Fully vaccinated travellers to Canada don’t need pre-entry COVID-19 Test from 1 April 2022

Canadian government has announced that from April 1, 2022, fully vaccinated travellers will no longer require providing a pre-entry COVID-19 test result to enter Canada by air, land or water.

However, the fully vaccinated travellers arriving in Canada prior to April 1, 2022, must still have a valid pre-entry test. This is one of the key relaxing measures; Canada has been taking in last few months, in wake of improved pandemic caused situation on ground.

No Pre-entry Covid-19 test required from 1st April

As of now, the travellers to Canada from any country, who qualify as fully vaccinated, require taking a COVID-19 molecular test on arrival if selected for mandatory random testing. However, travellers chosen for compulsory random testing do not need to quarantine while expecting their test result. However, this testing will not be necessary after April 1, 2022.

Also read- Visas Avenue received Massive Client Visa Approvals in February 2022

As far as partially or unvaccinated travellers are concerned (i.e. who are presently allowed to travel to Canada), pre-entry testing requirements will remain the same. Unless not exempt all travellers five years of age or older (i.e. the ones, who do not qualify as fully vaccinated) must continue to give a proof of an accepted type of pre-entry COVID-19 test result:

• a valid, negative antigen test, administered by an recognized lab or testing provider, taken outside of Canada no more than 1 day before their firstly scheduled flight departure time or their arrival at the land border or marine port of entry; or
• a valid negative molecular test taken no more than 72 hours before their firstly scheduled flight departure time or their arrival at the land border or marine port of entry; or
• a former positive molecular test taken minimum ten calendar days and no more than 180 calendar days before their initially scheduled flight departure time or their arrival at the land border or marine port of entry. It is important to note that positive antigen test results will not be accepted.

ArriveCAN Usage

All travellers continue to be require providing their compulsory information in ArriveCAN (free mobile app or website) prior to their arrival in Canada. Travellers who land in Canada without completing their ArriveCAN submission may have to test on arrival and quarantine for 14 days, irrespective of their vaccination status. Moreover, the Travellers taking a cruise or a plane must submit their details in ArriveCAN within 72 hours before boarding.

Accepted Vaccines by Canada

Vaccines accepted by the Canadian government for the purpose of travel to and within Canada:

• AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD (ChAdOx1-S, Vaxzevria, AZD1222)
• Bharat Biotech (Covaxin, BBV152 A, B, C)
• Janssen/Johnson & Johnson
• Moderna (Spikevax, mRNA-1273) including for children aged 6 to 11 years
• Novavax (NVX-COV2373, Nuvaxovid, Covovax)
• Pfizer-BioNTech (Comirnaty, tozinameran, BNT162b2) including for children aged 5 to 11 years
• Sinopharm BIBP (BBIBP-CorV)
• Sinovac (CoronaVac, PiCoVacc)

Who will be considered fully Vaccinated?

To qualify as a fully vaccinated traveller, you need to have received any of the above vaccines, minimum 14 calendar days by the day; you travel:

• Minimum  two doses of a vaccine accepted by the Government of Canada for the purpose of travel
• or a mix of two accepted vaccines
• or minimum one dose of the Janssen/Johnson & Johnson vaccine

To apply for immigration to Canada in 2022, you may get in touch with trusted Canada migration expert at Visas Avenue on Toll-Free No. 78-18-000-777 or you can drop us an e-mail at info@visasavenue.com.

- Rajneesh Kumar