Following the easing of restrictions to Americans starting August 9th, Canada will widely reopen its border for vaccinated international travellers on September 7, 2021. As of August 9th, the 3-night hotel quarantine will be eliminated for all travellers.
The Canadian Government announced on Monday, July 19th, the plan to reopen the border to international travellers.
- All travellers are still required to have negative COVID tests 72 hours prior to boarding.
- Fully vaccinated travellers – including our CIC parents – meeting requirements (see below section B – To be considered fully vaccinated) will be exempted from 14 days quarantine.
A) Canadian Border Reopens for International Visitors
Provided that the domestic epidemiologic situation remains favourable, the Canadian Government intends on September 7, 2021, to open Canada’s borders to international travellers eligible to enter Canada.
Fully vaccinated travellers will be allowed to come to Canada for non-essential reasons and will be exempt from quarantine and mandatory COVID-19 test upon arrival.
| Fully vaccinated travellers | Unvaccinated travellers |
| Allowed to travel to Canada for non-essential reasons | Only allowed to travel to Canada for essential reasons |
| Not required to quarantine but must present a suitable quarantine plan in case quarantine is required | Must quarantine for 14 days |
| Participate in arrival COVID testing only if randomly selected | Mandatory COVID test on-arrival and Day 8 |
| Applies to fully vaccinated and vaccinated travellers | |
| Submit information using the ArriveCAN app or website before boarding, if arriving by air, or before arriving at a land or marine port of entry | |
| Must meet pre-entry COVID test requirements (PCR 72 hours prior to boarding flight to Canada) | |
| Not required to stay at a government-authorized hotel | |
| Follow any additional federal, provincial/territorial and local public health measures |
Canadian Government requirements for fully vaccinated travellers:
- have received the full vaccination series of a vaccine accepted by the Government of Canada (details in section B) at least 14 days prior to entering Canada
- be asymptomatic
- have provided COVID-19 related information electronically through ArriveCAN prior to arrival in Canada
- have a paper or digital copy of their vaccination documentation in English or French
Full announcement on the Canadian Government website: Re-opening of Canadian Border
B) 14-Day Quarantine Exemption for Fully Vaccinated Travellers
Fully vaccinated travellers who meet the requirements will be exempt from quarantine; however, all travelers must still provide a quarantine plan and be prepared to quarantine in case it is determined at the border that they do not meet the necessary requirements.
Requirements to be considered fully vaccinated, you must:
- be eligible to enter Canada
- have received the full series of an accepted COVID-19 vaccine or a combination of accepted vaccines
- have received your last dose at least 14 days prior to the day you enter Canada
- upload your proof of vaccination in ArriveCAN
Accepted vaccines:
- Pfizer-BioNTech (Comirnaty, tozinameran, BNT162b2)
- Moderna (mRNA-1273)
- AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD (ChAdOx1-S, Vaxzevria, AZD1222)
- Janssen/Johnson & Johnson (Ad26.COV2.S)
The list of accepted vaccines may expand in the future.
If you received your vaccines outside Canada, it is still accepted, but proof of vaccination must be uploaded digitally in ArriveCAN and must only be in French or English, or certified translation into French or English.
Entry Protocol for Fully vaccinated travelers:
- Pre-entry test required
- Quarantine plan in case you do not get the exemption
- Arrival test if randomly selected to complete a Day 1 COVID-19 molecular test
- Requirements checklist – Requirement Checklist Link
Official Announcement on the Canadian Government Website: Who is Considered Vaccinated
C) Pre-Flight COVID-19 Testing Still Required
All travellers, regardless of vaccination status, will still require a pre-entry COVID-19 molecular test result. However effective August 9, 2021, the Government of Canada is adjusting its post-arrival testing strategy for fully vaccinated travellers.
Using a new border testing surveillance program at airports and land border crossings, fully vaccinated travellers will not need a post-arrival test unless they have been randomly selected to complete a Day 1 COVID-19 molecular test. There are no changes to the mandatory testing requirements for unvaccinated travellers.
This strategy allows the Government of Canada to continue monitoring variants of concern in Canada and vaccine effectiveness. Using these layers of protection, the Government of Canada can monitor the COVID-19 situation in Canada, respond quickly to threats, and guide decisions on restricting international travel.
D) 3-Night Hotel Quarantine Eliminated
With increased vaccination rates and declining COVID-19 cases in Canada, the three-night government authorized hotel stay requirement for travellers older than 18 years of age will be eliminated when arriving by air as of 12:01 A.M. EDT on August 9.
Source: Elimination of Hotel Quarantine
E) What this means to CIC Students and Parents?
CIC Students
- Starting August 9th CIC students, regardless of age, are no longer required to quarantine at a Government Hotel upon arrival
- Fully vaccinated CIC students are already able to take advantage of the quarantine exemption
- CIC will still issue a 14-day quarantine plan (CBSA Letter) to all students arriving or returning to Canada
- Fully vaccinated students will still be required to test for COVID-19 and quarantine at Linden Hall for up to 5 days until cleared by CIC Medical Clinic
Starting September 7th – CIC Parents
- Fully vaccinated parents, meeting the requirements prescribed by the Canadian Government on Section B will be allowed to cross the border and enter Canada for non-essential reasons.
- At this time CIC is maintaining a no-visitors policy to any Residence or Academic buildings. Only staff, students and essential service providers can enter our buildings. Visting parents will not be allowed to enter any of our buildings.
- Students with approved sign-out from Residence for the purpose of meeting their visiting parents outside,
- Will attend classes online while staying with parents during their visit
- Will be subject to quarantine upon return to Residence