Canada to End COVID Travel Restrictions on October 1

Canada will drop its remaining COVID-19 restrictions for travelers starting Oct. 1, including vaccination and masking requirements for flights and trains.

Incoming travelers will no longer have to provide proof of vaccination, take a COVID-19 test before or on arrival, or follow quarantine rules, Canada’s health agency announced Monday, citing the country’s high vaccination rates.

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“Thanks largely to Canadians who have rolled up their sleeves to get vaccinated, we have reached the point where we can safely lift the sanitary measures at the border,” said Canadian Minister of Health Jean-Yves Duclos. “However, we expect COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses will continue to circulate over the cold months, so I encourage everyone to stay up-to-date with their COVID-19 vaccination, including booster doses and exercise individual public health measures.”

The changes will remove a policy that limited entry for unvaccinated travelers for only certain types of visits, requiring them to take a COVID-19 test before and after arrival and undergo a 14-day quarantine. Vaccinated travelers will no longer be required to take a pre-departure COVID-19 test and show proof of vaccination using the ArriveCAN app or risk a $5,000 fine.

The Canadian government is removing a mask mandate for planes and trains. COVID-19 measures for cruise ship passengers, including pre-boarding COVID-19 tests, vaccination requirements, and more will also be dropped.

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The U.S.-Canada border was shut down for months during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since reopening, both countries have adopted their own COVID-19 restrictions for travelers. Earlier this year, a COVID-19 measure requiring unvaccinated truck drivers to quarantine after crossing the Canadian border from the U.S. sparked a series of demonstrations in the country’s capital, Ottawa.

The U.S. still requires that foreign travelers entering the country by plane be fully vaccinated, unless they qualify for an exception.