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COVID-19

Fully Vaccinated Americans Can Travel to Canada as of August 9 & International Travellers as of September 7

Travelling to Canada? Here’s What You Need To Know

Effective August 9, fully vaccinated American citizens and permanent residents of the United States will be allowed to enter Canada for discretionary travel. All other fully vaccinated foreign nationals will be allowed to enter Canada as of September 7, 2021. Here’s what you need to know if you’re travelling by land, air or sea.

Vaccination Requirements:

Fully vaccinated means you have received the full series of an accepted vaccine or a combination of accepted vaccines and have received your last dose at least 14 days prior to the day you enter Canada. A list of approved vaccines can be found here.

Children under the age of 18, or dependent adults, who are not fully vaccinated, but who are accompanied by fully vaccinated travellers must quarantine for 14 days and must follow all testing requirements (unless under the age of 5).

Entry requirements for the fully vaccinated exemption

  1. Proof of a negative COVID-19 test result
    • All travellers over 5 years of age must provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test result. The test must have been taken no more than 72 hours before your entry into Canada. There are no exemptions to pre-entry testing. Details on which tests and forms of proof are accepted can be found here.
  2. Quarantine Plan
    • Final determination of whether or not you qualify for entry is made by a government representative at the border. You should prepare to quarantine for 14 days, in case you are symptomatic or deemed not to meet the requirements. Help to design a plan can be found here.
  3. Arrival test
    • When you enter Canada, all travellers will be instructed to either take an arrival test at the border, or receive a home kit to perform tests during your stay. There is no fee for the arrival test.

ArriveCAN App

The federal government requires all travellers to enter their information and upload necessary documents through the ArriveCAN app within 72 hours of your arrival in Canada. ArriveCAN allows travellers to upload COVID test results, describe their quarantine plans and upload proof of vaccination. ArriveCAN is available to download as a mobile app or you can create an account and sign in online. If you are not computer savvy, you can have someone enter the information into the app on your behalf. 

Once you submit your information, a receipt will be displayed and emailed to you. This receipt should be shown to a Canadian border services officer when you enter Canada (either on your phone or a printout).

If you don’t submit your information through ArriveCAN, you won’t necessarily be denied entry, however, you won’t be eligible for the fully vaccinated exemption and may face additional delays at the border for public health questioning. 

THEREFORE, WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU USE THE ArriveCAN APP

More information on ArriveCAN can be found here.

Marine Travel

Marine travellers are still allowed to produce their documents in paper format, given that internet access may be limited, but they are also strongly encouraged to use the ArriveCAN app. 

Travel requirements for private boaters can be found here.


All Travellers

A quick checklist to make sure you are on track for a smooth entry can be found here. 

This information is constantly changing, so please check the Government of Canada website for the most-up-to-date information. Safe travels!


GBA’s Letters for Border Access Exemptions

GBA made efforts to persuade the federal and Ontario governments to allow an exemption or variation from the rule banning non-essential travel for US citizens who own a seasonal property in Canada in time for the 2021 cottage season, when it was safe to do so, and with appropriate isolation, vaccination, and other conditions. GBA arguments included the very low risk to Canadians posed by our US friends and neighbours visiting their Georgian Bay homes due to widespread vaccination of Americans and public health protocols in place at the border.

See our letters to federal government ministers:

As pressures mounted on the US and Canadian governments to develop a cohesive plan to reopen the border, GBA  submitted these requests to permit our American members to access their cottages, subject to conditions that will minimize the risk to Canadians. US government restrictions on non-essential travel at land borders is set to continue through to August 21.

Border access continues to be debated north and south of the border. Some of the latest stories can be found here:


Marinas

Restrictions on marina were loosened on May 22, 2021 and most marinas and boat launches are now fully operational with COVID protocols in place.

First Nation Access

If you need to access a First Nation territory or marina to get to your cottage please respect any protocols that are in place. Check the websites for the latest communications:

Municipalities

Please check ahead for the latest information in your area:

 

Additional Resources

 

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