Everything you need to know about the new travel rules coming into effect Sept. 7

By Christy Somos, CTVNews.ca writer

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    TORONTO, Ontario (CTV Network) — The federal government is easing international travel restrictions this week, with fully vaccinated foreign nationals allowed to enter Canada for non-essential purposes, such as tourism, starting Tuesday.

International travellers who meet entry conditions will not have to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival, the latest in the government of Canada’s phased border reopening plan.

Most international travellers have been barred from entering the country since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Canada’s largest and busiest airport, Toronto Pearson International, is reminding travellers to give themselves more time when travelling and to expect delays due to increased passenger volume and COVID-19 health measures.

The Greater Toronto Airport Authority said in a statement that international travellers arriving at Pearson should prepare for the process to take up to three hours or more due to COVID-19 screening measures.

Newsletter sign-up: Get The COVID-19 Brief sent to your inbox Beginning at 12:01 a.m. EDT on Sept. 7, 2021 fully vaccinated travellers will be eligible to enter Canada for non-essential reasons but they must:

• Be fully vaccinated: travellers must have received and show proof of the full series of a vaccine (or combination of vaccines) approved by the government at least 14 days prior to entering Canada

Currently, that list of accepted vaccines includes: Pfizer-BioNtech, Moderna, AstraZeneca/Covishield and Janssen (Johnson & Johnson).

• Have a negative result from a valid pre-arrival COVID-19 molecular test, taken no more than 72 hours before their scheduled flight or their arrival at the land border crossing, or a previous positive test result taken between 14 and 180 days prior to arrival.

Antigen tests, often referred to as “rapid tests” are not accepted.

• Travellers must be asymptomatic;

• Submit their mandatory information via the ArriveCAN app or website, including proof of vaccination in English or French and a quarantine plan, within 72 hours before their arrival to Canada;

• Take a test on arrival, if selected.

Any international traveller arriving before 12:01 a.m. EDT Sept. 7 will not be allowed to enter Canada, and must submit their information using ArriveCAN before they board their flight. Those who are unable to show their ArriveCAN receipt will not be able to board.

As of August 9, fully vaccinated travellers do not need to take a test upon arrival unless they are randomly selected to complete one. All travellers randomly selected for a test must complete it, but they do not need to quarantine while awaiting the result.

VACCINATED PARENTS TRAVELLING WITH UNVACCINATED CHILDREN As of Aug. 9, unvaccinated children under 12 travelling with fully vaccinated parents or guardians are exempt from quarantine, but must follow enhanced public health measures, which includes not attending daycare or school for 14 days.

Unvaccinated children aged 12 to 17 and dependent children 18-years or older are allowed to enter Canada with a fully vaccinated parent or guardian but are subject to the 14-day quarantine measure.

All unvaccinated children (except those under five years of age) will have to take a COVID-19 test on day one and day eight of their arrival into Canada.

ELIGIBLE TRAVELLERS WHO ARE NOT FULLY VACCINATED There are no changes to the testing and quarantine requirements for travellers who are not fully vaccinated but are eligible to enter Canada – such as Canadian citizens, permanent residents or persons registered under the Indian Act. Those travellers are still subject to quarantine, all testing requirements (pre-arrival, day one and day eight) and the mandatory submission of travel, contact and quarantine plan via ArriveCAN.

FLIGHTS FROM MOROCCO AND INDIA REMAIN SUSPENDED Canada has suspended direct commercial and private passenger flights from India until at least Sept. 21 and from Morocco until at least Sept. 29. While the suspensions are in place, passengers who travel to Canada from India and Morocco via an indirect route will need to obtain a valid pre-departure COVID-19 molecular test result from a third country – other than India and Morocco – before continuing on their journey to Canada.

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