Planning To Travel Canada? Check New Entry Requirements For Travelers Starting Feb 28

Recently, the Canadian Govt has decided to ease the travel requirements for fully vaccinated travelers and allow them to take a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) instead of a molecular one. The new entry requirements will come into effect from 28th February 2022.

Notably, the Rapid Antigen Tests (RAT) are cheaper than molecular (PCR/RT-PCR) tests and can provide results within minutes.

Moreover, all fully vaccinated travelers won’t need a pre-arrival PCR test to enter Canada and unvaccinated children under 12 won’t need to quarantine. The federal government will also be removing the advisory against non-essential travel.

Entry Requirements For Travelers to Canada

All customers over the age of 5 can provide a negative rapid antigen test result for travel to Canada. The antigen test must be taken no more than 24 hours prior to departure, but results can be delivered in as little as 15 minutes.

Customers can continue to present a negative molecular test, taken no more than 72 hours prior to departure, or provide proof of a positive molecular test result taken at least 11 and no more than 180 days prior to entry.

Additionally, arrival testing will no longer be a mandatory requirement for fully vaccinated customers, but rather they may be selected for random testing. Customers selected for random testing will also no longer be required to quarantine while awaiting their test results.

All customers (regardless of how long they were away from Canada) will continue to be required to submit their mandatory information on the ArriveCAN app.

Connecting in Canada?

• If you’re a fully vaccinated Canadian or a foreign national:

Regardless of vaccination status, if you have a domestic connection, you can complete your journey and take the test and quarantine at your final destination.

• If you are unvaccinated Canadian:

You are not permitted to continue onward domestically by air. Unvaccinated Canadians will continue to be tested on arrival, on Day 8, and must quarantine for 14 days. Border Services Officers and public health officials will provide direction to each traveler upon entry to Canada.

• Exemptions:

There are limited exemptions (e.g., crew members, essential travelers) from the pre-departure test requirement. More information can be found on the Government of Canada’s website.