COVID testing isn’t required for vaccinated travelers after April 1. But you will need this
While vaccinated travelers entering Canada will no longer have to get tested for COVID-19 before arriving, all travelers must provide mandatory travel information before getting to the border.
Subject to limited exceptions, all travelers must use the ArriveCAN app or website to submit their travel information to Canadian officials before coming to the border crossing. The app/website will have users upload a variety of documents, including a photo of their vaccination card. The app is free and available on the Apple App store and Google Play.
The app won’t let a traveler submit information about their trip until 72 hours before they arrive at the border. So for those who want to go into Canada on April 1, the time to start submitting information is March 28 or later.
When you arrive at the border, Canadian border agents will ask to see an ArriveCAN receipt, which can be in the form of a printout or on your phone screen.
Americans who do not use ArriveCAN may be denied entry, while Canadian citizens won’t be eligible for the fully vaccinated traveler exemption, could experience delays and may face fines and other enforcement action.
The ArriveCAN app has been in place for some time and has generally been used by Canadians for contact tracing and for Canadian citizens crossing the border and wanting to avoid the 14-day quarantine.
Starting April 1, fully vaccinated travelers entering Canada will not be required to complete a pre-entry COVID-19 test, Canadian Federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos announced in a virtual briefing Thursday, March 17.
Fully vaccinated travelers still may be randomly selected for testing upon arrival, Duclos said, but they will not be required to quarantine while awaiting the results.
But for travelers who are not fully vaccinated, molecular testing still will be required upon arrival, Duclos said. They will also be required to quarantine for 14 days and be tested a second time on Day 8.
This story was originally published March 17, 2022 at 2:32 PM.
