COVID-19 UPDATES

Where’s open, what’s required? View entry restrictions and COVD-19 travel requirements for countries around the world.

Looking to book a COVID-19 test for travel? Travelpath has teamed up with FH Health to offer a variety of different testing options.

Travel within Canada

When arriving at your destination, you may be subject to further measures imposed by the provincial, territorial or municipal governments to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Please ensure you are familiar with the restrictions imposed by the local authorities at your flight’s destination.

Contact information for provincial and territorial COVID-19 resources is available via the Public Health Agency of Canada’s website. For further details on travel restrictions and exemptions when travelling between provinces and territories, please visit the Canadian Government’s Travel Assistance site.

Effective October 30, 2021, air passengers departing from Canadian airports for domestic, transborder or international flights, and travellers on VIA Rail trains, will be required to be fully vaccinated in order to travel. Very limited exceptions are in place to address specific situations such as emergency travel, and those medically unable to be vaccinated. Travellers will be responsible for declaring their vaccination status and providing documentation prior to boarding.

Requirements for Travellers Entering Canada

Fully Vaccinated Travel to Canada

In order to be considered fully vaccinated, travellers will have had to have received a full series of a vaccine, or a combination of vaccines that have been authorized by Health Canada — Pfizer, Novavax, Moderna, AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD, Johnson & Johnson, Covaxin, Sinopharm and Sinovac — at least 14 days prior to entering the country. The list of applicable vaccines could change over time. The requirement to be asymptomatic still remains for all fully vaccinated travellers.

Proof of vaccination will be required in order to be exempted from the quarantine measures. Travellers are required to either have a paper or digital copy of their vaccination documentation. They will also have to submit proof of their vaccination as well as COVID-19-related information into the federal government’s ArriveCAN app before arriving in Canada.

Pre-Entry Negative COVD-19 Testing

Traveller Requirements

Starting April 1, 2022, pre-entry tests will no longer be required for fully vaccinated travellers entering Canada by land, air or water.

Unless otherwise exempt, all travellers 5 years of age or older who do not qualify as fully vaccinated must continue to provide proof of an accepted type of pre-entry COVID-19 test result:

  • Valid molecular test taken within 72 hours of scheduled departure flight to Canada or entry to Canada by land or water
  • Professionally administered or observed antigen test taken outside of Canada no more than 1 day before scheduled departure flight or entry to Canada by land or water
    • one day window does not depend on time of day test was taken or time of flight or entry
    • must be administered or observed by a pharmacy, laboratory, healthcare entity or telehealth service
  • Previous positive molecular test result: you no longer have symptoms and provide proof of a positive molecular test taken at least 10 days and no more than 180 days before entering Canada
    • A positive antigen test result is never a valid test result for entry to Canada and cannot be used as proof of a previous infection

Valid test results must include:

  • A negative test result
  • Guest name and date of birth that matches ticket and travel documents
  • Name and civic address of laboratory that administered the test
  • The date and time the test was conducted
  • Testing method
  • English or French language where possible

For the Canadian Government’s information on testing entities abroad: 

  1. Visit travel.gc.ca/travelling/advisories 
  2. Select a country 
  3. Click the “Health” tab 
  4. Scroll down to “Medical services and facilities” 
  5. Click on “Local COVID-19 testing facilities” 

Even with proof of a negative COVID-19 test unvaccinated travellers entering Canada will still have to complete a mandatory 14-day quarantine. Travellers to Canada must use ArriveCAN and provide accurate contact information along with their mandatory 14-day quarantine plan on or before entry.

Cost

The cost for pre-entry testing will vary by testing facility and is payable by the traveller. It is the responsibility of the traveller to source their own valid test and ensure the available timing of the test will satisfy these entry requirements before paying for a test.

Changes to Self-Serve Check-in for Departures to Canada

Some airlines may have updated their self-serve check-in options to allow guests to add their travel documents and select seats; however, they may not be able to add/pay for baggage or receive a boarding pass and will be directed to see an airline agent at the airport. The agent will verify that the guest has the required documentation and once confirmed, will issue a boarding pass/baggage tags.

Denied Boarding

A traveller will be denied boarding if:

  • They are unable to present a negative COVID test taken within the approved window prior to their scheduled flight.
  • Their test results are inconclusive.
  • They tested positive for COVID-19. Travellers who test positive for COVID-19 will be ineligible to travel.

Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR) denied boarding compensation will not apply for these cases.

COVID-19 Testing Upon Arrival to Canada

Effective February 22, 2021 at 12:00am EST, in addition to providing a negative pre-departure COVID-19 test, all unvaccinated travellers arriving in Canada by land or air must take two COVID-19 molecular tests — one on arrival and one as part of an at-home test kit to be completed later in the quarantine period.

Only certain travellers will be exempt from the arrival testing. For official details, please visit the Government of Canada’s travel assistance site.

Fully vaccinated travellers arriving by air or land should be prepared to be subject to arrival testing and enhanced public health measures. Travellers arriving by air may take connecting flights to their place of quarantine.

Submit Mandatory Information Digitally Prior to Arrival via ArriveCAN

As of November 21, 2020, all travellers to Canada will be required to submit quarantine information digitally via the ArriveCAN app upon and after entry into Canada. This information is crucial to Canada’s response to COVID-19.

Travellers must submit their information before boarding their flight to Canada or prior to entering Canada by land or sea, and be ready to show their ArriveCAN receipt to a border services officer. Failure to do so may result in additional delays at the border and travellers could also be subject to enforcement action, which can range from verbal warnings to $1,000 fines.

Effective July 5, 2021 at 11:59 pm EDT travellers will also use ArriveCAN to submit proof of their COVID-19 vaccination by uploading a photo of their vaccination certification.

For more information on these requirements and the ArriveCAN app, please visit the Government of Canada’s website.

The ArriveCAN app is available for iOS, Android and online.

International Travel Outside of Canada

Effective October 30, 2021, air passengers departing from Canadian airports for domestic, transborder or international flights, and travellers on VIA Rail trains, will be required to be fully vaccinated in order to travel. Travellers will be responsible for declaring their vaccination status and providing documentation prior to boarding.

For travellers who are in the process of being vaccinated, there will be a short transition period where they will be able to travel if they can show a valid COVID-19 molecular test within 72 hours of travel. By November 30, all travellers must be fully vaccinated, with very limited exceptions to address specific situations such as emergency travel, and those medically unable to be vaccinated.

Note that some countries are enforcing additional measures that may include mandatory quarantine upon arrival. Please consult the government website of the country you are travelling to for their entry requirements. You can also view entry restrictions and COVID-19 travel requirements for countries around the world by using the Travel Restrictions Map.

Fully Vaccinated Travel to the United States

Effective November 8, 2021, unvaccinated travellers that are not US citizens, legal permanent residents or foreign nationals exempt from the vaccination requirement will no longer be allowed entry to the United States.

The U.S. will accept any vaccine approved for regular or emergency use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or the World Health Organization. That includes Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca and China’s Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines. Mixing-and-matching of approved shots will be permitted.

Both digital and paper proof of vaccination will be accepted and must include personal identifiers — minimally the passenger’s full name and date of birth — that match their passport. The name of the source issuing the record and the vaccine manufacturer and dates of vaccination are also required.

Fully vaccinated air travellers, regardless of citizenship, will be required to test negative for COVID-19 within one day of their flight’s departure for the United States.

Unvaccinated US citizens, legal permanent residents and any unvaccinated foreign nationals exempt from the vaccination requirement will be required to take a COVID-19 test within one day of their departing flight. It is recommended to take a second test 3 to 5 days after arrival and to self-quarantine for a full 5 days, even if the test is negative.

The airlines will verify vaccination status in the same way they have been and will continue to do with the proof of a pre-departure negative test result. Airlines will also be required to collect contact information for all inbound air travellers, per a CDC contact tracing order. 

At land borders, drivers will be exempt from providing a test upon arrival in the United States, although they must still show proof of full vaccination against COVID-19.

For more information regarding the new rules for international air travel into the US, please visit the CDC’s website.

Pre-Departure Negative COVD-19 Testing for Entry into the United States

The United States Centre for Disease Control (CDC) requires all guests entering the U.S., two years of age and over, to present a negative COVID-19 test result or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 before boarding. To comply with this regulation, travellers will be required to present either of the following prior to boarding:  

  1. Written or electronic documentation of a negative test result, taken within one calendar day of the first flight on the guest’s itinerary.
  2. Written or electronic documentation of a positive viral test result from the last 90 days that confirms the guest had a previous COVID-19 infection and a letter from a licensed health care provider or public health official stating the passenger is cleared to travel (documentation of recovery). 

In addition, travellers must read a disclosure statement and complete an attestation form confirming either a negative test or recovery from COVID-19 with clearance to travel. 

It is each guest’s responsibility to source and pay for their own valid test and ensure they have all valid travel documents required to meet the entry requirements. 

Test Documentation Requirements 

Test documentation can be printed out or displayed electronically and must contain the following: 

  • Traveller’s name.
  • Type of test conducted. The type of test must be one of the following; no other test types are accepted: 
  • Polymerase chain reaction (PCR/RT-PCR)  
  • Reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP/RT-LAMP)  
  • Nucleic acid amplification (NAA/NAAT/RT-NAA/RT-NAAT) 
  • Viral Antigen 
  • The test result. The test result must be negative, not detected or otherwise indicates the guest does not have COVID-19. 
  • The date the test was conducted. 

Documentation of Recovery Requirements 

The U.S Government has acknowledged that travellers who were previously diagnosed with COVID-19 may continue to test positive even after their treatment and quarantine period has ended. To accommodate this, a traveller may present a positive COVID-19 test and documentation from their physician advising they have recovered, and it is safe for them to travel. The documentation requirements are as follows:

  • It must be on official healthcare provider letterhead and include the clinic name, address and phone number.
  • It must be issued by a physician, nurse practitioner or physician’s assistant; no other healthcare providers are accepted.
  • It must state the traveller is cleared to travel regardless of their positive test result. 
  • It must have a copy of the positive test result from the last 90 days.
  • The name on the positive test result and name referenced in the letter must match. Similar names are accepted (e.g. Bill/William). 

Flights to Hawaii

Effective November 8, 2021 the State of Hawaii will welcome international travellers under the new federal requirements. Please visit the State of Hawaii’s site to review their updated entrance requirements. 

Additional Resources

Mandatory Face Coverings Acceptable face coverings are made with protective layers of absorbent fabric (such as cotton) that snugly fit over the nose and mouth and are secured to the face with ties or ear loops. As per Transport Canada, face coverings with exhalation valves and face shields or masks made of plastic are not considered an acceptable face covering. Any time an airline agent or crew member asks you to remove your face covering (such as for an ID check) remember to do so by untying it or unhooking the loop from your ear, and avoid touching the front of the face covering when removing it.

In the News

Legal Disclaimer This webpage is intended to be informative and in no way guarantees travelers health/safety. For specific information surrounding COVID-19 traveler safety we encourage you to reach out to your risk management provider, and/or HR department. This page is a compilation of information from third-party sources and Travelpath Inc. cannot guarantee accuracy, as all information is subject to change. Any questions about travel should be directed to your company travel manager or human resources department.

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