Since yesterday (January 15, 2022) travelers to Canada must be fully vaccinated to enter the country and across the border.
The unvaccinated can enter, but they need to take a PCR test, stay in quarantine and take other safety measures.
The rule started being implemented yesterday, January 15, 2022. Canada immigration authorities required nonessential travelers and visitors to be vaccinated, but from now on, the following people must be vaccinated to enter to go through the testing and quarantine process:
- International students aged 18 years old and older.
- People holding a work permit except those who work in agriculture and food processing
- Service provides that their service is essential such as truck drivers
- family members of Canadians, permanent residents, and those who registered under the Indian Act;
The people holding Permanent Residency (PR) and citizens will not be denied to enter Canada if they are unvaccinated. However, they need to take a PCR test 72 hours before boarding the flight, enter quarantine and take another PCR test on the 8th day of entering Canada and take other safety measures.
In case you are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated, you might be allowed to enter by exemptions. They are as follows:
- children under age 18
- resettling refugees
- new permanent residents
- people coming to Canada on compassionate grounds
- agricultural and food processing workers
- marine crew members
Bear in mind that people who are exempt from vaccination still need to enter quarantine, take the PCR testing and other safety measures. The foreign nationals who are not vaccinated against COVID-19 with one of the approved vaccines and are not on the exemption list will “be prohibited from entering Canada.”
In case people entering Canada have COVID-19 symptoms at the port of entry will be directed to a Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) official. They need to enter a quarantine since the day the symptoms started appearing.
The final decision is up to the border officials whether a traveler can enter the country or not and who needs to enter quarantine.
The government recognizes fully vaccinated people to enter the country. To be recognized so, you must have received the full dose of one of the approved vaccines. You must have received the final dose at least 14 days before entering Canada.
You also need to provide your COVID-19 vaccination to ArriveCAN. Download the iOS, android app or enter the website from the provided link and complete the procedures.
Remember that approved vaccines by the IRCC are as follows:
- Sinovac (CoronaVac, PiCoVacc)
- Sinopharm BIBP (BBIBP-CorV)
- Pfizer-BioNTech (Comirnaty, tozinameran, BNT162b2)
- Moderna (mRNA-1273)
- Janssen/Johnson & Johnson
- Bharat Biotech (Covaxin, BBV152 A, B, C)
- AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD (ChAdOx1-S, Vaxzevria, AZD1222)
If you are wondering about the booster dose, the IRCC does not require the booster dose to be considered fully vaccinated.
