On February 15, 2022, Canada announced, it is easing the on-arrival testing for fully vaccinated travellers. Below are the details. You can read the full news release here.

Fully vaccinated travellers will now be able to enter Canada with a pre-arrival COVID-19 antigen test, earlier the requirement was to have an RT-PCR test for COVID-19, RT-PCR tests are costlier and results usually take time to get. Taking a rapid antigen test at home is not sufficient to meet the pre-entry requirement – it must be authorized by the country in which it was purchased and must be administered by a laboratory, healthcare entity or telehealth service. Travellers can still use a PCR test within 72 hours before arrival. There were no changes to the previous guidelines on molecular tests.

Unvaccinated children will not be required to isolate for 14 days once they arrive in Canada. Certain randomly selected travellers will be required to have an on-arrival test at the airport, but they will not be required to quarantine while waiting for the results.

Unvaccinated travellers will continue to be required to test on arrival, on Day 8 and quarantine for 14 days. Unvaccinated foreign nationals will not be permitted to enter Canada unless they meet one of the few exemptions.

Travellers can use an easy-to-use to check whether they are eligible to enter Canada and meet all entry requirements before heading to the border. In addition, some provinces and territories may have their own entry restrictions in place. Check and follow both the federal and any provincial or territorial restrictions and requirements before travelling to Canada.

All travellers, regardless of how long they were away from Canada, continue to be required to submit their mandatory information via ArriveCAN (free mobile app or website), including proof of vaccination in English or French and a quarantine plan prior to arriving in Canada.

In considering whether to travel, travellers should consider the availability of medical services in a foreign country, and plan for the potential high costs associated with medical treatment and extending their trip, should they test positive for COVID-19 while abroad. Travellers should also understand that there is a continued risk that border and travel measures in other countries, as well as in Canada, may change while they are abroad and should regularly review the entry requirements and exemptions for their travel situation.

“For two years now, our government’s actions in the fight against COVID-19 have been based on prudence and science. Today’s announcements are a reflection of the progress we have made against this current Omicron variant. The return to mandatory random testing of all vaccinated travellers will facilitate travel for Canadians all while helping our public health authorities to detect future changes in COVID-19 importation rates and variants of concern. As we have said all along, Canada’s border measures will remain flexible and adaptable, for potential future scenarios.”

The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos – Minister of Health

“The measures we are announcing today are possible in part because Canadians have stepped up, rolled up their sleeves and gotten vaccinated. These measures will allow vaccinated Canadians to once again reunite with family and friends and reap the economic benefit that travel provides. We will continue to evaluate our measures and will not hesitate to make necessary adjustments to keep Canadians and our transportation system safe.”

The Honourable Omar Alghabra

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