarantine requirements for fully-vaccinated exempt travellers, opening border to COPR holders

Canada’s phased approach to easing border measures will begin on July 5, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. EDT, for fully vaccinated travellers who are exempt from travel restrictions, which now includes approved permanent residents.

Fully vaccinated travellers who are permitted to enter Canada will not be subject to the federal requirement to quarantine or take a COVID-19 test on day-8. In addition, fully vaccinated travellers arriving by air will not be required to stay at a government-authorized hotel.

Travellers still have to be exempt from travel restrictions in order to cross the border. Canada has now broadened exemptions to include the 23,000 people who have a Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) issued after March 18, 2020.

The pre- and on-arrival testing requirements for all travellers are still in place. Being fully vaccinated does not automatically exempt a traveller from quarantine, the mandatory hotel stay, or day-8 testing. Travellers must also electronically submit COVID-19-related information on the ArriveCAN app, or by signing in online at Canada.ca/ArriveCAN before arriving in Canada. More details about the information required and how to enter it into ArriveCAN will be available online by July 5, 2021. Last week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told Canadians this was just the first step, while the government works with the provinces on a national vaccination certification.

These exempt travellers can skip the mandatory quarantine, provided their COVID-19 test on arrival comes back negative. Travellers will also have to be asymptomatic and have a suitable quarantine plan.

The traveller 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 entry. The proof of vaccination must be in English or French, otherwise, travellers will need a certified translation.

Vaccines from any country are acceptable, as long as they are one of the four vaccines approved by Health Canada: Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, and Astra Zeneca. The government may expand the list of vaccines in the future as more evidence comes available.

All travellers, including non-vaccinated travellers, will now be required to disclose COVID-19 vaccination information, including whether they received a COVID-19 vaccine, the brand name or any other information that identifies the vaccine they received. Travellers will need to provide dates of vaccination, and the vaccine must have been administered at least 14 days prior in order for the traveller to be considered vaccinated.

Only travellers whose vaccination status meets the criteria of “fully vaccinated” will be exempt from quarantine, mandatory hotel stay and day-8 testing if certain conditions are met. These measures are still in place for people who are not fully vaccinated, including those who have recovered from COVID and have received one dose of the vaccine.

Children who are not eligible to be vaccinated will still be required to complete the mandatory 14-day quarantine and day-8 testing, officials said in a technical briefing. Fully vaccinated parents travelling with their children will be able to get out of quarantine early.

Canada introduced the hotel quarantine measure in February 2021. Trudeau said at a press conference that it was intended to stop travellers from spreading COVID into their home communities. Since it was implemented, however, outside variants have made their way into Canada despite the hotel quarantine measure, which only affects air travellers.