canadian travelling to usa by air

Knowledge Article

Visiting the U.S. - Documents required for Canadian Citizens / Residents / Landed Immigrant to enter the U.S. and how long they can stay

• Canadian passport
• Enhanced Driver's License/Enhanced Identification Card
• NEXUS, FAST/EXPRES
• SENTRI enrollment cards.
• Groups of Children: Canadian citizen children under age 19 arriving by land or sea from contiguous territory and traveling with a school group, religious group, social/cultural organization, or sports team, may also present an original or copy of his or her birth certificate, a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, a Naturalization Certificate, or a Canadian Citizenship Card.
• The group should provide, on organizational letterhead: The name of the group and supervising adult, a list of the children on the trip, the primary home address, phone number, date of birth, place of birth, and name of at least one parent or legal guardian for each child.
• A written and signed statement of the supervising adult certifying that he or she has obtained parental or legal guardian consent for each participating child.

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Additional Information

Travelling to the United States

Planning a trip to the United States? Here are the answers to some common questions from travellers aiming for a smooth border crossing.

Do I need to be vaccinated to enter the United States?

No. As of May 12, 2023, you no longer need to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to enter the United States, regardless of whether you arrive by car, train, boat or plane.

What are the requirements for entering the United States by air?

To enter the United States by air, you must present a valid Canadian passport or NEXUS card (even for a simple connection). Children also must have one of these two documents.

As a traveller, you are responsible for ensuring that you meet the requirements, which are outlined on travel.gc.ca .

Sherpa, the tool you need.

Important information about your trip: health restrictions, entry requirements, and more

What are the requirements for entering the United States by car or boat?

Any Canadian citizen aged 16 or older must present either of the following documents when entering the United States by land (or sea):

• a  valid passport ;
• a  membership card for an expedited border crossing program like NEXUS;
• an  Enhanced Identification Card proving Canadian citizenship; or
• a Secure Certificate of Indian Status.

Canadian citizens aged 15 or under who are accompanied and those aged 16 or 17 who are travelling to the U.S. by land or sea with a school or other organized group (under the supervision of an adult and with consent from a parent or guardian) may present the original or a copy of their birth certificate, or a Canadian citizenship card or certificate.

The NEXUS card helps frequent travellers get across the border faster. Travellers must apply to get one. A NEXUS card can be used instead of a passport to enter or leave the U.S. by land or sea. It can also be used at self-service checkpoints when returning to Canada by air.

See border wait times

Plan your trips to avoid waiting in line for hours. The tables are updated on the hour, 24/7:

Canadian customs

U.S. customs

What are the requirements for returning to Canada?

COVID-19–related requirements to return to Canada (vaccination status, random testing, isolation/quarantine) were lifted by the Canadian government. The ArriveCAN app is still available, but its use is now optional. Travellers can also use it to fill out their customs declarations.

However, the government reserves the right to reinstate certain border measures should the situation become a concern again. For more information or to find out what you need to know before crossing the border, visit the Canadian government website .

What travel insurance is recommended for the United States?

If you’re planning a trip to the U.S., even for just a day, you should purchase emergency medical travel insurance before leaving. But for even better protection against the unexpected, it’s wise to add trip cancellation and interruption insurance.

Thinking of visiting the U.S. more than once this year or travelling abroad elsewhere? Consider getting annual travel insurance . It will cover you for all your trips, all year long—making your life easier.

What about snowbirds heading to the United States?

All Canadian travellers—including snowbirds—must comply with the entry requirements for their means of travel. To help you prepare for your trip, see our comprehensive report on snowbirds .

What can I bring home to Canada after a stay in the U.S. (personal exemptions)?

Food, alcoholic beverages, and gifts are some of the things you can bring home from a trip to the United States or elsewhere. It’s important to understand these personal exemptions so you can avoid paying duties and taxes or having prohibited items confiscated.

Similarly, you should know what foods you can and cannot bring into the United States by land. Regulations on the entry of animals and animal products into the U.S. change frequently based on disease outbreaks in various parts of the world.

Important travel information

Check out our helpful information and travelling tips related to Covid-19 , including health measures for before, during, and after a trip, cancellation policies, travel insurance, and more.

Have a criminal record? You probably won’t be allowed to enter the United States (or even stop over), even if you have received a pardon in Canada. To obtain a waiver (fees apply) or for further information, contact the U.S. Consulate General . Note that a waiver is not required if you have a record of impaired driving with no aggravating factors (no injuries or deaths).

CAA-Quebec Travel Insurance: The ideal choice!

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• Fact Sheets

Frequently Asked Questions: Guidance for Travelers to Enter the U.S.

Updated Date: April 21, 2022

Since January 22, 2022, DHS has required non-U.S. individuals seeking to enter the United States via land ports of entry and ferry terminals at the U.S.-Mexico and U.S.-Canada borders to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 and provide proof of vaccination upon request.  On April 21, 2022, DHS announced that it would extend these requirements. In determining whether and when to rescind this order, DHS anticipates that it will take account of whether the vaccination requirement for non-U.S. air travelers remains in place.

These requirements apply to non-U.S. individuals who are traveling for essential or non-essential reasons. They do not apply to U.S. citizens, Lawful Permanent Residents, or U.S. nationals.

Effective November 8, 2021, new air travel requirements applied to many noncitizens who are visiting the United States temporarily. These travelers are also required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination. All air travelers, including U.S. persons, must test negative for COVID-19 prior to departure. Limited exceptions apply. See  CDC guidance  for more details regarding air travel requirements.

Below is more information about what to know before you go, and answers to Frequently Asked Questions about cross-border travel.

Entering the U.S. Through a Land Port of Entry or Ferry Terminal

Q. what are the requirements for travelers entering the united states through land poes.

A:  Before embarking on a trip to the United States, non-U.S. travelers should be prepared for the following:

• Possess proof of an approved COVID-19 vaccination as outlined on the  CDC  website.
• During border inspection, verbally attest to their COVID-19 vaccination status. 
• Bring a  Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative  compliant border crossing document, such as a valid passport (and visa if required), Trusted Traveler Program card, a Department of State-issued Border Crossing Card, Enhanced Driver’s License or Enhanced Tribal Card when entering the country. Travelers (including U.S. citizens) should be prepared to present the WHTI-compliant document and any other documents requested by the CBP officer.

 Q. What are the requirements to enter the United States for children under the age of 18 who can't be vaccinated?

A:  Children under 18 years of age are excepted from the vaccination requirement at land and ferry POEs.

Q: Which vaccines/combination of vaccines will be accepted?

A:  Per CDC guidelines, all Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved and authorized vaccines, as well as all vaccines that have an Emergency Use Listing (EUL) from the World Health Organization (WHO), will be accepted.

Accepted Vaccines:

• More details are available in CDC guidance  here .
• 2 weeks (14 days) after your dose of an accepted single-dose COVID-19 vaccine;
• 2 weeks (14 days) after your second dose of an accepted 2-dose series;
• 2 weeks (14 days) after you received the full series of an accepted COVID-19 vaccine (not placebo) in a clinical trial;
• 2 weeks (14 days) after you received 2 doses of any “mix-and-match” combination of accepted COVID-19 vaccines administered at least 17 days apart.

Q. Is the United States requiring travelers to have a booster dose to be considered fully vaccinated for border entry purposes?

A:  No. The CDC guidance for “full vaccination” can be found here.

Q: Do U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents need proof of vaccination to return to the United States via land POEs and ferry terminals?

A:  No. Vaccination requirements do not apply to U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, or Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs). Travelers that exhibit signs or symptoms of illness will be referred to CDC for additional medical evaluation.

Q: Is pre- or at-arrival COVID testing required to enter the United States via land POEs or ferry terminals?

A: No, there is no COVID testing requirement to enter the United States via land POE or ferry terminals. In this respect, the requirement for entering by a land POE or ferry terminal differs from arrival via air, where there is a requirement to have a negative test result before departure.

Processing Changes Announced on January 22, 2022 

Q: new changes were recently announced. what changed on january 22.

A:  Since January 22, 2022, non-citizens who are not U.S. nationals or Lawful Permanent Residents have been required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to enter the United States at land ports of entry and ferry terminals, whether for essential or nonessential purposes. Previously, DHS required that non-U.S. persons be vaccinated against COVID-19 to enter the United States for nonessential purposes.  Effective January 22, all non-U.S. individuals, to include essential travelers, must be prepared to attest to vaccination status and present proof of vaccination to a CBP officer upon request. DHS announced an extension of this policy on April 21, 2022.

Q: Who is affected by the changes announced on January 22?

A: This requirement does not apply to U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, or U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents. It applies to other noncitizens, such as a citizen of Mexico, Canada, or any other country seeking to enter the United States through a land port of entry or ferry terminal.

Q: Do U.S. citizens need proof of vaccination to return to the United States via land port of entry or ferry terminals?

A: Vaccination requirements do not apply to U.S. Citizens, U.S. nationals or U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents. Travelers that exhibit signs or symptoms of illness will be referred to CDC for additional medical evaluation. 

Q: What is essential travel?

A:  Under the prior policy, there was an exception from temporary travel restrictions for “essential travel.” Essential travel included travel to attend educational institutions, travel to work in the United States, travel for emergency response and public health purposes, and travel for lawful cross-border trade (e.g., commercial truckers). Under current policy, there is no exception for essential travel.

Q: Will there be any exemptions? 

A: While most non-U.S. individuals seeking to enter the United States will need to be vaccinated, there is a narrow list of exemptions consistent with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Order in the air travel context.

• Certain categories of individuals on diplomatic or official foreign government travel as specified in the CDC Order
• Children under 18 years of age;
• Certain participants in certain COVID-19 vaccine trials as specified in the CDC Order;   
• Individuals with medical contraindications to receiving a COVID-19 vaccine as specified in the CDC Order;
• Individuals issued a humanitarian or emergency exception by the Secretary of Homeland Security;
• Individuals with valid nonimmigrant visas (excluding B-1 [business] or B-2 [tourism] visas) who are citizens of a country with limited COVID-19 vaccine availability, as specified in the CDC Order
• Members of the U.S. Armed Forces or their spouses or children (under 18 years of age) as specified in the CDC Order; and
• Individuals whose entry would be in the U.S. national interest, as determined by the Secretary of Homeland Security.

Q: What documentation will be required to show vaccination status?

A:  Non-U.S. individuals are required to be prepared to attest to vaccination status and present proof of vaccination to a CBP officer upon request regardless of the purpose of travel.

The current documentation requirement remains the same and is available on the CDC website . Documentation requirements for entry at land ports of entry and ferry terminals mirror those for entry by air.

Q: What happens if someone doesn’t have proof of vaccine status?

A: If non-U.S. individuals cannot present proof of vaccination upon request, they will not be admitted into the United States and will either be subject to removal or be allowed to withdraw their application for entry.

Q: Will incoming travelers be required to present COVID-19 test results?

A: There is no COVID-19 testing requirement for travelers at land border ports of entry, including ferry terminals.

Q: What does this mean for those who can't be vaccinated, either due to age or other health considerations? 

A: See CDC guidance for additional information on this topic. Note that the vaccine requirement does not apply to children under 18 years of age.

Q: Does this requirement apply to amateur and professional athletes?

A: Yes, unless they qualify for one of the narrow CDC exemptions.

Q: Are commercial truckers required to be vaccinated?

A: Yes, unless they qualify for one of the narrow CDC exemptions. These requirements also apply to bus drivers as well as rail and ferry operators.

Q. Do you expect border wait times to increase?

A:  As travelers navigate these new travel requirements, wait times may increase. Travelers should account for the possibility of longer than normal wait times and lines at U.S. land border crossings when planning their trip and are kindly encouraged to exercise patience.

To help reduce wait times and long lines, travelers can take advantage of innovative technology, such as facial biometrics and the CBP OneTM mobile application, which serves as a single portal for individuals to access CBP mobile applications and services.

Q: How is Customs and Border Protection staffing the ports of entry? 

A: CBP’s current staffing levels at ports of entry throughout the United States are commensurate with pre-pandemic levels. CBP has continued to hire and train new employees throughout the pandemic. CBP expects some travelers to be non-compliant with the proof of vaccination requirements, which may at times lead to an increase in border wait times. Although trade and travel facilitation remain a priority, we cannot compromise national security, which is our primary mission. CBP Office of Field Operations will continue to dedicate its finite resources to the processing of arriving traffic with emphasis on trade facilitation to ensure economic recovery.

Q: What happens if a vaccinated individual is traveling with an unvaccinated individual?  

A:  The unvaccinated individual (if 18 or over) would not be eligible for admission.

Q: If I am traveling for an essential reason but am not vaccinated can I still enter?

A:  No, if you are a non-U.S. individual. The policy announced on January 22, 2022 applies to both essential and non-essential travel by non-U.S. individual travelers. Since January 22, DHS has required that all inbound non-U.S. individuals crossing U.S. land or ferry POEs – whether for essential or non-essential reasons – be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 and provide related proof of vaccination upon request.

Q: Are sea crew members on vessels required to have a COVID vaccine to disembark?

A:  Sea crew members traveling pursuant to a C-1 or D nonimmigrant visa are not excepted from COVID-19 vaccine requirements at the land border. This is a difference from the international air transportation context.

Entering the U.S. via Air Travel

Q: what are the covid vaccination requirements for air passengers to the united states  .

A:  According to CDC requirements [www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/noncitizens-US-air-travel.html | Link no longer valid], most noncitizens who are visiting the United States temporarily must be fully vaccinated prior to boarding a flight to the United States. These travelers are required to show proof of vaccination. A list of covered individuals is available on the CDC website.  

Q: What are the COVID testing requirements for air passengers to the United States?  

A:  Effective Sunday, June 12 at 12:01 a.m. ET, CDC will no longer require pre-departure COVID-19 testing for U.S.-bound air travelers.

• Border Security
• Transportation Security
• Airport Security
• Coronavirus (COVID-19)
• Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
• Transportation Security Administration (TSA)

An official website of the United States government

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Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock ( Lock A locked padlock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

• For International Visitors

Know Before You Visit

Almost a million individuals enter the U.S. daily. Everyone arriving at a port of entry to the U.S. is subject to inspection by Customs and Border Protection officers for compliance with immigration, customs and agriculture regulations. The more international travelers know about what to expect, the easier and quicker the process becomes.  

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Latest border and travel measures

This news release may not reflect the current border and travel measures. Check COVID-19: Travel, testing and borders for the latest requirements to enter Canada.

Important notice

Note that information and resources on the coronavirus (COVID-19) are available on Canada.ca. https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/coronavirus-disease-covid-19.html

Travel Advisory: REMINDER – Travelling to the U.S.? COVID-19 border measures and testing requirements remain in place when you come home 

From: Canada Border Services Agency

News release

Travel Advisory: REMINDER – Travelling to the U.S.? COVID-19 border measures and testing requirements remain in place when you come home

November 5, 2021 Ottawa, Ontario

On November 8, 2021,  the United States will begin allowing fully vaccinated travellers from Canada to enter the United States at land and ferry points of entry for discretionary (non-essential) reasons, such as tourism.

The Canada Border Services Agency would like to remind travellers that border measures remain in place for travellers entering or returning to Canada and that they should get informed and understand their obligations as they make their travel plans.

Travellers should check if they are eligible to enter Canada and meet all entry requirements before heading to the border. Canadian residents can check with their home province or territory about getting COVID-19 proof of vaccination to facilitate their return to Canada.

Fully vaccinated travellers coming to Canada must complete the mandatory pre-arrival molecular COVID-19 test and submit their mandatory information including their digital proof of vaccination in English or French using the free ArriveCAN (App or website) within 72 hours before arriving in Canada. Antigen tests, often called “rapid tests,” are not accepted. Fully vaccinated travellers who are eligible to enter Canada continue to be subject to mandatory random testing on arrival.

For short trips, that are less than 72 hours, Canadian citizens, people registered under the Indian Ac t, permanent residents and protected persons travelling to the United States are allowed to take their pre-arrival molecular test before they leave Canada. If the test is more than 72 hours old when they re-enter Canada, they will be required to get a new pre-arrival molecular test in the United States.

Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated travellers who are eligible to enter Canada must continue to follow pre-arrival, arrival and Day-8 molecular COVID-19 testing requirements, and quarantine for 14 days.

Full details on the current measures in place for travellers entering or returning to Canada are available online: COVID-19: Travel, testing and borders .

Travellers may experience delays at ports of entry due to the public health measures as the CBSA will not compromise the health and safety of Canadians for the sake of border wait times. The CBSA thanks travellers for their collaboration and patience.

All questions about U.S. entry and health requirements, should be directed to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Associated links

• Travel Advisory: REMINDER – On September 7, new measures for fully vaccinated international travellers to Canada will come into force
• Find out if you can enter Canada - Travel restrictions in Canada
• COVID-19 vaccinated travellers entering Canada
• COVID-19: For unvaccinated children under 12 without symptoms and travelling with fully vaccinated parents or guardians
• COVID-19: For travellers over 12 without symptoms who are medically exempt from receiving a vaccination
• Entering Canada by land and air during COVID-19
• Entering Canada by water during COVID-19
• Fully vaccinated travellers entering Canada during COVID-19
• COVID-19: Proof of vaccination in Canada

Media Relations Canada Border Services Agency [email protected] 613-957-6500 or 1-877-761-5945

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COVID-19 U.S. travel rules change for Canadians: What you need to know before you board a plane

Canadians wanting to travel to the U.S. will face an additional obstacle before boarding a flight with a shortened window from pre-departure testing, effective Monday, Dec. 6.

In order to board a flight, all air travellers age two and older flying to the U.S. from any foreign country will be required show a negative COVID-19 viral test result taken no more than one day before travel, or documentation of recovering from COVID-19 in the past 90 days.

Travellers by air will also need to provide an attestation that the information they have is true.

What type of test is acceptable?

This new rule does also apply to U.S. citizens and permanent residents who are returning to the country.

The type of viral tests accepted include an antigen test or a nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT), for example, a reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP), transcription-mediated amplification (TMA), nicking enzyme amplification reaction (NEAR), and helicase-dependent amplification (HDA).

The test result that needs to be shown to the airline must include:

Type of test (indicating it is a NAAT or antigen test)

Entity issuing the result (e.g., laboratory, healthcare entity, or telehealth service)

Information that identifies the person (full name plus at least one other identifier such as date of birth or passport number)

Test result

Sample collection date

A negative test result must show the sample was taken no more than one day before the flight

A positive test result for documentation of recovery from COVID-19 must show the sample was taken within the 90 days before the flight

How do the U.S. rules differ from Canada?

Currently, any travellers visiting or returning to Canada by air need to present proof of a negative COVID-19 test result taken no more than 72 hours before departure. Fully vaccinated Canadian citizens, permanent residents and individuals registered under the Indian Act who take a trip to the U.S. for 72 hours or less will not have to complete a PCR test before re-entering Canada.

This week, the Canadian government announced that it will require all air travellers, both vaccinated and unvaccinated (except from the United States), to be tested at the airport where they land .

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An official website of the United States government

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Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock ( Lock Locked padlock icon ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

COVID-19 international travel advisories

If you plan to visit the U.S., you do not need to be tested or vaccinated for COVID-19. U.S. citizens going abroad, check with the Department of State for travel advisories.

COVID-19 testing and vaccine rules for entering the U.S.

• As of May 12, 2023, noncitizen nonimmigrant visitors to the U.S.  arriving by air  or  arriving by land or sea  no longer need to show proof of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19. 
• As of June 12, 2022,  people entering the U.S. no longer need to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test . 

U.S. citizens traveling to a country outside the U.S.

Find country-specific COVID-19 travel rules from the Department of State.

See the  CDC's COVID-19 guidance for safer international travel.

LAST UPDATED: December 6, 2023

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How Canadians can travel to the United State (entry rules for all nationalities)

• Post author: Andrew D'Amours
• Post published: May 1, 2023
• Post category: Travel tips / Trip planning tips
• Post comments: 171 Comments

OFFICIALLY CONFIRMED: The United States vaccination requirement is ending on May 11th at the end of the day! Here are the current rules.

The united states is statistically the most popular destination for canadians (by far), and travelers from many other countries love going there as well. unfortunately, there are still covid-19 travel requirements in the usa (even though it’s not logical)..

As part of Flytrippers’ mission to help travelers, here is a complete guide on how to travel to the United States specifically. This guide is for all nationalities, as the USA’s COVID-19 rules are the same for Canadians, for Brits, or for Indians for example.

(By the way, for Canadians, Flytrippers always spots cheap flight deals to the USA on its main page , and there are currently 2 very good Aeroplan welcome bonuses that each give you 5 roundtrip reward flights to the USA — the American Express Cobalt Card , one of the highest currently available in Canada and always the best card overall, or the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card with an increased offer ending May 28th!)

Here’s how to travel to the United States right now.

Overview of how to travel to the United States

First, I’ll share the essentials you need to know about how to travel to the United States right now (since April 2021, I have gone there 15 times myself and I’m following the rules closely every day for you).

Then below, I’ll give you:

• ALL the details about every aspect of the USA rules
• The simplified step-by-step process to travel to the USA (based on your vaccination status)

So here’s the infographic that visually summarizes the USA’s rules.

Here are the basics of the rules to travel to the USA:

• Especially rules that are as antiscience as these
• No rules to board flights itself and no rules to exit
• There has never been anything other than rules for entry
• As in every other country by the way (except Canada🤡)
• Congress and the CDC have made recent announcements 
• That had nothing to do with removing the entry rules
• They have not confirmed it would be renewed
• They have not confirmed it would not be renewed
• Join 100,000+ savvy and well-informed travelers

Here are the rules themselves:

• Proof of a negative test cannot replace proof of vaccination
• Entry by air, including transits (from all countries)
• Entry by land (from Canada and Mexico)
• Entry by sea (ONLY from Canada and Mexico)
• Entry by sea (from countries OTHER than Canada and Mexico)
• For example by ferry from the Bahamas or the Dominican Republic

And here are a few important details about the requirement:

• It’s not often enforced by land
• There are a few exemptions, especially for all minors
• The definition of “vaccinated” was just changed
• The definition is still very broad — and objectively outdated
• Many types of proof are accepted (no QR code required)
• There are 2 government websites for all the official details

Details of how to travel to the United States

Here’s all the information you need about COVID-19 travel rules in the USA.

Logic of the rules to travel to the USA

There is absolutely no rational or scientific justification possible for these current rules in the USA; it’s not even debatable.

The experts at the World Health Organization (WHO) have recommended eliminating all restrictions since January 2022 (over 15 months ago) and almost every country has eliminated everything (even Canada, that was among worst in terms of covidanxiety)!

The WHO analysis demonstrated that restrictions had no impact at all (completely unsurprisingly for all those who kept their critical thinking skills instead of just blindly believing everything politicians say).

President Biden said the pandemic was over, their public health agency said having rules based on vaccination status no longer made sense, and every epidemiology expert said that vaccines received 2 years ago don’t protect any more…

So naturally , the USA still has a rule based on vaccination status that accepts a vaccine received 2+ years ago (but not a negative test or proof of immunity) and that is not even in effect if you arrive by certain countries by boat to boot…

And it’s those who criticize that who are wrong according to some who won’t get over all this until 2025, if ever…

Rules to travel once you’ve entered the USA

There has never been any requirement for a domestic flight in the USA (like in almost every county in the world) or for exiting the USA.

There are only rules for entry , it’s that simple.

Once you’ve entered (no matter how), there are no requirements for domestic flights (no matter who you are or your nationality). International flights that depart from the USA (including to return to Canada by plane) only apply the entry rules for that destination (if any). Because entry rules are the only thing that exist.

It’s one of the reasons why many Canadians fly out of American airports across the border .

Finally, some American territories (and even the state of Hawaii) had their own stricter entry rules IN ADDITION to the federal entry rules, but this is no longer the case.

Confusion around the rules to travel to the USA

Many people (including many media outlets) often mix up plenty of different travel rules and announcements together .

Absolutely nothing has changed to the vaccination requirement itself since the start, except the changes to the definition of “vaccinated” (the vaccines accepted), as recently as April 2023. That hasn’t changed anything about the end date for the requirement.

Congress has voted on the national emergency declaration (both the House and Senate), but that has nothing to do with entry rules. Even the USA’s other state of emergency, the public health state of emergency, is completely distinct and separate from the requirements for travelers.

The House of Representatives actually did vote to end the vaccination requirement for travelers back in early February, but the Senate needs to do the same and has done nothing since February 2023. We’re following this too.

End date for the rules to travel to the USA

The current requirement theoretically expires at the end of the day on May 11th . It’s not certain though! Every previous time, the requirement was extended about 1 week before the expiry date.

NOTHING has been announced. Not an extension, not a removal. Nothing.

As soon as something is announced, this guide will be updated! May 4th should be the day when an announcement is done, based on the previous extensions. We should know by the end of this week either way!

This time, it seems plausible for the requirement not to be extended at least.

Because Biden announced a long time ago that the public health emergency will end May 11. This has nothing to do with the entry requirement per se (it’s completely separate), but it likely means the vaccination requirement will end then too.

Especially since they extended it until the 11th (instead of the 10th the previous time) to coincide with the end of the state of emergency. They extended it for just 1 month and 1 day (instead of 3 months the previous time), so it’s looking good.

Many find it strange that they updated the definition of “vaccinated” twice in April 2023 (after making zero changes at all to the requirement since it’s been in place in November 2021) if they were going to remove it just a few weeks later. Indeed, but that was probably just to align with the new CDC recommendations.

I still believe the removal of the requirement on May 11th is the most likely scenario . But nothing is guaranteed, especially when they clearly don’t care about being logical.

Updates about the rules to travel to the USA

If you want to be the first to receive all the updates about the American rules (whether it’s an extension of the requirement), sign up for our free newsletter .

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Test requirement to travel to the USA

There is no COVID-19 test requirement to travel to the United States since June 2022.

There is also no option to provide proof of a negative test as an alternative to proof of vaccination (it’s one of the only countries in the world with such an antiscience rule).

Requirements to transit in the USA

The rules are exactly the same if you are just connecting in an American airport on your way to one of the many countries open to Canadian travelers or if you are just going to the USA. It’s one of the few countries in the world where sterile international transits simply do not exist.

Transiting in the USA has therefore always required you to enter the country the same as those who aren’t transiting. And that means you always had to follow all the same entry rules even if you just have a layover in the USA (which is far from being the case for connections in other countries).

You can read the detailed article about the transits in the United States during COVID-19 .

Vaccination requirement to travel to the USA

The United States has a vaccination requirement for almost all modes of entry.

You need to be vaccinated if you enter the USA:

• By air, including transits (from all countries)
• By land (from Canada and Mexico)
• By sea (ONLY from Canada and Mexico)

You do not need to be vaccinated if you enter the USA:

• By sea (from countries OTHER than Canada and Mexico)

It’s really true! Absurdly, the requirement doesn’t apply everywhere : there are absolutely no COVID-19 requirements if you enter by ferry from the Dominican Republic or the Bahamas, for example).

Flytrippers exclusive: Borders where the USA vaccination requirement does not apply

Quite the science, right? Maybe the sea breeze in those very specific locations purifies your body of COVID-19?

(“Every rule is based on science!”)

Enforcement of the rules to travel to the USA

Just because the rule exists doesn’t mean it’s always enforced though!

By air, airlines are the only ones in charge of enforcing the requirement, not customs agents. Airlines are applying it less and less strictly (definitely not 100% of the time), but they apply it often .

By land, it’s really not enforced very strictly . Many customs agents don’t ask anything at all and among those who ask a question about vaccination, most don’t ask for proof. We’ve received hundreds of testimonials and it doesn’t seem to be asked often.

By sea (from Canada or Mexico), we didn’t get many testimonials unfortunately. We can assume it’s similar to the land border, since customs agents are in charge of enforcement there too.

By sea (from countries OTHER than Canada or Mexico), I repeat that it’s not just not enforced: it’s really that the rule simply does NOT exist . It’s the only way that’s guaranteed to work for those who are not vaccinated, according to the official rules.

Exemptions to the rules to travel to the USA

There are 4 main exemptions to the United States vaccination requirement:

• Those who are American
• Those who are under 18
• Those on some “essential” trips
• Those with proof of medical exemptions

Americans (including certain types of immigrants) are all exempt, because all along the pandemic, a country’s entry restrictions never applied to their own citizens (even though a lot of people had a hard time understanding this). It’s in part why the rule still exists: many Americans don’t even know it still exists since they’re exempt (or don’t care since they’re exempt).

The most relevant exemption for foreign travelers is that all minors are completely exempt . To be very clear, there is NO requirement for anyone under the age of 18. That simple.

Essential trips that are exempt include trips for airplane crews and boat crews, diplomatic/government trips, humanitary/emergency trips, and trips approved by certain Cabinet secretaries (their equivalent of ministers).

Finally, medical exemptions include those who participated in certain vaccine trials and those who have proof of medical contraindication for the vaccine (with a signed letter from a doctor).

Definition of “vaccinated” to travel to the USA

This was recently updated (on April 19th and April 27th).

The definition of “vaccinated” is very broad in the USA (and still outdated scientifically). This definition is obviously not necessarily the same in every country.

You are considered vaccinated by the USA if you have:

• The accepted proof of your vaccination (see next section)
• The number of doses required (either 1 or 2 doses, depending on the type)
• The minimum period after your last required dose (14 days)

Here are the vaccines accepted with just 1 dose :

• Johnson & Johnson/Janssen
• CanSinoBIO/Convidecia
• Pfizer-BioNTech Bivalent (or received AFTER August 16th, 2022)
• Moderna Bivalent (or received AFTER August 16th, 2022)

Here are the vaccines accepted if you have received 2 doses :

• Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty (if received BEFORE August 16th, 2022)
• Moderna/Spikevax (if received BEFORE August 16th, 2022)
• AstraZeneca/Vaxzevria
• BIBP/Sinopharm
• CoronaVac/Sinovac
• Nuvaxovid/Novavax

There is a minimum wait time of 14 days after your last required dose as mentioned.

But there is no maximum validity period for your doses. So even vaccines received over 2 years ago are accepted. No booster dose is required, rendering all this very antiscientific.

To be very clear, if you got Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna, only 1 dose is required if was received AFTER August 16th 2022. You can still enter with those types of vaccines if you got them before, but then you need 2 doses. That’s what just changed.

Proof of vaccination to travel to the USA

Having a QR code is not necessary, contrary to another common myth.

First, the proof must have 4 mandatory things:

• Your full name AND either your date of birth or passport number
• The source of the proof (name of the country, health agency, or provider)
• The vaccine type (manufacturer)
• The vaccination date

Officially, there are 3 options accepted as proof:

• Vaccination certificate with QR code
• Digital pass via Smartphone application with QR code
• “Canadian” vaccine passport for travel
• United Kingdom National Health Service COVID Pass
• European Union Digital COVID Certificate
• Printout of COVID-19 vaccination record
• Printout of a COVID-19 vaccination certificate
• Must have been issued at national or subnational level or by an authorized vaccine provider
• The CDC vaccination card
• Digital photos of vaccination card or record
• Downloaded vaccine record from official source
• Downloaded vaccination certificate from official source
• Public health agency
• Government agency
• Other authorized vaccine provider
• Mobile phone application without QR code

The proof doesn’t officially need to be in English, but in the case of entry by air, since airlines are the ones who verify, they need to be able to read it and they may have their own language requirements.

Like anything in the world of travel, it’s simpler if it’s in English.

Official government websites to travel to the USA

For all your trips, you always need to look at the countries’ entry rules.

For rules related to COVID-19, it could not be any simpler to find them: the official database with all the entry rules is the same for literally every country ! It’s the IATA website .

Official database for every country's travel rules

However, what is not as simple is finding the specifics for each country’s rules.

For the United States, there are 2 government websites with all the official information:

• CDC website (requirement by air)
• U.S. CBP website (requirement by land and by sea from Canada/Mexico)

The CDC website is the one with the most information if you have questions about something we haven’t covered in this guide.

Timeline of rules to travel to the USA

Here are all the relevant dates and announcements since 2021:

• Vaccination requirement in effect
• Until November 8th, 2022 (theoretically)
• Test requirement in effect
• End of test requirement
• Extension of vaccination requirement announced
• Until January 8th, 2023 (theoretically)
• Until April 10th, 2023 (theoretically)
• Elimination of the national state of emergency announced
• Elimination of the public health emergency announced
• Planned for May 11th, 2023
• Vote against the vaccination requirement in the U.S. House
• No impact (the Senate would need to pass this too)
• Vote to end the national state of emergency in the Senate
• No impact on the vaccination requirement
• Until May 11th, 2023 (theoretically)
• End of the national state of emergency 
• New definition of “vaccinated” announced
• Change to the new definition of “vaccinated” announced
• End of the national state of emergency (planned
• Theoretical end of the vaccination requirement ( to be continued )

Step-by-step process to travel to the USA (based on vaccination status)

As a reminder, if you haven’t read how to travel during the pandemic , there are always the same 2 simple sets of rules for any trip and any destination:

• To enter the countries where you are going to
• To enter Canada for your return (or your own country if it’s another one)

There are no other pandemic rules, it’s really not that complicated.

Here are the details of those rules for trips to the United States, based on your vaccination status.

Vaccinated adult travelers: Rules to travel to the USA

Here is how vaccinated Canadian adults can currently travel to the USA based on those 2 sets of rules you always have to look at.

Set of rules #1

• You do not need anything at all to enter the USA, just your proof of vaccination

Set of rules #2

• All rules have been lifted for all travelers

Basically, it’s very simple if you’re vaccinated: Enter the USA by land or by air with no requirement (you can then fly anywhere in the country test-free  of course).

Then there is nothing left to enter Canada.

We recommend joining savvy travelers like me and becoming a NEXUS member , it makes everything infinitely faster: you’ll avoid almost all wait lines for travel in Canada and the USA. Another pro tip that’s so simple but that most people, unfortunately, don’t even know exists.

Unvaccinated adult travelers: Rules to travel to the USA

Here is how unvaccinated Canadian adults can currently travel to the USA based on the mode of entry.

Entering the USA by land while unvaccinated

It’s simple: Unvaccinated Canadian adults theoretically cannot enter the United States by land at all since November 8, 2021.

Since many of you keep asking: yes, thousands of unvaccinated Canadians have entered the USA by land for over a year.

That’s because most customs agents don’t even ask about your vaccination status. And if they do ask, they often only ask if you are vaccinated without asking for proof. They certainly don’t ask often, based on my own experience and the many many testimonials we’ve received.

To be clear, if they ask for your vaccination status and you tell them you are not vaccinated, they will always deny your entry. When the land border was closed, I tried entering for an essential trip and I was denied entry (my business trip wasn’t essential enough). The agent explained that this had no consequences and did not affect my NEXUS membership or anything at all, and I had no issues entering after it reopened (of course that’s a different context for a denied entry obviously).

If you happened to go to the USA by land and they didn’t ask anything (or if they did ask and you lied and they didn’t ask for proof), you would not need a test, as nobody needs a test by land.

You could then fly anywhere in the country vaccine-free and test-free of course, as the USA has never had any requirement for domestic travel (like almost every country in the world).

You would not need anything to enter Canada upon your return (you could even fly back to Canada directly obviously), because all of Canada’s rules have been lifted for all travelers.

Entering the USA by sea while unvaccinated

The rules by water are exactly the same as by land if you arrive from Canada or Mexico.

However, you can enter by ferry from the Dominican Republic or the Bahamas with no requirements. That’s allowed. Because “The Science™”!

Entering the USA by air while unvaccinated

As mentioned, those who want to go somewhere in the USA by plane usually prefer entering by land and hope the customs agent doesn’t ask about their vaccination (or lie and hope they don’t ask for proof) and then fly anywhere in the country from a USA airport near the border.

Because as you probably know, while Canada lifted the mandatory vaccination requirement to fly from a Canadian airport (a requirement no other country in the world ever had), the USA requires vaccination for entry by air.

And the airlines usually do check, unlike most land border agents. Although they are asking less and less.

On my trip during the Christmas holidays, my girlfriend was never asked for her proof of vaccination (and it was her 1st entry into the USA by air since the vaccination requirement was implemented; so it’s not like they had it saved from a previous trip or something). I wasn’t asked either in January 2023, same for Flytrippers’ other cofounder, and many other recent testimonials we received.

But that’s probably still more of an exception than anything else, maybe airlines just do random checks now. It’s riskier to book a plane ticket and hope they don’t ask (compared to trying at the land border, as domestic flights in the USA usually no longer have change fees).

If you tried it and managed to enter the USA by air, you wouldn’t need anything to return to Canada because all of Canada’s rules have been lifted for all travelers.

Children: Rules to travel to the USA

It’s simple, there is an exemption to enter the USA without being vaccinated for all minors (under 18).

Here is how vaccinated OR unvaccinated Canadian minors can currently travel to the USA based on those 2 sets of rules you always have to look at.

• All minors (under 18) are exempt from the vaccination requirement
• Nobody needs a test so kids don’t either

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It’s really quite simple to understand the rules that determine how Canadians can travel to the United States. You just need to know how to read — and take the time to do it.

What do you want to know about traveling to the United States? Tell us in the comments below.

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This post has 171 comments.

Hi, so am I understanding this right ? Is it ACTUALLY official that the US entry vaccine mandate is ending on May 11th ?

Yes 🙂 https://flytrippers.com/usa-vaccination-requirement-travel/

Hi Andrew, thanks for your posts – very helpful and informative. For flying out of Toronto via Air Canada, is one required to upload any documents during the web check-in or at the self check-in kiosk at the airport? Or attest to the vax status?

Hi, the last time I flew Air Canada to the USA was on December 31st and they never asked for proof at all (so not in the online check-in either), even though it was my girlfriend’s first time flying into the USA during the pandemic (so they couldn’t have had her info “saved” or anything like that). Of course we always only travel with carry-ons so maybe avoiding the Air Canada counters entirely is the key to not being asked anything, who knows. They will ask you to attest that you are vaccinated though, that is for sure (in the online check-in at least).

When do you think the US will make an announcement about ending the requirement on May 11?

Probably in early May.

so the finally step is for biden to approve it since the senate has passed the bill right?

No, the Senate has not passed anything related to the vaccination requirement unfortunately (the House did, and they read it in the Senate on February 13th with absolutely no other actions since). What the Senate passed has nothing to do with the vaccination requirement. See here: https://flytrippers.com/usa-state-of-emergency-pandemic/

so what do you think the chances are that it gets passed through the senate and biden by may 11?

Slim to none, unfortunately.

so you don’t think it will be lifted may 11?

Do you only need one vaccine now to travel to the USA? just trying to get things clarified

Yes still more likely to be lifted on May 11th than not, but not thanks to the Senate. You can now enter with just 1 dose depending on what vaccine, here’s the section of this post with the details: https://flytrippers.com/how-canadians-travel-united-states/#Definition_of_vaccinated_for_travel_to_the_USA

Pfizer-BioNTech Comirnaty is this the new one? it’s hard to find things online about this

No, not Comirnaty (that’s the old one that requires 2 doses). It’s Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine (Bivalent) and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine (Bivalent).

Just for the record, I was asked if I am vaccinated at the land crossing Windsor to Detroit. He then asked for proof whereby my drivers license and Ontario health card were scanned. After waiting with the nice people in the car search area for a little while I was given a piece of paper to give to Canada customs and sent back home. Thanks for the testimonial, and hopefully this will all end soon 🙂

Yes, unfortunately, some agents ask for proof even if you say you’re vaccinated. It’s not 100% guaranteed to work at the land border.

If customs asks for proof of vaccination, will they scan the QR code at the land border? Canada to USA

No QR code is required, so no. All that is required is a proof of vaccination, can be paper only as long as it’s in English and has the required info. Here’s what they require (either of the 3 options works): -Vaccination certificate with QR code1, digital pass via Smartphone application with QR code1 (e.g., United Kingdom National Health Service COVID Pass, European Union Digital COVID Certificate) -Printout of COVID-19 vaccination record or a COVID-19 vaccination certificate issued at national or subnational level or by an authorized vaccine provider (e.g., the CDC vaccination card) -Digital photos of vaccination card or record, downloaded vaccine record or vaccination certificate from official source (e.g., public health agency, government agency, or other authorized vaccine provider), or a mobile phone application without QR code

There is another, legal method to enter the US for unvaccinated adults. It is expensive on time and money, but I have done it myself and know others who have as well.

1. Fly to the Bahams without any layovers in the USA (example: Toronto -> Nassau) 2. Fly from Nassau to Grand Bahamas 3. Take the Baleària Caribbean from Grand Bahamas to Florida

The reason this is legal is because there are currently 3 laws preventing unvaccinated non-citizens from entering the US.

1. No flights for unvaccinated into the US 2. No crossing by land or sea from Canada 3. No crossing by land or sea from Mexico

And of course, it is also very understandable once you know the Science™ behind it.

1. The 1st element of nature is Wind/Air – you must travel by air 2. The 2nd element is Water – take the Ferry from the Bahamas to Florida 3. The 3rd element is Earth – you must enter the US from land non-contiguous to the US (contiguous and contageous are basically synonyms) 4. The 4th element is Fire – CDC scientists could think of no better way to burn money than by taking 5 flights, a couple taxies, rent a few hotel rooms and a car, and paying for a boat ride to get somewhere you could have gotten by hoping in your car and driving 30 minutes. 5. It never harms to get a fairy involved. This is science after all, right?

Interesting, I never even noticed that it didn’t apply to all borders, despite looking at this closely for years now haha. Well, if this doesn’t convince those who suffer from Covidanxiety (and blindly believe the government) that The Science™ is absurd, I really don’t know what will. Must be vaccinated to enter from Canada and Mexico. But not from The Bahamas. Make it make sense…

Thanks for the share, will definitely write a post about this, so funny.

You’re welcome! Send me a link of the post please 🙂

Governor Ron DeSantis from Florida even mentioned this recently: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYdfWaf7taI

Here are the official links:

1. Entry by land/ferry from Mexico: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/04/22/2022-08741/notification-of-temporary-travel-restrictions-applicable-to-land-ports-of-entry-and-ferries-service 2. Entry by land/ferry from Canada: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/04/22/2022-08743/notification-of-temporary-travel-restrictions-applicable-to-land-ports-of-entry-and-ferries-service 3. Entry by flight: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/04/07/2022-07450/amended-order-implementing-presidential-proclamation-on-advancing-the-safe-resumption-of-global

Here’s the post: https://flytrippers.com/how-to-enter-usa-without-vaccination/

I am only going to say the American surely know the science better then others, Hahahahaha!!

By the way, the very public issue with Novak Djokovic not being able to compete in competitions in the USA could’ve been avoided if he had known your trick. He certainly can afford flying to the Bahamas and then crossing by boat. I must say I’m really flabbergasted by all this haha.

Right. Governor Ron DeSantis offered to bring him over by boat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYdfWaf7taI

Oh well, I reached out to ferry companies to try and confirm. Will let you know 🙂

I am currently dealing with a nightmare situation that has an immigration wrinkle in the equation… My wife (she is a Brazilian citizen, i am American. She is awaiting approval of a green card and has been granted advanced parole which allows non-US citizens in her situation to leave and re-enter the United States) and I have a vacation planned to Costa Rica in May. The presidential proclamation requiring proof of vaccination for foreigners and the CDC website very clearly states that those granted parole (as well as other buckets such as those seeking asylum) are exempt from vaccination requirements. United Airlines is saying that she is required to have proof of vaccination, and it seems to be an issue with the travel app which requires those with a Brazilian passport to enter their proof of vaccination to allow them the ability to check in for international flights going to the United States. After arguing with a United supervisor on the phone for hours today they said they would need to check with their supervisor and they would call me back tomorrow. I have never been this frustrated and it’s insane that their app requirements contradict the CDC requirements. The app even has a section which states that certain people are exempt from the requirement, but it gives no options to select one of those exemptions as applicable to you. We will see what they say tomorrow….

Yes, the country’s rules are one thing, but the airline’s interpretation of the country’s rules are actually what matters, because they are the ones that decide whether you board or not. When traveling in 2020 and 2021 particularly, I can’t even count how many times airline employees were wrong, because they often are on everything. So you have to have proof from an official source and make sure to ask for supervisors… and be prepared and ready to accept that it might not, sadly.

We are looking to book a flight from Toronto to Phuket but there is a layover in Philadelphia. Is the original vaccine certificate acceptable or do we need a qr code?

HI We successfully crossed the border in to the USA without being asked about vaccination status. WE are not vaccinated and when we tried a second time we were denied. Will our passport now be flagged so we should not try again ?

Hi, there’s no definitive answer to that. Many testimonials we got were from people who were denied in the past and just tried again and got in, so that would mean they don’t necessarily flag a previous attempt, but it’s not official data at all, unfortunately. But we never got any testimonials about anyone having been flagged from a previous attempt, for what that’s worth.

Back when the land border was open for essential and business travel only, I tried entering by land since I wanted to try out whether a trip for a travel website could be considered business. I got denied entry, and the customs agent specifically said that being denied entry had absolutely no impact on future visits. That said, I didn’t lie to them, which some travelers do to try to get in without being vaccinated. That situation might be different, but it doesn’t seem like it has any impact based on those testimonials.

Hi Andrew I want to take my 13 year old grandson from Canada to Phoenix for spring break. All I see is it is ok for him to go unvaccinated is this correct? Is there anything we need to do before we go. The USA rules are all over the place. Thank you Jolee Taylor

Well, to be fair, their rules are stupid, but they’re not all over the place. Officially they’re simple: you need to be vaccinated if you are 18+, if not you do not need to be vaccinated. At least it’s simple to make up for the fact it makes no sense to still have rules 😛

looks like the vaccine mandate for air travel has been extended to april 10 2023 (TSA emergency directive 1546-21-02B) as of a couple days ago. that being said, the directive explicitly says it only applies to air travel. any chance it could be lifted for land/sea borders? as illogical as that would be. I am vaccinated but my unvaccinated partner and I have been waiting to elope in the US!

Just wrote about it. Seems unlikely indeed: https://flytrippers.com/usa-vaccination-requirement-travel/

new bill to end, unvaxed border issues. https://massie.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=395511

It’s April 12, 2023. Is there any vaccine mandate changes for people entering USA?

No change, it was extended back in early April. Here are all the details: https://flytrippers.com/usa-vaccination-requirement-travel/

Hey Andrew,

Thank you for your time and effort on this. I’ve been denied access to the U.S via land through canada on multiple occasions only to be ridiculed by certain customs agents as some sort of criminal. I’m looking to fly private from a smaller airport in toronto area to Buffalo; have you found out if the requirement is exempt from private charters crossing the border ? I can’t seem to find any credible reliable source online on this circumstance, it would be greatly appreciated.

Hi, I’ve never heard of any exemptions unfortunately. There could be, I just have never seen any info about that.

Hello. My boyfriend is unvaccinated but not a Canadian or an American citizen. Do you think that would make a difference should we try to drive to the US from Canada? For example, when they ask for passports? He has a European passport and we’ve been searching for ways to get him to enter the US for 2 years now and having him fly to Canada and cross the border by land is the most hope we’ve had. Is the border control more easy going in a certain station, Detroit opposed to New York? Anything helps. Thank you.

Hi, the US rules are the same for all foreigners regardless of nationality, so I don’t see that issue really changing anything. That said, it’s likely that all of the many testimonials we got from people crossing the US border by land are Canadians. I haven’t had enough data to really know that one particular border crossing is better than another though :S

Maybe try crossing with a Vax exemption. You can obtain one by being a participant in the following control group from the UK. And for $30 they will actually print and mail you a plastic card with your name and picture, verifying your participation in the study. http://www.vaxcontrolgroup.com

Im vaccinated but my husband isnt. We were able to cross into the US Queenston/Lewiston NY land boarder last week and the customs officer didnt ask if we were vaccinated and just asked how long we were gong into the US for. We told him just for the day as it was just a day trip we were doing. That was that and we got through. But now we are thinking of going to Florida for a week. Crossing the land boarder again and flying from Buffalo airport but my husband is worried because he said it might not be so easy next time and that the officer might ask us if we are vaxxed and if he tells them he’s not then we wont be able to cross and our flight, hotel and trip will be ruined. Im guessing this can happen? Since technically un vaccinated Canadians arent allowed in the US? I feel like I would take the risk and try because we just got through with no issues and would they actually ruin someones vacation? Has anyone you know thats unvaccinated actually been turned away at a land boarder? If they ask if your vaccinated do they also ask to see vaccination papers? Or do they just take your word for it? Great website by the way! Lots of very helpful information!

Yes it can happen, you never know. It seems to be rare, but some people definitely are asked. Those who say they aren’t vaccinated are obviously denied entry, and those who lie and say they are usually aren’t asked for proof, but some are. That said, most US airlines charge a lot less for the fare class that comes with free changes, and almost every single hotel offers free cancelation up until 1 or 2 days before, so you could simply book a hotel starting 1 or 2 days after the planned border crossing so that you can cancel and it would be risk-free 🙂

Hey Andrew! I’m going to attempt to fly into the USA, we are both unvaccinated. Our flights are Toronto-Edmonton then Edmonton-Phoenix. We are thinking of trying it or just cancelling and try by land. Which one would you do? I’ve heard of people go through both ways with no issue.

I would have to say that personally I would not try either to not get caught not following the rules, because of our “public” role as a reference for travelers. However, objectively, in terms of data, based on the many testimonials, it seems more likely to work by land than by air. That said, recently there seems to also have been a change in enforcement by air, I’ll have a post about that soon. But it’s riskier to try by air, if they ask for proof then you have to cancel your flight and with most airlines, that means paying a cancelation fee. I’ll cover that in the same new post soon too.

Hi, we are travelling as a group across a land border with one unvaccinated traveller- my husband. When and if he gets across without issue, he can board our domestic flight (BUF- MCO) without issue? Southwest web info seemed unclear, but maybe just me. It refers to travelling by plane TO USA as a non USA citizen, (stating proof of vax to board a plane inbound to the states) not necessarily specific to domestic flights for unvaxxed Canadians once within the states. Basically, if he gets over the border in the car, he’s good to go for the flight? Sorry if this is redundant. It’s a lot if money to chance.

Hi, here’s the section about domestic flights . In short, no country has ever had rules for domestic flights, only extremist Canada had that. That said, there’s still an element of risk to booking a flight: the land border agent might ask for proof, even though it’s unlikely. That said, many US airlines offer free changes on tickets, unlike in Canada (well, at a lower price than Canadian airlines ask for flexible fare classes I mean).

Thanks for clarifying. I’m going to wait and see if Biden changes things over the holiday season ( eyeroll) Southwest issues a credit good for a year, and Disney only refunds before 30 days out. It’s a small fortune to risk losing right now. I’m going to opt him out if our plans. We DID get across with him for 4th if July family visit. No one asked us anything both ways. So arbitrary.

It’s a lot of money for sure. Hopefully the US follows the science soon enough :S

Hello, Im curious was your husband allowed in the states unvaccinated? Im curious and just wonder 🙂

My husband and I are Canadian and unvaccinated. If we drive into the usa (because apparently the customs officers routinely do not ask for vaccine proof) then fly from Bellingham to Phoenix will we be asked for proof of vaccine because we are Canadian travellers?

Hi, this section of the post answers that question, but in short, no other country apart from Canada has ever had requirements for domestic flights, ever. It’s not a thing, and the US doesn’t have special rules for foreigners on domestic flights 🙂 Although in case you are denied entry by land (which is obviously a possibility), maybe make sure your flight and lodging bookings have some form of flexibility to be safe.

Hello – my 14 year old is travelling to the USA from Canada and he is unvaccinated. He will be in the states for 5 days. Does he have to isolate or take a covid test before returning to Canada?

Hi, Canada has removed all rules and requirements for all travelers 🙂 So nothing required at all to enter here.

But that is not the question. You didn’t answer correctly

The question is whether there are rules to enter Canada. I answered that Canada has removed all of its entry rules. How can I answer more clearly? Canada no longer requires anything from anyone. So nobody needs to do anything to enter Canada 🙂

So to be clear my unvaccinated 13 year old can travel by plane to Florida from Toronto and return back to Canada. does she require a negative test to return home or can we just download the arrivecan app and do a test on day 1 and 8 ? My husband who is unvaccinated can travel by land to the buffalo airport and fly out of buffalo to Florida ? All so confusing

No test to enter USA, tests to enter Canada, and 14-day quarantine in Canada.

For unvaccinated adults, technically entering the USA is *not* allowed, it’s just not often checked by land. The section explains it: https://flytrippers.com/how-canadians-travel-united-states/#Unvaccinated_adult_travelers_Rules_to_travel_to_the_USA

But if he does manage to enter, like every country in the world there are no requirements for domestic flights. It used to be confusing because of Canada’s rule, now it isn’t: the ONLY thing to look at is the entry rules. No other rules exist.

Can I fly from Canada to USA on a private airplane if I get a negative covid test, if I’m unvaccinated?

I’m not sure if rules are different by private plane, because in theory you can’t enter the US without being vaccinated, but this is only enforced by the airline usually, not the customs agents. But maybe it’s different and they do enforce it with private planes knowing there is no airline to check beforehand. I’ll try to find out.

Hello! We’re going from Toronto to Orlando in August. All adults in our group are vaccinated but my 3 year old is not. We’re flying air Canada, and everything I’ve seen so far says that kids are exempt but only if you sign an attestation that they will get a COVID test 3-5 days after landing and self isolate for 5 days regardless of results. Is this true?? Link below for source.

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/proof-of-vaccination.html#noncitizen

First of all, August is so far away it’s probably pointless. Everything will probably be removed. But even then, with the current rules nobody really cares if minors get a test, nobody will ask or check, so most people simply ignore it completely.

We just came back from Dominican Republic. My 16 y.o. unvaccinated son had to do antigen test 24 hours before returning to Canada, day 1 and day 8 testing in Canada and quarantine 14 days on top of it. Your husband can actually fly with you there and back and do the rest like your son testing and quarantine

Yes well, the Dominican Republic is a different country so obviously, their rules are different than the US rules. Also, just for clarity, Canada’s pre-entry test requirement for unvaccinated Canadians has no “24 hours” limit: it’s the day of the flight or the day before (no hour-based time limit). And a molecular test within 72 hours of departure is still accepted too as an alternative. Here is the post about how to travel during the pandemic: https://flytrippers.com/how-to-travel-during-a-pandemic-simplified-version/

Am I able to fly from a US city back to into Vancouver if i am unvaccinated?

Yes no problem; the only rules that exist are entry rules and Canada’s entry rules allow (and have always allowed) all Canadians to enter regardless of vaccination status. You will need a valid pre-entry test though: https://flytrippers.com/canada-entry-guide/

Hi, so am i able to fly from Vancouver into the USA unvaccinated since the changes have been made about the mandates recently? or is it that I can only cross by land? And would i need any tests?

Hi, this article is up to date (and we’ll keep it that way). The US vaccination requirement has not changed. Here’s the direct link to the unvaccinated adult section that explains everything: https://flytrippers.com/how-canadians-travel-united-states/#Unvaccinated_adult_travelers_Rules_to_travel_to_the_USA

So just confirming after reading your response, once i am in the USA I am able to fly domestic within the USA unvaccinated. Is that right?

Yes, almost no country on Earth has ever had vaccine requirements for domestic flights (apart from Canada until recently and maybe a few rare countries) and the USA certainly have never had anything like that. Americans just wouldn’t tolerate such restrictions on the freedom of movement, let’s call it cultural differences ;P

Hi there, I’m a non vaccinated Canadian who wants to go across the border. According to what you’ve written I can:

– go across the border – need a rapid test or pre-entry test before coming back into Canada – fill out the arrive can app

BUT I have to quarantine even though my pre-entry test is negative? I don’t understand the logic of the quarantine if you’re negative ?

As I wrote, you “can” go across the border, but only if you lie to the border agents and/or if they don’t ask for proof of vaccination. They do require it officially even if they don’t seem to ask for proof very often at the land border. Then yes you need a pre-entry test to enter Canada and the ArriveCAN app. And you’ll not only have to quarantine for 14 days regardless of that test’s result, you’ll also have to do 2 more tests (day 1 and day 8) and you’ll still have to quarantine if those are negative too.

It’s The Science™, it cannot be questioned. There is no logic, it’s about punishing the unvaccinated and scoring political points with the scared demographic that wants unvaccinated travelers to be punished 😛

Since we are having issues getting the passports. I want to travel via land over the border from Montreal into the USA. Adults have passports its the kids that are the issue. Can we fly domestic from Burlington VT to Orlando with no passports for the kids? They are Canadian…I will have their birth certificates.

Thank you for all your advice in your article. Quick question . . .

Can an unvaxed Canadian go to Mexico as the end destination with a layover in the USA?

No, you cannot transit in the US if you are not vaccinated as the US does not offer sterile international transits. In short, connecting in the US means entering the US , so you need to follow their entry rules. Here’s the section about US transits for more details.

Clear explanation about how Canadians people can travel to the United States in this article. Thanks for the information

Hi, could you please explain the last part when you say: if negative, take the test on the full calendar day before (NOT just 24 hours). In my case, if I’m leaving on the 10th, when should I take the test?

At any time on the 9th. Direct link to detailed section: https://flytrippers.com/how-canadians-travel-united-states/#How_the_pre-entry_test_required_by_the_USA_works

Hello, When the airlines/customs ask for proof of vaccination, what do they do with it? Do they go through a process?

I can’t say for the land border since they didn’t ask me both times I went, but my plane I’ve entered many many times and they just look at the document to see if it says you are vaccinated or not. Not sure what you mean, does that answer your question?

Aside from the Canadian Government requirements the airlines mat have their own rules. I am a critical service worker and have an exempt certificate from Arrive-Can. However my last flight out of the USA was Delta and they require a negative test before boarding their aircraft. The Arrive-Can paperwork is strictly for the Canadian Government and it doesn’t apply to them.

No Delta does not have test requirements. They only apply the countries’ rules, like every other airline in the world except Etihad. However, like all other airlines, they do have employees who don’t know the rules and exemptions so that’s why it’s important that you know them well and make sure to tell them they ar wrong.

My unvaxed teenagers are booked with Delta to fly from Calgary to Guatemala City in August. They have one layover in LA. I was reassured by a Delta rep that Delta will only require what the destination is requiring, which in this case is a negative Covid test. The rep said it will not matter that they have a layover in the US. Is this correct info from what you know?

Yes as mentioned in this post, there are absolutely no requirements to enter the USA for those under the age of 18. So they will only check the requirements for the destination indeed 🙂

So Delta let my unvaxed 15 and 19 year olds fly from Calgary to Guatemala City via LAX. But we could not convince the Delta Rep in Guatemala City to let them return home the same way. They were adamant that they could not connect through the states, even though Delta had let them fly down through the states unvaxed. Very frustrating! Cost us over $4000 extra dollars to buy new tickets through AeroMexico, flying to Mexico city and then straight to YVR. Do you think it’s any use taking this up with Delta since they’d reassured me like four times on the phone before their trip that they’d be fine and also let them use one way of their return ticket, but not the other way? So frustrating and very expensive!

The vaccination requirement applies to those over 18, so the 19-year-old shouldn’t have been allowed on the outbound flight (and the 15-year-old should have been allowed on the inbound flight). I would definitely try to get them to reimburse you for your out-of-pocket expenses since it’s their mistake for sure.

hi when flying from Canada to USA does the original vaccine passport work or do I need the qr code ?

Hi, this section addresses that: https://flytrippers.com/how-canadians-travel-united-states/#Proof_of_vaccination_for_travel_to_the_USA Better get the right one just to avoid any problems.

Hi! Thank you so much for writing these information. It really helps us planning our trip. I just have one question though, me and fiancé are both fully vaccinated and planning to fly from Bellingham to Los Angeles, however, we are crossing to the border from Vancouver. I understand that domestic flights and crossing border by land does not require covid test but we are wondering if we still need to get tested since we are crossing by land then flying to LA. I appreciate your reply. Thank you so much!

Hi! No, as you said, entering by land does not require a test and domestic flights do not require a test. End of story 🙂

Hey Andrew, Thank you for your time and work on this. I have a question about the proof of vaccination, will our vaccination card with QR code on our mobile phones work or do we need to print out something to show when traveling from Toronto – Los Angeles? As for the Rapid antigen test what is the best piece of documentation to provide when arriving into the States. Thank you

The US isn’t very strict, but still, you should get the “Canadian” vaccine passport to be safe as they might not recognize a provincial name ( https://flytrippers.com/vaccine-passport-travel-canada/ ). No need to print anything. Test can be the digital report as well 🙂 To be clear you won’t need it when arriving into the USA, it will only be checked by the airline (if it is checked t all).

As a Canadian citizen do I need to test for domestic flights within the US?

Nobody needs anything to board a domestic flight in the US, there is no test or vaccine requirement just like almost every country in the world (except Canada). So if you are one of the Canadians who are very scared of unvaccinated travelers, just a good thing to know about 😛

Good morning, my family and I are looking to travel to the US in mid-April of this year. The adults are all fully vaccinated, the two children are not. The children at the time of travel would be 5 and 3. The plan would be to travel from Buffalo (we live in Niagara and its closer and cheaper), to Florida. Would this be possible and easily done? In theory, we would cross in Fort Erie by land, head to the Buffalo airport and fly to Florida that way. Then fly back to Buffalo and re-cross in Fort Erie by land.

Yes, it’s possible and it’s by far the easiest option. The only test required would be for the 5 year-old to enter Canada, unless Canada announces a new exemption for kids.

So, if my wife and I we are double vaccinated and my 4 years old unvaccinated , and we are planning to travel to Seattle from Vancouver for less than 72 hours by land. We don’t need any Covid tests. Right?

Hi, only if you enter Canada on April 1st or later.

Bonjour Andrew,

Moi et ma famille voudrions passer la frontière américaine sans être vaccinés. Est-ce que les douaniers américains au Québec sont regardant sur la vaccination ? Peut-on juste attester verbalement en espérant qu’ils nous laissent passer ? Et dans le cas où ils voudraient vérifier le pass vaccinal de quelle façon ils le vérifient, en scannant le code QR ou juste en jetant un coup d’œil sur la fiche ?

Merci pour ta réponse.

Bonjour, je viens de faire un paragraphe là-dessus: https://flytrippers.com/fr/comment-canadiens-voyager-etats-unis/#Voyageurs_non-vaccines_regles_pour_voyager_aux_Etats-Unis Et aucun code QR n’est exigé par les États-Unis, juste la preuve papier ou numérique en anglais.

Hi, I have a question I just made a rapid test appointment the day before my flight. I fly out March 16th, and scheduled a rapid test with Walmart on the 15th. I can take the test anytime, as long as the time frame is in the date of the 15th? Can I test a week before I fly out? Or do I have to do it on the 15th. Thanks!

Hi, the day of the flight or the day before 🙂

Je pars pour Miami dans 2 semaines avec les enfants. Quelle genre de preuve doit-on présenter si on fait un test rapide à la maison? Mais quand je lis sur le site de CDC, il y a beaucoup d’exigences, et je ne veux pas prendre la risque de me faire virer de bord avec les enfants… :

You can use a self-test (sometimes referred to as home test) that meets the following criteria:

The test must be a SARS-CoV-2 viral test (nucleic acid amplification test [NAAT] or antigen test) with Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) OR the relevant national authority where the test is administered. The testing procedure must include a telehealth service affiliated with the manufacturer of the test that provides real-time supervision remotely through an audio and video connection. Some FDA-authorized self-tests that include a telehealth service may require a prescription. The telehealth provider must confirm your identity, observe the sample collection and testing procedures, confirm the test result, and issue a report that meets the requirements of CDC’s Order (see “What information must be included in the test result?” below). Airlines and other aircraft operators must be able to review and confirm your identity and the test result details. You must also be able to present the documentation of test results to U.S. officials at the port of entry and local/state health departments, if requested.

Bonjour, un test fait à la maison sans surveillance par télésanté n’est pas accepté par aucun pays du monde (une des très rares règles universelles haha). Si tu n’as pas de rapport, c’est donc inutile. Ça prend un rapport de labo. Donc pour entrer aux États-Unis par avion, ça te prend soit: — un test négatif OU — un test positif ET une lettre d’un médecin Voici les détails: https://flytrippers.com/fr/comment-canadiens-voyager-etats-unis/#Exemption_pour_les_infections_recentes

Thanks for the info Andrew. One question I have I’m having trouble finding the answer to is what Canada considers 10 days post positive test to enter. The government website says, “ You must provide proof of a COVID-19 negative molecular test result to enter Canada OR proof of a previous positive test result taken between 10 and 180 days ago.” then goes on the say, “ Canadians: To avoid being fined $5,000 per traveller (plus surcharges), wait to enter Canada until the 10th day after your positive test result.” I tested positive Jan 29 @10 am. Can I fot home on February 8th? Or do I have to wait until the 9th?

The response we got from Health Canada media relations is that the precise timing of the day is not relevant in this calculation. It’s 10 full days. So in your case you’d be allowed to board only on the 9th.

Hi, I have a coworker with a small general aviation airplane (Cessna 172). Could my coworker fly my unvaccinated friend from Pit Meadows airport (small airport near Vancouver) to Bellingham or Seattle? My friend then wants to fly solo (by commercial airline) to Mexico and then return direct to Vancouver from Mexico (also commercial airline). Do you think this would be possible? Thanks for any help

No because the US requires foreigners to be fully vaccinated to enter. If you can get a private plane to take you to Mexico, which has no entry requirements at all, then this would most definitely work yes.

Can you fly to Mexico on a private owned plane but stop in the USA top up fuel and continue on to Mexico?

That is a great question, I don’t seem to be able to find anything online about this unfortunately.

Thanks for the quick reply! Any difference if an unvaccinated person took a private boat from Vancouver to Bellingham, WA?

No unfortunately, the US requires foreigners to be fully vaccinated to enter. Whether it is in a car, on a plane, on a boat, on a UFO or any other mode, the US requires vaccination all the time :S

Does a Canadian vaccine passport work for proof of vaccination in Hawaii right now at their restaurants? I’ve seen that fully vaxxed Canadians flying direct no longer need to enrol in Safe Travels, but is there another requirement once you’re on the island for dining etc?

Hi, I have not seen comments about that. But surely like most destinations, they have some way of recognizing foreign vaccination proof to allow entry to restaurants and other places since they encourage foreign visitors. You can check their tourism website or official government COVID-19 website for info. We have our hands pretty full with just the travel restrictions themselves so we’ll stick to that only, unfortunately 😛

If I am a fully vaccinated Canadian who travelled to the USA via land border in Maine and my ‘72 hour before crossing’ test comes back positive am I still allowed to cross into Canada and continue home to isolate? And how long is isolation in Canada for people who have travelled outside the country?

Hi, you are “allowed” in the sense that they will let you in, but it’s against the official rule. In theory, the government says you are subject to a fine of $5,000 but in practice those seem to be rare if you have a quarantine plan. Here are all the details: https://flytrippers.com/entering-canada-by-land-with-a-positive-test/

Hi Andrew, I am a Canadian driving across the Detroit boarder and flying out of Metro Airport to Mexico. Do I require a covid test to board the plane? So confused lol Thank you in advance

No test required to enter the US by land and no test required to fly domestically (like almost every country in the world too) and no test required to enter Mexico, so you’re good 🙂

If i fly from France to canada, as a fully vaccinated Canadian, how long do i have to wait in canada before i can fly to the usa?

Hi, there isn’t really a waiting period anymore, it’s just that you will be tested on arrival and required to isolate until you get the results. You should be able to leave isolation to go to the airport if you’re flying out of the country, but I’ll double-check with Health Canada since, yet again, the government website is pretty useless on this subject.

Can an unvaccinated Canadian of any age drive into the US for “non-essential” travel? From this post, it looks like that may be the case, but perhaps it was only referring to not having to test and perhaps that still means you have to provide proof of vaccination. Thanks for your help!

Hi Andrew, While there has been some changes on the US side of things recently, many Canadians have travelled unvaccinated to the US since November. People post their travel experiences with proof on travel groups and I personally know people who have crossed by land multiple times. So it’s not that simple. Since the 22nd, they started ‘cracking down’, hence the convoys.

Yeah before January 22nd, essential travelers were exempt so it makes sense that they would not verify systematically. Might definitely have changed since, all the many reports I’ve seen of unvaccinated Canadians entering the USA by land were pre-January 22nd for sure.

As soon as things change on land travel for unvaccinated traveller’s can you please let me know. I am, but my husband and son are not and we would like to drive to see my husbands family in the US since it has been way too long and they are getting old. I totally agree with your comment that at this point it should totally be a personal risk assessment everyone just has to take for themselves…since we know that fully vaccinated people can spread it and catch it just like the unvaccinated can… thanks for your help

Hi, yes we’ll definitely post about it as soon as it changes. You can follow us on Facebook or sign up for our free newsletter to make sure you don’t miss anything: https://flytrippers.com/never-miss-a-cheap-flight-deal-from-canada/

Hello Andrew, I love this website and article! I have a question, has an announcement been made regarding exemption guidelines for an unvaccinated Canadian citizen married to an American born citizen to enter the USA by land or air? Where can I find information? Thanks for your time.

They aren’t great at providing specifics, your best bet will be to contact them directly unfortunately. This DHS website lists a few “essential travel” examples, but I would assume being married to an American citizen should give some right to enter. https://www.dhs.gov/news/2021/10/29/frequently-asked-questions-guidance-travelers-enter-us

Hi Andrew: You’ve pulled together a terrific website… and thanks to you, I’m now thinking it just might be smarter to cancel next month’s fight to Florida out of Toronto and navigate that border by flying out of Buffalo instead. And as you pointed out, U.S. fares look good. One question: On our return, even though we’re triple-vaxxed, if it turned out we had an asymptomatic but positive result on that 72-hour molecular test, what would happen when we tried to drive back across the border from Buffalo?

Unfortunately, you would have to wait until you get a negative test OR 10 full days and then enter, or else you could be fined up to $5,000. Here is the detailed article I just posted about this today: https://flytrippers.com/testing-positive-while-traveling/

Bonjour! Pour un retour au Canada à partir du Mexique (escale aux USA)… est-ce que les USA acceptent également le PCR ou je dois faire les deux tests? (puisque les USA acceptent le test AG rapide et le Canada accepte le PCR) Merci beaucoup!

Oui les États-Unis acceptent les PCR 🙂

Wow!! So glad I discovered your site. Extremely helpful. Hearing that starting on Dec. 6th, Canadians will have to show proof of negative antigen test when entering the US (by air AND by land). Just curious about how one provides proof of this negative antigen test……isn’t this a test that you can administer yourself?? Thank you in advance.

Hi, no there are no changes to the land border rules at all. Still no test required to enter. There are self-test kits but most people use clinics to get the test done. Here is an introduction to COVID-19 tests for travel: https://flytrippers.com/covid-19-tests-travel/

Can unvaccinated Canadians travel to the United States after November 8? Trip is planned for Nov 20 – 28, so would be going and coming before the “transition period” for unvaccinated is over.

Hi no, you cannot. The transition period is related to Canada’s rule to board a plane departing from Canada. It is completely separate. The US has their own entry rules and they no longer let unvaccinated foreigners in.

Hi Andrew, Can I get an official source for the requirement on Covid test to enter the US as a fully vaccinated Canadian? My research never specify a test required for people other than U.S. citizens and Legal Permanent Residents.

https://ca.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information-canada-3/

Hi there is only one official source for every country’s requirements, we give you the link for each country here: https://flytrippers.com/countries-canadians-can-travel-to/

Can an unvaccinated Canadian fly from Florida to Costa Rica return now??

Hi, yes Costa Rica has no vaccination requirement. You won’t be able to return to the US though, unless you are a US citizen.

What if you are a fully vaccinated Canadian… Drive across the border to Detroit, get on a plane from Detroit to Utah?

What’s the requirements for testing for that?

HI, I’m not sure I understand the timing for which tests can be used to fly into the USA. If I fly to the US on Nov 5, I can get a rapid antigen on Nov 3rd and be fine? Thanks.

Hi, you can even have it done on the 2nd at any time of the day, the US is different and doesn’t care about the precise time.

Andrew, by far you are in my top 3 sites for direct clear information which is well organized. Bravo. You have mentioned the possibility of flying private or travelling by boat. Does boat mean a small yacht which can be hired to cross the ST. Lawrence? Don’t private flights to small US airports still require passengers to go through border patrol who would check if you are vaccinated?

Hi, glad we can help! You can travel by boat but not to the US since they will require vaccination starting tomorrow. But you could go to Mexico the long way haha 😛

Thanks for the info! To confirm, a flight flying from Hawaii to Arizona does not require any negative tests for a Canadian traveller. Just proof of vaccination?

No proof of vaccination either, absolutely nothing is required for domestic flights. About 2 million Americans flew just yesterday, they wouldn’t tolerate any requirements whatsoever unlike us (cultural differences I guess) and so you do not need to be tested or vaccinated (and this is the case for domestic flights in almost every country in the world by the way).

Does anyone know if an “unvaccinated” Canadian married to an American can cross over? I’m planning to drive across the border by mid or end of November, however, I’m worry my husband won’t be allowed to go in. 🙁

So if they keep the same exemptions as now and if they apply them to the land border too, it should work but you’ll have to confirm once they announced the actual rules.

Great post thanks. If you are unvaccinated and trying to fly the US before Oct 30 but don’t have a return flight till after Nov 8, (snow bird) will there be border protection stop you because you’ll be in the US unvaccinated after they’re Nov 8 mandate?

Hi Todd,like in most countries the only federal rule is about entry. That’s all that matters. So as long as you’re in before November 8, no issues. Some cities may have vaccine requirements for some activities of course, but that’s a minority and not many in the sunny parts of the country!

for unvaccinated travelers, after November 30th will they not be able to leave or return Canada at all by land sea or air ?

Starting November 30, those who are unvaccinated cannot board a plane in a Canadian airport. Entry rules are completely separate, there are no changes to entry rules so any Canadian can always enter Canada.

But effectively, since the US is banning unvaccinated foreigners, no plane and no land means unless you leave before November 30, unvaccinated Canadians will be stuck here. Unless you fly private or use a boat. If the government goes ahead with it has announced.

Just like to Thankyou for your site. It’s a blessing to be able to be informed for travel into different places and be able to know the requirements to depart & enter.🇨🇦

Does anyone know if for re-entry into Canada is the 72 hours is calculated from date of test or date of results received?

Hi the test itself must be performed at most 72 hours before the scheduled time of departure of your direct flight to Canada.

This is really informative. Thank you for writting this piece to guide people who are thinking of travelling to the US. I just need to confirm though, that Rapid test are accepted in both US and Canada? In BC NAAT travel test is for $200. Thanks in advance!

Hi, rapid antigen tests are NOT accepted to enter Canada (but to enter the USA yes). Canada only accepts PCRs and also rapid molecular tests, only available in the US though (NAATs).

Hello I love your site, very informative. I read it all, but I am overloaded with information. So hopefully I am not bothering you. Myself and my 2 adult children are travelling from Toronto to Florida the last week of October. We are fully Vaccinated. 1. What do we need to fly out? What test do we need? Where is the best place for a test in Ontario? What do exactly need to travel easily? 2. Flying home, A specific test, No cost Walgreens or CVS ? Thanks for your time and help, Warm Regards Deb S

Hi. If nothing changes until then: To enter the US, you need a rapid antigen test. Shoppers Drug Mart at $40 seems to be the best option in Ontario, if not it’s $60 at YYZ directly (details: https://flytrippers.com/canadians-travel-coronavirus-pandemic/#cantesting ) To enter Canada, you need a molecular test (PCR or NAAT). Walgreens is the best bet with the faster NAAT, but there are plenty of free options in almost every state, including Florida (details: https://flytrippers.com/getting-covid-19-test-usa-for-canadians/ )

Hi Andrew, When I’ve been looking to book a PCR test online at Walgreens, it asks for my state ID or state drivers license. I was able to plug my US AirBnB address in the previous step for my address, but am curious as to what you did for this step. Did you just select whatever state you’re in and enter your provincial drivers license information? Please let me know whenever you can. Thanks a lot!

I took the NAAT and not the PCR, so they didn’t require ID. But from other travelers’ experiences, the ID is again just to identify you correctly, they don’t mind if it’s not a US drivers license since tests are not restricted to residents, but you can double-check with the testing location specifically and let us know so we can share with other readers:)

Hi Andrew, my daughter is trying to get home to Canada from Morocco (she has been there 8 months) and unfortunately, her direct flight was cancelled. We are having a heck of a time trying to figure out if she can fly via Air France from Morocco to Boston (with a stop at CDG) and then take an AC flight from Boston to Montreal. She is not vaccinated because (anyways the vaccine in Morocco is not recognized in Canada). She will have taken her PCR test in Morocco and then take another PCR test in Boston. Will she have any trouble? Otherwise, the option was to fly RAM to JFK, get tested (PCR) and then shuttle over to LGA. Any insight you could provide would be helpful. HELP.

Hi, unfortunately, anyone who has been in most of Europe in the previous 14 days will not be allowed to enter the United States (unless they have US citizenship/residency). Even transits in Europe count so both Boston and New York are not options for Canadians in Europe.

Entering the US would work after a transit in Turkey or the Gulf countries would work though (the ban is on the Schengen area—which is most of the EU—and the UK and Ireland) or from Morocco to the US directly (but I don’t see any direct flights in the short term).

If not, she’ll have to go from Morocco to Europe then to Canada directly. In all cases, a PCR test needs to be done at the transit country (or there’s the NAAT option instead of a PCR if she transits in the US).

The fact she is not vaccinated might preclude her from entering/transiting in some countries, so double-check that (although some countries might accept other types of vaccines than Canada). The US has no vaccine requirement if she finds a flight from Morocco to there without going through Europe.

Hope this helps!

I understand the rules for travelling to Canada from the US by land. However it is not clear to me what are the requirements to enter the US by land for a Canadian with a green card. Can anyone enlighten me ?

Hi, there are no requirements to enter the US by land (no testing required). The US website says this: “U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, and individuals with valid travel documents will be exempted.” So as a permanent resident with a Green Card, it seems you are allowed to enter.

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COVID-19: Travel, testing and borders

Return or travel to canada.

For all travellers entering Canada by air, land or marine mode:

• Proof of COVID-19 vaccination is not required
• Pre-board testing is not required
• COVID-19 pre-entry and arrival tests are not required
• Quarantine after you enter Canada is not required
• to save time at the border, you can use Advance Declaration in ArriveCAN to submit your customs and immigration declaration before flying into Canada
• Pre-boarding tests for cruise passengers are not required
• As always, travel documents are required
• Health checks to board planes and trains are not required
• It's strongly recommended that you wear a well-constructed and well-fitted mask or respirator while you travel

If you have symptoms of COVID-19 , you shouldn't travel to Canada.

If you feel sick or experience any symptoms of COVID-19 during your travel to Canada or upon arrival, you should:

• inform the flight attendant, cruise staff or a border services officer upon arrival. You may be referred to a Quarantine Officer for a health assessment and further direction.
• avoid taking public transportation
• check provincial or territorial requirements for what you need to do if you’re symptomatic or have tested positive for COVID-19

Travelling in and out of Canada

• International travel advice and advisories
• COVID-19 and international travel
• Proof of vaccination
• Find out if you need a visa

Wearing masks on planes and trains in Canada is not required.

• It's still strongly recommended that you wear a high quality and well-fitted mask or respirator while you travel

Situation in Canada

• COVID-19 guidance, vaccines, limiting the spread
• Summary data about travellers, testing and compliance

The Government of Canada will continue to monitor the situation. See the COVID-19 border measures backgrounder .

U.S. vaccination requirement for air passengers worries Canadians with mixed vaccines

U.s. currently doesn't recognize people with some covid-19 vaccine mixes as being fully vaccinated.

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Canadian travellers have been able to fly freely to the United States since the start of the pandemic, but new U.S. travel rules announced Monday have some Canadians with two different COVID-19 vaccine doses worried they may soon be barred from entry. 

Starting in early November, the U.S. will require foreign air passengers entering the country to be fully vaccinated. The problem is, the U.S. has yet to approve mixing COVID-19 vaccines.

"I'm really worried about this U.S. policy," said Cathy Hiuser of Ancaster, Ont., who has one dose of COVISHIELD (a brand of AstraZeneca) and one dose of Pfizer. She has booked a trip to Maui, departing Nov. 7.

"I don't even know if I'll be able to go across the border," she said. "It's a problem."

At the same time as the U.S. introduces its vaccine requirement, the country will lift its travel ban on air passengers entering from a list of dozens of red-flagged countries.

"We'll be putting in place strict protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19 from passengers flying internationally into the United States," said White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Monday. 

CBC News asked the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) if the millions of Canadians with mixed vaccines will still be allowed to fly to the country when the vaccine requirement kicks in. The CDC said it's in the "regulatory process" phase in determining which vaccines will be accepted. 

The agency also laid out its current policy: it considers people fully vaccinated when they have all recommended doses of the same COVID-19 vaccine, such as Pfizer, Moderna or AstraZeneca.

"At present CDC does not recognize mixed vaccines," said spokesperson Kristen Nordlund.

• Biden easing foreign air travel restrictions, requiring vaccines

But there are exceptions to the rule. The CDC says on its website that mixed doses of the two mRNA vaccines , Pfizer and Moderna, are acceptable in "exceptional situations," such as when the vaccine used for the first dose was no longer available.

However, a combination of AstraZeneca and an mRNA vaccine won't meet the bar, a position adopted by cruise ships departing from U.S. ports.

"Guests whose two-shot regimen consists of 1 mRNA dose (Pfizer or Moderna) with 1 AstraZeneca dose will not be considered vaccinated," states Royal Caribbean cruise line on its website. "We continue to encourage the CDC and other U.S. government officials to re-evaluate this policy."

'I started to cry'

Canada is one of several countries — including Germany, Italy, France and Thailand  — that has doled out mixed vaccines to a number of its citizens. But there is no international consensus on the practice. 

The CDC said the U.S. is conducting trials on the safety and effectiveness of mixed vaccines, and that the agency may update its vaccine recommendations once it has new data. 

But that's of little comfort to Canadians with mixed doses who've already made travel plans to the U.S., such as snowbirds and those who've booked winter vacations. 

In May, Norma Chrobak of Orillia, Ont., booked a special family trip to the U.S. Virgin Islands to celebrate her partner's 75th birthday. The trip consists of a week-long chartered boat cruise in February — at a cost of $26,000. 

The problem is, five out of the 10 family members set to go on the trip — including Chrobak and her partner — have a mix of AstraZeneca and Moderna. 

"My heart just almost exploded in my chest," said Chrobak when she learned about the coming U.S. vaccine requirement for travellers. "I started to cry."

She has already paid a $12,500 deposit and, even though she purchased travel insurance, Chrobak is unsure at this point if she can get a full refund if she must cancel the trip. 

The cruise was supposed to be a surprise birthday gift for Chrobak's partner. But she's speaking publicly about it in the hopes the Canadian government will pressure the U.S. to accept mixed vaccines. 

"Somebody's got to take this bull by the horns," she said. "There's got to be something that can be done."

Travellers with mixed vaccines say they can't board some cruises

Canada updated its vaccination guidelines in June to recommend mixing COVID-19 vaccine doses based on emerging research that found it was both safe and effective.

On Thursday, Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam said Canada is in talks with the U.S. about its coming vaccine requirement for foreign air passengers. 

"We have had quite a series of discussions with U.S. counterparts," she said during a news conference. "We've basically been providing some technical support to help them make a decision on the mixed dose, particularly AstraZeneca followed by an mRNA vaccine."

The waiting game

Lawyer Henry Chang, who specializes in Canadian and U.S. immigration law, said he's optimistic the U.S. will soon change its position on mixed vaccines.

"My gut feeling is that they're going to have to resolve it. If not right when the vaccine requirements come in, soon after, because there are going to be too many people complaining about this," said Chang, who is with the law firm Dentons in Toronto. 

• Mixed dose woes: Some Canadians lost out on jobs abroad due to their mixed vaccines
• Worried your COVID-19 vaccine won't be accepted abroad? Here's what you need to know

If the U.S. doesn't budge on mixed vaccines come November, some Canadians will still have options. Quebec , Manitoba , Saskatchewan and Alberta are each offering third vaccine doses to people in their province who require it for travel.

But that doesn't help potential travellers such as Chrobak in Ontario, who must wait to find out the fate of her trip.

"Pretty much just feeling devastated, feeling like I have no control," she said.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Business reporter

Based in Toronto, Sophia Harris covers consumer and business for CBC News web, radio and TV. She previously worked as a CBC videojournalist in the Maritimes where she won an Atlantic Journalism Award for her work. Contact: [email protected]

• @sophiaharrisCBC

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Can a Canadian Permanent Resident Travel to USA? Your Guide.

As a Canadian permanent resident, you may wonder if you can travel to the USA. The good news is that Canadian permanent residents are generally allowed to enter the United States for tourism, business, or other purposes. However, there are specific entry and exit requirements that you need to be aware of before planning your trip. Let’s explore the details.

Key Takeaways:

• Canadian permanent residents can travel to the USA for tourism, business, or other purposes.
• There are specific entry and exit requirements that need to be met.
• Visa requirements depend on the country of citizenship for Canadian permanent residents.
• The Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection have authority over entry into the USA.
• Consult the U.S. Embassy and Consulate websites for up-to-date information on traveling to the USA.

Risk Level and Safety and Security in the USA

When traveling to the United States, it is essential to consider the risk level, safety, and security measures in place. While most of the country is safe for travelers, it’s necessary to be aware of specific areas that may pose higher risks.

Risk Level in the United States

Along the border with Mexico, in states like Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas, criminal incidents related to drug trafficking may occur more frequently.

Travelers should exercise increased caution in these areas and use officially recognized border crossings when crossing the U.S.-Mexico border by car. It’s important to stay vigilant and follow local law enforcement guidance.

There may be instances of petty crime, such as pickpocketing, in urban centers and tourist locations. Travelers should be mindful of their belongings and take necessary precautions to protect their valuables.

Entry and Exit Requirements for Canadian Permanent Residents

As a Canadian permanent resident planning to travel to the United States, you must familiarize yourself with the entry and exit requirements. These requirements ensure a smooth and hassle-free travel experience. Here are the key details you need to know:

• Traveling by Air: When traveling by air, you must present a valid passport for the duration of your stay or a valid NEXUS card at self-serve kiosks. This applies to both entry and exit from the United States.
• Traveling by Land or Water: If you’re entering the United States by land or water, you may need a valid passport, a Trusted Traveler Program card, an enhanced driver’s license (EDL), or other approved travel documents. It’s essential to check the specific requirements based on your travel purpose and the duration of your stay.

In addition to these requirements, it’s always recommended to carry your Canadian permanent resident card or other proof of your status as a Canadian permanent resident when traveling to the United States.

Remember, having the necessary documentation and meeting the entry and exit requirements is essential for hassle-free travel as a Canadian permanent resident.

Visa Requirements for Canadian Permanent Residents

The visa requirements for Canadian permanent residents vary depending on their country of citizenship.

If you are a citizen of a country eligible for the Visa Waiver Program, you may be able to visit the U.S. for up to 90 days without a visa. However, if you are not eligible for the Visa Waiver Program or your stay in the U.S. exceeds 90 days, you must apply for a nonimmigrant visa.

The Visa Waiver Program lets people from certain countries visit the U.S. for tourism or business without a visa. To qualify, you need a valid e-passport and approval through ESTA.

This program provides convenience for Canadian permanent residents who meet the requirements and plan to visit the U.S. temporarily.

However, you must apply for a nonimmigrant visa if you are not eligible for the Visa Waiver Program or plan to stay in the U.S. for longer than 90 days.

The reason for your trip determines the visa you require, be it for work, study, or joining a family member. Review the criteria and application procedures for the particular nonimmigrant visa category that suits your situation.

Disclaimer: The table info is just a general guide. Visa rules can change, so check the exact requirements for your country and the reason for traveling.

Permanent Residents of Canada and the Visa Waiver Program

As a permanent resident of Canada, you may be eligible for the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) when traveling to the United States. The VWP allows individuals from participating countries to visit the U.S. for business or pleasure for up to 90 days without needing a visa.

To qualify for the VWP, you must be a citizen of a participating country, possess a valid e-Passport, and have obtained ESTA approval. This streamlined process makes it easier for Canadian permanent residents to travel to the United States.

When getting ready for your trip, bring evidence of your Permanent Resident Status in Canada for your return. This could be your permanent resident card or travel document.

Also, have all the essential travel documents, including your passport and any extra paperwork that U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers might ask for.

While the VWP allows for visa-free travel, it’s essential to remember that it has certain limitations. The 90-day period is not extendable, and you must leave the United States before your authorized stay ends.

If you plan to stay in the U.S. for longer than the allowed 90 days or for purposes other than those permitted under the VWP, you must apply for a nonimmigrant visa before your trip.

Participating Countries in the Visa Waiver Program

Visa Requirements for Canadian Permanent Residents from Specific Countries

If you’re a permanent resident of Canada originally from India, you need to request a U.S. Visitor Visa. This visa lets you travel to the United States for different reasons, such as tourism, business, medical treatment, or participating in conferences and workshops. Review the visa requirements based on your citizenship to ensure a hassle-free entry into the United States.

The U.S. Department of State’s official website provides comprehensive information on visa requirements and the application process, making it easier to understand the specific steps you need to take.

Remember to allow ample time for visa processing, as it can take several weeks or months, depending on your situation.

Table: Visa Requirements for Canadian Permanent Residents from Specific Countries

It’s important to note that visa requirements may change over time, so it’s always a good idea to check for any updates or changes before planning your trip.

To find out what you need for a visa, contact the U.S. embassy or consulate where you live. They’ll give you the most current info.

Additional Resources for Canadian Visitors to the United States

Here are some additional resources Canadian visitors can utilize to ensure a smooth and hassle-free trip to the United States.

U.S. Embassy and Consulate Websites in Canada

The U.S. Embassy and Consulate websites in Canada are excellent sources of information for Canadian visitors. These websites offer detailed guidance on visa requirements, entry procedures, and travel advisories.

You can also find contact information for the embassy or consulate nearest your location, allowing you to reach out for any specific queries or concerns.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Website

The U.S. CBP website provides comprehensive information on admissions, entry requirements, and restrictions.

This resource can help you understand the processes of entering the United States, including the required documents, customs procedures, and guidelines for bringing restricted items.

Canadian Government Travel Advisories

It’s always wise to stay informed about travel advisories issued by the Canadian government. These advisories provide essential updates on safety and security measures in various countries, including the United States.

Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection

Before traveling to the United States as a permanent resident of Canada, it’s essential to familiarize yourself with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). These organizations are crucial for safeguarding the security and safety of the United States at its borders and entry points.

The DHS is responsible for preventing terrorism, securing borders, enforcing immigration laws, safeguarding cyberspace, and managing disaster response efforts.

CBP, a branch within the DHS, focuses explicitly on regulating and facilitating international trade, collecting import duties, and enforcing U.S. regulations regarding immigration, customs, and agriculture.

As a Canadian permanent resident, you will come into contact with CBP officials when entering the United States at a port of entry.

These officials have the authority to permit or deny admission into the country, so it’s crucial to understand and comply with their requirements and procedures. Be prepared to present your valid passport, visa (if applicable), and other necessary travel documents, as requested by CBP.

In conclusion, as a Canadian permanent resident, your dream of traveling to the United States can become a reality. By understanding and complying with the entry and exit requirements and visa regulations (if applicable) and following the necessary procedures, you can have a smooth and enjoyable trip to the USA.

It is crucial to stay well-informed and prepared by keeping up-to-date with the latest travel information and resources. Consult Canada’s U.S. Embassy and Consulate websites for specific and up-to-date information on traveling to the United States.

Review the Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) websites for essential details that may affect your entry into the country.

Remember, whether you’re going for business or pleasure, a successful journey to the USA as a Canadian permanent resident is within reach. Safe travels!

Can Canadian permanent residents travel to the USA?

Yes, Canadian permanent residents are generally allowed to enter the United States for tourism, business, or other purposes.

Is it safe to travel to the USA?

While the majority of the country is safe for travelers, there are some areas along the border with Mexico where criminal incidents related to drug trafficking are more common. It’s essential to remain vigilant and cautious of petty crime in urban centers and tourist locations.

What documents do Canadian permanent residents need to enter the USA?

When traveling by air, you must present a valid passport for your stay or a valid NEXUS card at self-serve kiosks. If you’re entering by land or water, you may need a valid passport, a Trusted Traveler Program card, an enhanced driver’s license (EDL), or other approved travel documents.

Do Canadian permanent residents need a visa to enter the USA?

It depends on your country of citizenship. If you are a citizen of a country eligible for the Visa Waiver Program, you may visit the U.S. for up to 90 days without a visa. If you are not eligible for the Visa Waiver Program or plan to visit the U.S. for over 90 days, you may need to apply for a nonimmigrant visa.

Are permanent residents of Canada eligible for the Visa Waiver Program?

Yes, permanent residents of Canada may be eligible for the Visa Waiver Program if they are citizens of a participating country, possess a valid e-Passport, and have obtained ESTA approval.

What are the visa requirements for Canadian permanent residents from specific countries?

The visa rules can differ based on your citizenship. For instance, if you’re a permanent resident of Canada originally from India, you’ll need to seek a U.S. Visitor Visa. Reviewing the visa requirements that apply specifically to your country of citizenship is crucial.

Are there additional resources available for Canadian visitors to the USA?

Yes, additional resources are available, including information on entering the country, business travel, visa exemptions, and more. It’s recommended to consult Canada’s U.S. Embassy and Consulate websites for specific and up-to-date information on traveling to the United States.

What are the entry requirements for citizens of Bermuda?

Citizens of Bermuda generally do not require a nonimmigrant visa for stays up to 180 days. However, there are specific travel purposes where a nonimmigrant visa is required. It’s crucial to review the visa requirements that apply to your trip, considering the purpose of your travel and how long you plan to stay.

What is the role of the Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection?

The Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials have the authority to permit or deny admission to the United States at the port of entry. Reviewing the CBP website for information on admissions, entry requirements, and other vital details that may affect your entry into the United States is essential.

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Rules For Traveling to the USA From Canada Explained

Before you begin planning your trip to the United States, it’s important to understand the rules for traveling to the USA from Canada. Here are some of the rules you need to know, including the COVID-19 travel restrictions and exemptions. You can also learn more about the requirements for vaccination and airline regulations.

COVID-19 travel restrictions

The United States is tightening its COVID-19 travel restrictions, but Canada has relaxed its restrictions. Canada’s public health agency based the loosening of travel restrictions on a number of factors, including vaccination rates, lower hospitalization and mortality rates, and the availability of vaccines against Covid-19 Omicron variants. The Canadian government’s move has spurred protests in Ottawa, as well as delays at border crossings in Detroit and Montana.

As of Oct. 1, travelers are no longer required to use the ArriveCAN app, submit a health test result, or undergo quarantine. While travel restrictions have relaxed, travelers may still be randomly selected and required to take the Covid-19 test. Nevertheless, the use of ArriveCAN is voluntary, as long as travelers meet certain criteria.

In the United States , travel restrictions for travelers affected by COVID-19 are governed by policy, procedures, and guidance. These are posted on the department’s website for stakeholders’ convenience. The restrictions apply to non-essential travelers only, and do not apply to U.S. citizens. The CDC also recommended masking during public transportation, but did not make it mandatory.

The CDC has lowered its requirements for travel restrictions to the USA for U.S. citizens returning from Canada. Until June 12, 2017, travelers were required to show that they had taken a negative Covid-19 test and documented their recovery. As of August 9, 2021, the mandatory vaccination will not apply to lawful permanent residents of the United States .

In the interim, the CDC has implemented an order requiring all air travellers to show proof of their negative COVID-19 test before boarding aircraft. However, the requirement is expected to be lifted by June 10, 2022.

There are a number of exemptions for travellers from Canada to the USA. One of these is a PHAC Group Exemption, which applies to people whose work requires them to cross international borders on a regular basis. This includes workers in the critical infrastructure sector. However, this exemption is not limited to these workers.

The government has recently changed some of the restrictions on travel from Canada to the United States . Travel restrictions are still in place for non-essential travel, but there are some exemptions. For example, fully-vaccinated United States citizens and lawful permanent residents are exempt from the travel restrictions for up to two years.

Fully vaccinated British Columbians living in flood-affected areas may still travel to the U.S. without a negative COVID-19 test, but the Canadian Border Services Agency will require them to do so within 72 hours of arrival at the land border between Canada and the USA. This test does not need to be a rapid antigen test, which is the standard requirement for the pre-entry COVID-19 molecular test.

Canadian citizens who plan to visit the USA can also use the Visa Waiver Program to visit the country visa-free. These individuals must have a valid passport and not have a criminal record. There are also regulations regarding food entry and alcoholic beverages that must be avoided. You can find information about the VWP on the U.S. Consulate’s website.

Travellers from countries that require a visa to visit the USA must apply for a TRV. They must present documentation proving that their family members have Canadian citizenship or are registered under the Indian Act. They must also show that they are related to the family member.

Vaccination requirements

If you are traveling to the USA from Canada, you should be aware of the vaccination requirements. Some countries require travelers to be fully vaccinated against certain diseases, like the yellow fever virus. Vaccinations are also required for those who plan to enter the United States by land. However, some travelers may be exempt from vaccination requirements.

If you are traveling via land ports of entry, you must get the COVID-19 vaccine. This vaccine will prevent you from contracting the disease. However, you must also have the vaccine if you plan to fly to the USA by air. You should consult with the appropriate health agencies in your country to get more information.

Travel restrictions vary from country to country, so it is important to research your destination’s specific vaccination requirements before making your travel plans. Travelers who have not been vaccinated may have to verbally confirm their vaccination status and may need to show proof that they have received all vaccines.

The Canadian government recently announced that the COVID-19 travel restriction will be lifted on Oct. 1 of this year. Canadian travelers will no longer have to show proof of vaccination, undergo COVID tests , or follow quarantine rules. They will also no longer need to use the ArriveCan app to submit their health information. However, Canadians who don’t comply with the new rules risk incurring a fine of $5,000.

When travelling from Canada to the USA, it’s important to follow the vaccination requirements. The CDC recommends taking a viral test three days before you depart. Once you know the results, you can plan your trip accordingly. If you don’t have the COVID-19 vaccine, you should not travel to the USA.

Airline exemptions

When travelling to the United States from Canada, it is important to know the rules of airline travel. There are certain exemptions for specific types of travel. For example, travellers with a family member in Canada can get an exemption from baggage restrictions. To get this exemption, travellers must present appropriate documentation proving the family member’s Canadian citizenship, Indian Act registration, or permanent residence. The document must also prove the relationship between the traveler and the family member.

Travellers with certain health conditions are exempt from the requirement to have the necessary vaccinations before flying to the USA. For example, minors under the age of 18 are exempt from this requirement, while older children must take a pre-departure test. However, adults must follow the same rules. If you are travelling with children, you should ensure that they are properly vaccinated and are up-to-date on their immunizations.

Travellers from Canada who are fully vaccinated are allowed to enter the United States on November 8th. The only exceptions are unvaccinated foreign nationals and minors under the age of 18. Quarantine requirements for children are very specific. Find out more here.

Travellers from other countries are also allowed to enter Canada if they meet certain vaccination requirements. This is important because you must ensure your health before travelling internationally. Getting vaccinated is a great way to avoid sicknesses and prevent the risk of infection. When travelling from Canada to the United States , it is critical to ensure that you are fully protected against all of the major illnesses.

Legal advice for LGBTI+ travellers

While there are many LGBTI+-friendly areas in the United States, there are also a few things to consider before deciding to travel there. As with any foreign country, there are laws and cultural norms that should be investigated before making any plans. While big cities tend to be more accepting of diversity than small rural towns, there are still some places where you might encounter discrimination.

The US and other countries have laws against discrimination and harassment of LGBT people. For example, some countries may block specific adult novelty toys and literature. Similarly, in some jurisdictions, there is legislation prohibiting discrimination against gay patrons. In the United Kingdom , for instance, couples have successfully sued innkeepers for discriminatory practices. Similar laws are in place in Australia and New Zealand.

There are many ways to protect your identity while traveling. For transgender people, changing your gender designation on your identity documents may be a good way to prevent problems at the border. Talk to your medical practitioner and therapist to prepare a letter explaining your transition. Additionally, you can prepare a brief statement that you can give to law enforcement officers and border officials. Ultimately, however, the decision to disclose your identity is one that will be your own.

Asylum is also an option for some LGBTI+ people. However, it is vital that you seek legal advice before you embark on your journey. Asylum claims are complicated and legal, and you should speak with an immigration attorney who is familiar with the rules.

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U.S. to end vaccine requirements for Canadians at land border, international air travellers: officials

The U.S. is ending its COVID-19 vaccine requirements for international air travellers and Canadians at the border as of next week, officials announced on Monday.

By the end of the day on May 11, international air travellers, federal employees and federal contractors will no longer need to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination , the White House said in a statement Monday.

“Our COVID-19 vaccine requirements bolstered vaccination across the nation, and our broader vaccination campaign has saved millions of lives,” the statement reads. “While vaccination remains one of the most important tools in advancing the health and safety of employees and promoting the efficiency of workplaces, we are now in a different phase of our response when these measures are no longer necessary.”

The statement added that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, along with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, will also “start the process to end their vaccination requirements for ... certain noncitizens at the land border."

“In the coming days, further details related to ending these requirements will be provided,” the White House said.

According to Democratic Congressman Brian Higgins, whose district encompasses Buffalo and Niagara Falls, N.Y. along the Canadian border, the COVID-19 vaccine requirement will also be lifted for Canadians seeking to cross into the U.S. through the land border as of May 11.

Higgins said this has been confirmed to him by the White House after he pushed for clarity on whether or not Canadian crossings at the land border would be impacted by the U.S. lifting its COVID emergency order on May 11.

“For over three years now there have been barriers to cross-border travel,” Higgins said in a press release. “It has kept families apart and impeded economic recovery. While long overdue, this last lifting of pandemic restrictions is certainly welcome news and critically important as we seek opportunities to encourage a robust cross-border exchange that delivers shared prosperity.”

Last month, U.S President Joe Biden signed a bill to end the COVID-19 national emergency.

Canada ended its requirement for proof of COVID-19 vaccination for all travellers entering the country by air or through the land border last October. 

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters

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'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date

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Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say

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'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic

A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.

All Alberta wildfires to date in 2024 believed to be human-caused: province

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7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released

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Suspects waving weapons, smashing glass in Toronto jewelry store robbery caught on video

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Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates

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New evidence challenges the Pentagon's account of a horrific attack as the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan: CNN exclusive

New video evidence uncovered by CNN significantly undermines two Pentagon investigations into an ISIS-K suicide attack outside Kabul airport, during the American withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.

B.C. imposes five-month ban on large open fires in Interior

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Ottawa injects another $36M into fund for those seriously injured or killed by vaccines

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Brothers Keepers gang member in B.C. sentenced to 11 years in prison

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Columbia University extends talks with Gaza war protesters, averting another confrontation

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Hamas releases video of hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin in proof he survived Oct. 7 injuries

Hamas released a video of Israeli-American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin on Wednesday, the first proof that he survived being badly wounded during his capture on Oct. 7.

Military horses run loose in central London, injuring 4 people and causing havoc

Five military horses spooked by noise from a building site bolted during routine exercises on Wednesday near Buckingham Palace, threw off four riders and caused chaos as they galloped loose through central London streets and collided with vehicles during the busy morning rush hour.

Australian police arrest 7 alleged teen extremists linked to stabbing of a bishop in a Sydney church

Australian police arrested seven teenagers accused of following a violent extremist ideology in raids across Sydney on Wednesday, as a judge extended a ban on social media platform X sharing video of a knife attack on a bishop that started the criminal investigation.

Her fiance has been in prison for 49 years. She's trying to free him before it's too late

Christine Roess is a retired consultant. Ezra Bozeman has spent the last 49 years in prison, serving a life sentence for a murder he says he didn’t commit. Against the odds, the two fell in love.

Trudeau won't comment on future of TikTok in U.S., says Canadian safety a priority

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'Good luck with that': PM says Saskatchewan premier shouldn't pick fight with CRA

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U.S. FDA says commercial milk safe despite bird flu virus presence

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'Secret report' or standard research? B.C. government addresses safe supply allegations

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How do U.S. decisions about TikTok impact Canada?

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The first glow-in-the-dark animals may have been ancient corals deep in the ocean

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Entertainment

Channing Tatum is a creepy tech billionaire in new trailer for Zoe Kravitz's 'Blink Twice'

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Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired

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Spice Girls' Melanie C among performers at Stampede's Big Four Roadhouse

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Competition bureau finds 'substantial' anti-competitive effects with proposed Bunge-Viterra merger

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Ex-SNC executive sentenced to prison term in bridge bribery case

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Pilot proposes to flight attendant girlfriend in front of passengers

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A portrait by Gustav Klimt has been sold for US$32 million at an auction in Vienna

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BREAKING | CFL suspends Shawn Lemon indefinitely for gambling

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Tesla's first-quarter net income tumbles as falling global sales and price cuts reduce profits

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Josef Newgarden's win in IndyCar's season-opening race has been disqualified. O'Ward named winner

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Local Spotlight

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Twins from Toronto were Canada's top two female finishers at this year's Boston Marathon

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Mystery surrounds giant custom Canucks jerseys worn by Lions Gate Bridge statues

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Cat found at Pearson airport 3 days after going missing

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Fatal stabbing near White Rock promenade under investigation: RCMP

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Speed limits to increase on some sections of Ontario highways, province says

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Video shows police arresting alleged impaired driver who fled Pickering crash

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'Disingenuous and misleading': Calgary mayor, province at odds over plan to lower utility bills

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Attempts underway to protect significant landmark in Alberta's ancient history

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Speed potentially a factor in Calgary crash that injured 3

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Ontario to increase speed limit on Hwy. 416 to 110 km/h

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NCC buys golf course near Gatineau Park for $3.9 million

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Alberta man on Canada's most wanted fugitives list could be in Ottawa: police

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'Highly complex' work delays REM completion to West Island, North Shore

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Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition

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8.9% property tax approved by Edmonton council

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Funeral to be held Wednesday for 16-year-old Halifax homicide victim

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Cape Breton man earns $1.5M in Scratch’N Win

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Officers arrest 5 people from Maine for fishing infractions in Digby County, N.S.

Fishery officers seized more than three kilograms of elvers and arrested five people from Maine for Fisheries Act infractions in Digby County, N.S., on Saturday night.

Man charged in previous shooting deaths arrested for third fatal shooting

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Look inside a restored 119-year-old home in North Point Douglas

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Sask. police caught 454 impaired drivers in March: SGI

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Visitors travel to Regina for 45th annual FNUniv Spring Celebration Powwow

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Undisclosed project filming in Cambridge today

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Pedestrian seriously hurt after crash in Kitchener

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730 affordable housing units could be built on vacant field near RIM Park, Waterloo city staff say

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Punched, kicked, spat on: Saskatoon Transit workers call for help after violent assaults

The union representing the city’s bus drivers says violence against transit workers is out of control.

Saskatoon man turned himself in after violent stabbing

A 25-year-old Saskatoon man faces charges in relation to a stabbing that left a 34-year-old man in hospital on Tuesday.

'Everybody's getting too old': Saskatoon's iconic Blue Diamond restaurant is up for sale

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Northern Ontario

An ontario senior thought he called geek squad for help with his printer. instead, he got scammed out of $25,000.

An Ontario senior’s attempt to get technical help online led him into a spoofing scam where he lost $25,000. Now, he’s sharing his story to warn others.

'Armed and dangerous' southern Ont. man wanted by Manitoulin police

Police on Manitoulin Island are looking for an 'armed and dangerous' man following an incident involving a firearm on Friday.

Smashed windshield and speeding leads to charges

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Temporary layoffs announced at Goderich salt mine

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Video surveillance footage reveals bizarre break-in at local vet hospital

Barrie Police laid charges on a man after video surveillance captured him breaking into a store and smashing the front glass door.

Impaired driver fails breathalyzer test: OPP

Police laid impaired driving charges following a traffic stop in Brockton on Tuesday evening.

Barrie Mayor proclaims April 24 as 'Go Rovers Day'

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Essex concert series needs to pay its performers, say local musicians

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Man arrested after police seize $10,000 in drugs

A 42-year-old man has been arrested after police seized $10,000 in illegal drugs.

Wanted man arrested in sex assault case involving minor

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Vancouver Island

Mounties will not be charged in shooting death of b.c. indigenous man.

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Vancouver Island man realizes childhood dream alongside Hollywood icon

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Search crews called in after missing Kelowna senior's truck found

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Homicide investigation underway after body found near Kelowna, B.C.

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Stolen snake named Milkshake returned to Kelowna pet store

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Alberta, B.C. preparing for early start to wildfire season

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Man sent to hospital with head injury following Lethbridge encampment assault

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Southern Alberta woman wins $2M on Western 6-49 lottery

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Sault Ste. Marie

Youth charged in the Sault for firing cap gun at passersby

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Timmins mayor first to have baby while holding office

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Soo Greyhounds out of the playoffs

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Rideshare platform Uber expands to Newfoundland and Labrador

Uber Technologies Inc. says it has brought its ridesharing platform to Newfoundland and Labrador.

Newfoundland director found creeping terror of 'The King Tide' in a tiny coastal town

Newfoundlander Christian Sparkes has shot several films around his home province, but with his new psychological thriller 'The King Tide' he saw an opportunity to wander into one unique town that had eluded him over the years.

2 people dead, 4 others make it to shore after vessel capsizes in Newfoundland

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans says two people were found dead and four others survived after a boat capsized off the west coast of Newfoundland.

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Understanding Travelling to USA from Canada and Back

Travelling has always been a struggle, from paying for your round-trip ticket and renewing your passport to checking your bags and arranging your rental vehicle at your travel destination. However, ever since the 2020 pandemic, travelling requirements seem to change every few months, making it necessary for anyone travelling to the U.S. from Canada to understand new developments for crossing the border successfully.  

Our team at Insurdinary keeps up-to-date with all potential risks and current restrictions to help you better plan and prepare for your upcoming trip. Below are factors to consider as of late 2022 and into 2023.

Current COVID-19 Restrictions for Entering the USA

Current covid-19 restrictions for entering canada, what are the vaccination requirements, what are other requirements for crossing the border.

COVID-19 restrictions vary between locations. While some places may require travellers to perform additional steps like wearing masks and providing negative test results, Canadians and non-U.S. citizens need only show proof of vaccination when entering the United States.  

Returning U.S. citizens do not need to show proof of vaccination. They don’t have to provide negative test results at this time, either, a change from earlier in 2022 when it was mandatory not only to take the COVID-19 test but provide documentation of recovery if previously sick.

However, if you’re a Canadian citizen travelling back home, the same rules don't apply anymore as when travelling to the U.S. from Canada. All COVID restrictions have been lifted to enter Canada. This includes, proof of vaccination, testing and mandatory quarantine when crossing the border, whether by car, boat, or plane. Canada is a country that is beautiful to visit all year round, so this is great news for those who were not able to visit due to unvaccinated status or other reasons.

Anyone who claims to be fully vaccinated should have proof of two acceptable vaccine dosages, whether mRNA, Pfizer, or Viral Vector, or a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. You may also mix two proper vaccines to achieve proof of vaccination. The booster shot is optional for travel regulations. 

However, if you’re planning on receiving the vaccine in time to fulfill your travel plans, don’t wait until the last minute. The CDC recommends waiting three to four weeks between the first and second shot, depending on the vaccine type, and you must wait 14 days between your second shot and entry into the country.  

Since vaccinated individuals can still obtain the virus, it’s also vital that you're symptom-free before boarding the plane or boat or driving past the border. Officials in the United States may conduct a quick health check that comprises contactless temperature scans as a precautionary method.

The information you submit before travelling to the U.S. from Canada and back will include your alternative plans for travel and quarantine in case you show a high fever or other symptoms of the COVID-19 virus. It also comprises contact information for reaching out to your family or loved ones while you stay put until recovery. Without the completed forms, officials will deny your boarding.

Alongside new COVID-19 measures set in recent years, other more longstanding requirements continue to impact boarding eligibility . 

Legal Identification

Whether you’re going to or from Canada, you need proper identification that shows officials at the border that you have the legal right to be where you are or where you’re going. Most important of all is a valid passport. That may mean you’ll have to renew your existing one or apply for one ahead of travel time if you’ve never left the country. If your passport expired during the pandemic along with millions of other Canadians, you'll want to ensure that you renew it well ahead of time as processing times are heavily delayed.

While a Canadian passport is a universal form of identification that officials of all countries accept, it’s not your only choice since a Canadian birth certificate, citizenship certificate, or Canadian Permanent Resident Card will suffice. However, they may not work with every entry mode, so plan before heading to the border.  

All U.S. and Canadian citizens, alongside legal residents in either country, are also allowed to take part in the FAST or NEXUS programs to travel effortlessly between countries. The NEXUS program by U.S. Customs and Border Protection allows expedited clearance for any low-risk and pre-approved Canadian travellers. FAST does the same for commercial drivers travelling between Canada, Mexico, and the U.S.

Declarations

Upon entering Canada, you must answer all the border service officer’s questions and accurately report all animal, food, and plant products, whether as a visitor or a Canadian citizen. You must show receipts outlining all purchases you made while visiting the U.S. and the amount of Canadian or American dollars you have on hand.  

If you have $10,000 when arriving or departing from Canada or any monetary equivalent to that amount, you must report it to border officials. That includes all amounts on your person and in your vehicle and luggage.  

However, despite what you bring with you, ensure your goods aren’t illegal in the country before entering with them. Any of the following earns you a penalty or prosecution and the seizing of the product when travelling to the U.S. from Canada and back: 

• Weapons, including firearms and explosives
• Unsafe consumer products
• Food, animal, and plant products, which carry disease, bacteria, or alien species 

Although primarily for air travellers, some locations allow train, automobile, bus, and boat-goers to fill out CBSA Declaration Cards that take care of this process beforehand. Use the attached instructions to fill out the card for you and up to three others living at your residence. This card, alongside your passport and other travel papers, permits you to pass through customs effortlessly. 

The Potential for Secondary Services

Even if you satisfy all entry requirements, sometimes a random secondary inspection is necessary for you to pass the border. During this process, an official may ask you to verify or elaborate on your declaration, conduct personal or vehicle inspections, or further examine your pets or guardianship of children. They may also ask you to: 

• Count the money on your person
• Reexamine the receipts you have from your trip
• Process tax payments 
• To provide notarized letter for permission to be travelling alone with a child

Officials may insist that you undergo secondary services for further inspecting or questioning or may require you to verify or complete any documentation. Also, anything you bring into the country that isn’t clearly labelled requires further examination to determine admissibility. There’s also the concern of unpaid taxes or duties, which officials must take care of immediately. 

Taxes and Duties

If you bring any sort of goods into Canada, you’ll most likely have to pay a tariff or duty on the products before the officials can clear them. The officials determine the Provincial Sales Tax (PST), Federal Goods and Services Tax (GST), and (depending on the location of your residence) the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) according to the Duties and Taxes Estimator.  

As you can assume from the name, the Duties and Taxes Estimator simply provides an estimate of taxes for imported goods for all Canadian residents and citizens and is subject to change according to border services. While the estimator sets the tax estimate at the highest available rate for each product, the rate also varies according to policies, regulations, tariff classifications, and exemptions.  

The longevity of your time away from Canada also affects exemptions since you must be gone for a minimum of seven days before you receive an exemption of $800. While you must bring alcoholic and tobacco products through customs, you may ship other purchases to your home before your trip home.

However, although you’ll also receive an exemption of $800 after a 48-hour absence, you must bring all your out-of-country purchases with you through customs. Unfortunately, you only receive an exemption of $200 if you’re gone 24 hours, and you won’t receive any exemptions if you’re gone for less. Other exemptions for products purchased while travelling to the U.S. from Canada and back include the following: 

• You’re a current, former, or temporary Canadian resident returning to a home in Canada.
• The overall costs of products don’t surpass a set value, allowing you to clear most or all of your goods without paying taxes.
• You have childrens’ goods that are for their use alone.

Packing the Most Important Accessory - Travel Insurance

Travelling is not an easy feat, especially if you’re not used to the bustle of crossing the border while travelling to the U.S. from Canada and back. Anything can happen on your trip, either at the airport, mid-flight or at your destination. Your Canadian or US Healthcare program definitely does not cover out of country so making the small investment in travel insurance is worth the peace of mind. 

At Insurdinary, we stay on top of all leading insurance companies and financial services, enabling you to compare the best rates available for your next excursion. Whether you need the best credit cards available in Canada to make out-of-country purchases or travel insurance for your family and pets, contact us or fill out our quote form to get travel-ready today!

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• Advice & Tips

• Open access
• Published: 19 April 2024

A methodology for estimating SARS-CoV-2 importation risk by air travel into Canada between July and November 2021

• Rachael M. Milwid 1 , 6   na1 ,
• Vanessa Gabriele-Rivet 1 , 6   na1 ,
• Nicholas H. Ogden 1 , 3 , 6 ,
• Patricia Turgeon 1 , 3 , 6 ,
• Aamir Fazil 2 ,
• David London 4 ,
• Simon de Montigny 5 &
• Erin E. Rees 1 , 3 , 6  

BMC Public Health volume  24 , Article number:  1088 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

261 Accesses

16 Altmetric

Metrics details

Estimating rates of disease importation by travellers is a key activity to assess both the risk to a country from an infectious disease emerging elsewhere in the world and the effectiveness of border measures. We describe a model used to estimate the number of travellers infected with SARS-CoV-2 into Canadian airports in 2021, and assess the impact of pre-departure testing requirements on importation risk.

A mathematical model estimated the number of essential and non-essential air travellers infected with SARS-CoV-2, with the latter requiring a negative pre-departure test result. The number of travellers arriving infected (i.e. imported cases) depended on air travel volumes, SARS-CoV-2 exposure risk in the departure country, prior infection or vaccine acquired immunity, and, for non-essential travellers, screening from pre-departure molecular testing. Importation risk was estimated weekly from July to November 2021 as the number of imported cases and percent positivity (PP; i.e. imported cases normalised by travel volume). The impact of pre-departure testing was assessed by comparing three scenarios: baseline (pre-departure testing of all non-essential travellers; most probable importation risk given the pre-departure testing requirements), counterfactual scenario 1 (no pre-departure testing of fully vaccinated non-essential travellers), and counterfactual scenario 2 (no pre-departure testing of non-essential travellers).

In the baseline scenario, weekly imported cases and PP varied over time, ranging from 145 to 539 cases and 0.15 to 0.28%, respectively. Most cases arrived from the USA, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and France. While modelling suggested that essential travellers had a higher weekly PP (0.37 – 0.65%) than non-essential travellers (0.12 – 0.24%), they contributed fewer weekly cases (62 – 154) than non-essential travellers (84 – 398 per week) given their lower travel volume. Pre-departure testing was estimated to reduce imported cases by one third (counterfactual scenario 1) to one half (counterfactual scenario 2).

Conclusions

The model results highlighted the weekly variation in importation by traveller group (e.g., reason for travel and country of departure) and enabled a framework for measuring the impact of pre-departure testing requirements. Quantifying the contributors of importation risk through mathematical simulation can support the design of appropriate public health policy on border measures.

Peer Review reports

Government public health organisations are responsible for assessing the risk of importation of infectious diseases (e.g. [ 1 ]). To be effective, such risk assessments can use modelling methods that integrate data on incoming travel volumes from source endemic/epidemic locations through the global travel network, and country-specific epidemiological and vaccine coverage data [ 2 , 3 ]. In addition to assessing the spatio-temporal risk of importation, models can also be used to quantify the effectiveness of specific prevention strategies prior to their implementation, or post-hoc as a means of on-going evaluation and support for preparedness [ 4 ]. This can be accomplished by comparing estimated importation rates with measures in place against scenarios in which border measures are removed.

SARS‑CoV‑2, the causative agent of COVID-19, spread rapidly across the world resulting in nearly 300 million reported cases and 5.5 million reported deaths by the end of 2021 [ 5 ]. From March 2020 to September 2022, the Canadian government implemented border measures to slow the importation of COVID-19 cases arising from international air travel [ 6 ] (Fig.  1 ). These measures included restrictions on foreign nationals entering Canada [ 6 ], flight suspensions from selected countries [ 7 ], vaccination requirements to enter Canada [ 8 ], pre-departure molecular testing for SARS-CoV-2 within 72 h of departure [ 9 ], quarantine and further testing upon entry into Canada [ 10 , 11 ], and post-entry testing. Some travellers were exempt from some or all of the border measures depending on their reason for travel (e.g. providing an essential service) [ 12 ].

Summary of Canadian border measures implemented and eased in 2020–2021 [ 6 , 13 , 14 , 15 ]. NE = Non-essential

During the COVID-19 pandemic, importation models were used to estimate the number of imported cases from domestic and international travel, and assess the impact of border measures [ 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 ]. In Canada, mathematical models were developed within the first few months of the pandemic to assess the impact of importation on local COVID-19 transmission in specific provinces (e.g. Québec and Ontario [ 19 ], and Newfoundland and Labrador [ 20 ]). At the national-level, an importation modelling method was implemented by the Public Health Agency of Canada’s (PHAC) modelling team to assess possible rates of importation of cases throughout the pandemic, with and without border measures. This study aimed to describe the mathematical model developed by PHAC and estimate the weekly importation risk from air travellers into Canadian airports from July to November 2021 as measured by the number of travellers infected with SARS-CoV-2 (i.e. imported cases) and percent positivity, PP (i.e. imported cases normalised by total travel volume). In addition, the impact of pre-departure testing of non-essential travellers to reduce importation risk was assessed by comparing estimated imported cases against counterfactual scenarios.

The model operates at a daily time step to estimate the weekly number of air travellers arriving infected with SARS-CoV-2 at the airport-level from July to November 2021. The model was adapted from a mathematical model previously used to estimate importation risk of dengue and COVID-19 [ 2 , 18 ]. The key model adaptations adjusted for underreporting in COVID-19 case counts, accounted for the impacts of vaccination and pre-departure testing for SARS-CoV-2 to reduce importation risk, and stratified importation risk by SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOC) and variants of interest (VOI).

Air travel volume data

Model input for air travel volumes was derived from two data sources. Daily travel volumes from each country of departure (i.e. the country from which travel to Canada was initiated) to Canada were derived using Canada Border Services Agency’s (CBSA) Advanced Passenger Information in combination with the overall passage data from CBSA (Additional File 1 ). Monthly travel volumes for each itinerary from the origin airport to the final Canadian destination airport were obtained from the International Air Transport Authority (IATA) [ 21 ]. Finally, the CBSA travel volumes were distributed in proportion to the IATA travel volumes to derive model input at the daily and airport levels.

Traveller groups

In the model, travellers were stratified as essential or non-essential based on their reason for travel. Non-essential travellers, which included those who travelled for personal reasons (e.g. tourism, education), were assumed to have a negative pre-departure molecular test result three days prior to their scheduled departure [ 11 ], while essential travellers were exempt from that requirement. Between November 2020 and October 2022, non-essential travellers were required to submit COVID-19 related information [ 22 , 23 ] via the Government of Canada’s (GoC) digital ArriveCan platform at each entry into Canada. This data source, in combination with the CBSA ContactTrace program, were used to derive the weekly country-specific proportions of non-essential travellers in the model ([ 24 ]; Additional file 1 ).

Travellers were also characterized as being Canadian or foreign residents to distinguish their place of residence as being in Canada or another country, respectively. In the model, Canadian residents were assumed to have spent all their time in Canada, except for the period in which they travelled to a non-Canadian country where they could become infected with COVID-19 and then import the infection into Canada. This time spent outside of Canada was assumed to follow a normal distribution with a mean of 15 days and a standard deviation of 2 days according to recent estimates [ 25 ]. Foreign residents were assumed to reside and spend their time only in the country of departure before travel to Canada. This was the country in which they could be infected with SARS-CoV-2 prior to entering Canada. Model input for the country-specific weekly proportions of Canadian and foreign residents were derived from CBSA’s Advanced Passenger Information data (for essential travellers) and ArriveCan and ContactTrace data (for non-essential travellers, Additional file 1 ).

Finally, travellers were stratified by vaccination status to account for any vaccine-induced immunity. For non-essential travellers, the weekly country-specific distributions of vaccine statuses were derived from the ArriveCan and ContactTrace data and could be one of: unvaccinated, partially vaccinated with a GoC approved vaccine, partially vaccinated with a non-GoC approved vaccine, fully vaccinated with GoC approved vaccines, fully vaccinated with non-GoC approved vaccines or fully vaccinated with a mixture of GoC approved and non-GoC approved vaccines. Hereafter, partially vaccinated refers to vaccination with one dose of a two dose vaccine regime while fully vaccinated refers to one dose of a one dose vaccine regime or two doses of a two dose vaccine regime. The vaccination status of essential travellers was not available from the ArriveCan data because these travellers were not required to provide proof of vaccination during the study period. Model input for the daily distributions of vaccination statuses in essential travellers were assumed to follow the vaccine coverage for the country of departure (foreign resident travellers) or for Canada (Canadian resident travellers) as reported by Our World in Data (OWD; [ 5 ]). Vaccination status for essential travellers in the model included only unvaccinated, partially vaccinated or fully vaccinated because OWD did not provide information on vaccine type for us to distinguish between GoC approved or otherwise.

Correcting for underreporting of COVID-19 cases

Reported COVID-19 case data were likely underestimated due to asymptomatic transmission, incomplete testing and imperfect test sensitivity and reporting systems [ 26 ]. We derived country-specific correction factors to inflate case data and better reflect the true prevalence (Additional File 1 ). A semi-Bayesian probabilistic bias approach was used to estimate the number of true cases at the country level, using reported case data and testing rates [ 27 ]. We adapted the method to also account for the evolving population-level immunity due to previous COVID-19 infections and increasing vaccination rates. True case counts were estimated from March to August 2020 and then monthly thereafter to reduce instability in estimates caused by sparse case data at the onset of the pandemic and low testing rates [ 27 ]. The estimated true case count was divided by the reported case count [ 5 , 28 , 29 ] in order to obtain country-specific correction factors for each time period from March 2020 onwards. Finally, a regression modelling approach was implemented using the country-level Gross National Income (GNI) as a predictor [ 30 ] and the calculated correction factor as the dependent variable. This regression model was used to impute the missing correction factors for countries that did not have case, testing, or vaccination data. The GNI was used as a proxy for the effectiveness of the country surveillance system to detect, test and report COVID-19 cases [ 30 ].

Model formulation

The probability of a traveller arriving in Canada infected with SARS-CoV-2 accounts for the vaccination status of the traveller and potential immunity acquired from a previous infection in their country of residence ( cr ). For simplicity, it was assumed that infection- and vaccine-induced immunity did not wane from the beginning of the pandemic until the end of the study period, and prior infections provided complete immunity against re-infection. The probability of a traveller having infection-acquired immunity on any given day d and in country of residence cr \(({Pinf}_{cr,d})\) was calculated as the cumulating proportion of residents reported to have had COVID-19 given the 2020 country population size [ 5 , 31 , 32 ]. For an essential traveller, the probability of vaccine-acquired protection \((Pvac{c\_E}_{cr,d})\) on any given day d and in country of residence cr , was equal to:

where \({VE}_{cr,status}\) , vaccine effectiveness, is the probability that a traveller had complete immunity against infection which varied according to COVID-19 vaccination status (partially or fully vaccinated) and the cr for the assumed type of vaccine (mRNA vaccines or others) (Additional file 1 : Table A2); and \(Pro{p}_{cr,d, status}\) represents the proportion of the population in country \(cr\) for each vaccination status on day d . Since vaccination status information was available for non-essential travellers, their probability of vaccine-acquired protection \((Pvac{c\_NE}_{cr,status})\) was equal to the associated vaccine effectiveness \({VE}_{cr,status}\) .

The probability of a traveller arriving in Canada infected with SARS-CoV-2 depended on their risk of exposure in the country of departure, cd , prior to departure for Canada. The daily probability of infection \(({\beta }_{cd,d})\) for a susceptible person on a given day d in country cd was calculated as the number of new cases (corrected for underreporting) out of the total susceptible population (i.e. the proportion of the population that was not immune to infection with COVID-19 due to prior infection or vaccination). Based on this daily probability of infection, the probability of a traveller arriving in Canada infected with SARS-CoV-2 was calculated according to the traveller’s reason for travel (i.e. essential or non-essential). For an essential traveller, the probability of importation, ( \({P\_E}_{s,cd,cr};\) Eq.  2 and Additional file 1 ), on travel day s was based on the traveller’s probability of acquiring infection on any of the n days prior to departure to Canada, given that they did not have infection-acquired protection \(\left(1-{Pinf}_{cr,d}\right)\) or vaccine-acquired protection \(\left(1-{Pvacc\_E}_{cr,d}\right)\) . Here n represents the sum of the latent and infectious periods for SARS-CoV-2 infections (Table  1 ). The probability of importation for a non-essential traveller, ( \({P\_NE}_{s,cd,cr, status}\) ; Eq.  3 and Additional file 1 ), was based on the traveller’s probability of acquiring infection on any of the ( n - \(\mu\) ) days prior to the test day and receiving a false negative test result on test day, or not being infected on test day and acquiring infection after completing the test prior to departure. Here \(\mu\) represents the number of days between the test and travel days (i.e. set at three days in the model). An estimated molecular test sensitivity ( se ) of 60% was implemented, which represented the mean value when accounting for the variation in sensitivity with respect to time since infection ([ 33 , 34 ]; Additional file 1 ). Similar to essential travellers, the probability of importation for non-essential travellers is conditional on not having infection-acquired protection \(\left(1-{Pinf}_{cr,d}\right)\) or vaccine-acquired protection \(\left(1-{Pvacc\_NE}_{cr,status}\right)\) .

where \({t}_{c}\) is the number of days spent in the country of departure \(cd\) prior to leaving for Canada. For foreign residents, it was assumed that \({{\text{t}}}_{{\text{c}}}>{\text{n}}\) .

Finally, the total number of importations ( \({I}_{w}\) ) for every epi-week, w , was calculated using the probability of air travellers arriving infected ( \({P}_{k,\upgamma ,s}\) ) for each airport-level origin–destination travel route ( k ), each travel group (γ, i.e. Canadian or foreign resident, vaccination status, essential or non-essential traveller) and each day of the week ( \(s\) ), and the corresponding travel volume ( \({v}_{k,\upgamma ,s}\) ):

Importation estimates were stratified by VOCs and VOIs listed by the USA Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It was assumed that the proportion of variants reported in the GISAID database [ 39 ] for each country during a three-week period (including the week modelled and the two prior weeks) was the same proportion that would be observed in infected travellers arriving in Canada from these countries.

Modelling importation risk and counterfactual scenarios

We used the model to estimate importation risk from July 11 to November 27, 2021 under the assumption that all non-essential travellers were required to have a negative molecular pre-departure test result three days prior to departure for Canada. As well as being our most probable estimate of the true importation risk given the testing requirements that were in effect during the modelled time period, these model estimates formed our baseline to compare with two counterfactual scenarios. Model output is presented by country of departure, SARS-CoV-2 variant and traveller groups. In addition, the number of infected travellers arriving at each of Canada’s four largest airports (Toronto Pearson, Montréal-Trudeau, Vancouver International, and Calgary International) as their final destination are presented. Finally, we mapped country-level model outputs in terms of the cumulative number of importations, percent positivity, and travel volumes for the total study period using ArcGIS Pro version 2.9.0 (ESRI, Redlands, CA).

Two counterfactual scenarios were simulated from July 11 to November 27, 2021 to measure the impact of pre-departure testing on non-essential travellers to reduce importation risk as compared to the baseline. For counterfactual scenario 1, fully vaccinated (with or without GoC approved vaccines) non-essential travellers were not tested, and for counterfactual scenario 2 there was no testing of any non-essential travellers. For both counterfactual scenarios, the model was run for all non-essential travellers, whereas outputs from the baseline scenario were used for essential travellers. The weekly percent change in the total number of imported cases for each counterfactual scenario was compared to the baseline scenario.

Model stochasticity was implemented through the distributions of parameter input values for vaccine effectiveness, latent and infectious periods, and for Canadian travellers, travel duration. For each of these parameters, a value was randomly chosen from a pre-defined distribution (Table  1 ) for every category of traveller, with these categories consisting of unique combinations of origin–destination airport pathway, essential status and day. The baseline and counterfactual scenarios were simulated 50 times. We only present the mean results because the confidence intervals were too narrow to visualise in the plots. All model simulations and analyses were conducted in R version 4.1.0 [ 40 ].

The importation model estimated that a total of 7,863 infected travellers entered Canada by air from July 11 to November 27, 2021. Most cases originated from the USA (2,890 cases), the country with the highest incoming travel volume to Canada (1.46 million travellers) and a PP of 0.198% (Fig.  2 a, b). Other countries with a high risk of importation were Mexico (1,034 cases; 0.414% PP; 249,462 travellers), the United Kingdom (429 cases; 0.277% PP; 154,715 travellers), and France (335 cases, 0.145% PP; 230,295 travellers) (Fig.  2 ). The relative ranking of contributing countries evolved over time, and differed between destination airports (Figs. 2 and 3 , and Fig. A2 in Additional file 1 ).

Maps illustrating results at the country of departure level from July 11, 2021 to November 27, 2021 for A estimated travel volume to Canada, and model estimates for B COVID-19 percent positivity of travellers entering Canada, and C number of imported COVID-19 cases to Canada. The destination country, Canada, is shown in white. Countries in grey either have unavailable travel volume data and/or reported case counts

Model output for the mean number of SARS-CoV-2 infected air travellers by variant and country of departure arriving at their final destination in one of the four largest Canadian airports, as estimated from July 11 to November 27, 2021

The composition of SARS-CoV-2 variants also varied between airports and through time. Throughout the study period the Delta variant was modelled to be the predominant infectious agent in travellers arriving at the Canadian destination airports. There were also estimated contributions from the Gamma, Mu, and Alpha variants, especially prior to August (Fig.  3 ; Fig. A2 in Additional file 1 ).

Output from the importation model suggests that the number of imported cases and PP also varied over time. There was a peak in August, followed by a decrease until the end of October, and a subsequent increase in November (Fig.  4 ). In the baseline scenario, the mean weekly number of imported cases ranged from 145 to 539 cases and PP ranged from 0.15 to 0.28%. Most cases were imported by non-essential travellers (range: 84–398 per week), who comprised the largest proportion of travel volume (range: 79–90% per week) and populations with full vaccination status (range: 67–92% per week). In contrast, essential travellers had fewer imported cases (range: 62–154 per week), with a smaller travel volume (range: 10–21% per week) and populations of full vaccination status (range: 29–76% per week). Despite having lower importation numbers, the PP in essential travellers was consistently higher (range: 0.37–0.65% per week) than non-essential travellers (range: 0.12–0.24% per week).

Weekly model inputs for the study period (July to November 2021) for A estimated travel volumes into Canada for essential and non-essential travellers, B proportions of fully vaccinated travellers estimated for essential travellers given global vaccine coverage [ 5 ] and reported for non-essential travellers [ 23 ], and model output for C percent positivity and D number of imported COVID-19 cases into Canada as stratified into essential and non-essential travellers and combined (overall) for the baseline scenario (pre-departure testing of all non-essential travellers), counterfactual scenario 1 (no pre-departure testing of fully vaccinated non-essential travellers) and counterfactual scenario 2 (no pre-departure testing of any non-essential travellers). In C ) and D ), the essential traveller curve is identical for all three scenarios since the model for essential travellers was not repeated for the counterfactual scenarios

The counterfactual analysis suggested that pre-departure testing in non-essential travellers reduced importation risk. Compared to the baseline scenario, the risk of importation in non-essential travellers was greater in the counterfactual scenarios, with up to 775 weekly importations (PP ≤ 0.38%) when fully vaccinated travellers were exempt from pre-departure testing (counterfactual scenario 1), and up to 961 weekly imported cases (PP ≤ 0.47%) when all non-essential travellers were exempt from testing (counterfactual 2; Fig.  4 ). Pre-departure testing in the baseline scenario averted 30% of cases occurring over the study period compared to counterfactual scenario 1, with 12 to 36% of cases prevented weekly (Fig.  5 ). Even more cases (43%) were prevented when comparing the baseline scenario to counterfactual scenario 2, with 36 to 45% of cases prevented weekly (Fig.  5 ). The percentage of cases averted in counterfactual scenario 1 increased with time, especially between July and September. For counterfactual scenario 2 the temporal trends on the impact of testing were less pronounced (Fig.  5 ).

Weekly percentage of infected travellers averted from arriving at Canadian airports from July to November 2021 when comparing the baseline scenario (pre-departure testing of all non-essential travellers) to counterfactual scenario 1 (no pre-departure testing of fully vaccinated non-essential travellers) and to counterfactual scenario 2 (no pre-departure testing of any non-essential travellers)

A mathematical model estimating the importation risk of COVID-19 into Canada by combining detailed travel volume data with the evolving global epidemiological landscape and country-specific levels of vaccine- and infection-acquired immunity is presented in this study. The study results suggest that the risk, as measured through the number of travellers arriving infected with SARS-CoV-2 and PP, varied over time by country and Canadian destination airports. Considering the entire study period, the highest overall number of imported COVID-19 cases were estimated to originate from the USA, Mexico, UK, and France. Findings from this study highlight the differential impact of essential and non-essential travellers on COVID-19 importations between July and November 2021. Notably, results from the counterfactual modelling analyses support the effectiveness of pre-departure molecular testing in all non-essential travellers to reduce the number of imported COVID-19 cases.

Flexibility in the model structure and detailed importation risk profiles allow for more nuanced assessments supporting evidence-based policy decision making. By including COVID-19 variant data and detailed travel volumes at the airport level, the model provides a comprehensive characterisation of importation risk by country of departure, variant and point of entry throughout Canada. Furthermore, estimates of importation risk at the airport level allows an evidence-based assessment of the risk and the potential impact on transmission dynamics in the region where the airport is located. In the case of an emergent VOC, the model outputs could be valuable to help target surveillance and on-arrival response efforts towards locations where passengers at higher risk are landing.

Our modelling approach enabled a comprehensive understanding of importation risk through two measures. The PP represents the mean individual-level probability of importation for a given traveller group or country. The number of imported cases provides insight on the level of risk that the traveller group or country poses to Canada by considering the relative importance of both PP and travel volume. The distinction in measures helps interpret the potential roles of different traveller groups or countries on importation risk. For example, model results suggest that essential travellers had a substantially higher PP than non-essential travellers during the study period. This difference can largely be attributed to pre-departure testing requirements for non-essential travellers as supported by results from the counterfactual analyses. However, despite higher PP in essential travellers than non-essential travellers, the overall number of imported cases from essential travellers was low because there were far fewer essential travellers. Another example from the country-level perspective has the opposite conclusion. Model output indicated that travellers from the USA contributed the highest number of imported cases because travel volumes from the USA were higher than any other country, despite the PP of travellers from the USA being lower compared to other countries (e.g. Mexico, Brazil). We found using both measures together is more revealing of importation risk than relying on one alone.

As in [ 41 ], which demonstrates the effectiveness of the pre-departure testing program, our model suggests that there would have been nearly twice as many importations estimated to occur in the absence of a pre-departure testing requirement (counterfactual scenario 2). It is important to note that model results are expected to be conservative in terms of the impact of pre-departure testing, given that the mean test sensitivity chosen in our model (i.e. 60%) fell on the lower range of plausible values. The temporal increase in the surplus cases that would have occurred had non-essential fully vaccinated travellers not undergone pre-departure testing (counterfactual scenario 1) can be attributed in part to a growing proportion of non-essential travellers becoming fully vaccinated through time. With vaccination, a larger number of travellers were exempt from the pre-departure testing requirement in counterfactual scenario 1, resulting in increased importations compared to the baseline scenario. The observed temporal increase in fully vaccinated travellers could be explained by the following factors: 1) increased second dose uptake within the Canadian population [ 42 ], 2) permitting fully vaccinated non-essential citizens and permanent residents of the US with a GoC approved vaccine to enter Canada for discretionary travel, with exceptions, effective August 9, 2021, and 3) extending factor #2 on September 7, 2021 to all other countries [ 8 , 14 ]. Consequently, toward the end of the study period, the difference in the impact of removing pre-departure testing in fully vaccinated non-essential travellers as opposed to all non-essential travellers was relatively small. While this analysis highlights the impact of the pre-departure testing program, it also demonstrates the versatility of the model in assessing and comparing the relative influence of different prevention strategies.

Although evaluating the impact of international COVID-19 importations on the local spread in Canada is beyond the scope of this paper, it has been explored previously in different contexts. Results from modelling studies suggest that case importation may have played an important role in local dynamics during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic and for emergent variants [ 19 , 20 , 43 ] or in countries with low prevalence and limited public health measures in place to restrict domestic spread [ 44 ]. However, international travel restrictions appear to be less effective once the disease is widespread and outbreaks are self-sustaining in the destination country [ 43 , 45 , 46 ]. In that specific context, imported cases would have a relatively small contribution to local transmission dynamics. As such, the impact of international travel restrictions relies on complex and dynamic factors, and requires evaluation and adaptation to the evolving local and global epidemiological situation, while also taking into account their economic and social costs. Previous work evaluating the potential impact of the border re-opening on disease spread within Canada [ 47 ] has been performed using an agent-based model [ 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 ]. However, further analyses would be needed to fully assess the impact of the pre-departure testing requirements on local transmission dynamics among the Canadian population.

Despite the strengths of our modelling approach there are important limitations to consider. First, for the study presented, we did not have access to border testing data for validating model results. Furthermore, as with any highly data driven model, error in input data will decrease accuracy of model output. For instance, the combination of multiple datasets to obtain air travel volume could have led to biased model inputs by traveller group. However, these data sources had the advantage of accounting for Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) on flight suspensions from specific countries during the study period. Furthermore, the model relies on robust global surveillance data. Poor data quality and quantity can result in biased outcomes, especially in countries with limited testing capacities and unreliable reporting systems. A strength of the current model is the incorporation of a modified semi-Bayesian probabilistic bias approach, implemented to correct the number of reported cases by adjusting for under-ascertainment [ 27 ]. Although the country-specific case count estimates from this methodology align well with other published estimates (Fig. A1 in Additional file 1 ), a minimal amount of data is still required to produce reliable results.

Other limitations arise from the model assumptions. First, by assuming that there was complete protection against reinfection and no-waning in post-infection- and vaccine-induced immunity, model output could underestimate importation risk. Secondly, it was assumed that Canadian travellers only visit one country (the country of departure) and for a limited period prior to departure for Canada and that foreign travellers remain in their respective country of departure without travelling to other countries throughout the pandemic. We justify these assumptions because travel was greatly reduced during the pandemic [ 52 , 53 ]. Also, we erred on a simplified model structure in the absence of having complete data on travel history prior to departure for Canada. These assumptions likely reduced the accuracy in estimating travellers’ probabilities for vaccine- (for foreign essential travellers) and infection-acquired protection (for all travellers) and probabilities of exposure in the country of departure prior to travel. It is however difficult to know if the resulting error over- or underestimated importation risk. Finally, the model assumed that the traveller population was represented by the underlying country population in terms of the vaccination coverage (for essential travellers only), age demographics and socio-economic landscape, which could potentially lead to bias in terms of estimated exposure risk. For instance, travellers departing from countries with large wealth and income inequalities may have higher quality housing (i.e. less overcrowding) and better access to vaccination, and hence lower SARS-CoV-2 exposure compared to the general population from which model estimates for infection probabilities were calculated [ 54 ].

Our mathematical model provided a detailed COVID-19 importation risk profile for air travellers arriving at Canadian airports from international departures. Model outputs indicated travel groups and countries contributing high importation risk as measured by the number of imported cases and PP. Essential travellers were estimated to contribute fewer importations than non-essential travellers. Furthermore, model results suggest that pre-departure molecular testing in non-essential travellers likely led to lower numbers of imported cases and PP than when compared to counterfactual scenarios that were more lenient. The model we present here was applied to a Canadian COVID-19 context, including an assessment of pre-departure testing, but could be adapted to other similar infectious diseases and border measures, such as vaccination mandates on specific traveller groups and flight suspensions from high-risk countries. As the rate of emerging infectious diseases continues to increase with global environmental change [ 55 ], versatile tools such as this importation risk model can help support evidence-based border policy development.

Availability of data and materials

The data that support the findings of this study are available from CBSA, IATA, and GISAID but restrictions apply to the availability of these data, which were used under license for the current study, and so are not publicly available. Data are however available from the authors upon reasonable request and with permission of CBSA, IATA, and GISAID.

Abbreviations

Canada Border Services Agency

International Air Transport Authority

Government of Canada

Gross National Income

Our World in Data

Percent Positivity

Variants of concern

Variants of interest

Notice to Airmen

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Samir Mechai for his help in processing the weekly GISAID data on the COVID-19 variants, Dige Guan for providing aggregated data from ArriveCan and ContactTrace, David Champredon for support in the calculation of a mean test sensitivity estimate and Christopher Bell, Kerry Watkins, Rachel Rodin, Elizabeth Harris, Daniele Curtis, and Shirley Bryan for providing critical review and comments on the manuscript.

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Rachael M. Milwid and Vanessa Gabriele-Rivet contributed equally to this work and share first authorship.

Authors and Affiliations

Public Health Risk Sciences Division, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, St-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada

Rachael M. Milwid, Vanessa Gabriele-Rivet, Nicholas H. Ogden, Patricia Turgeon & Erin E. Rees

Public Health Risk Sciences Division, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada

Aamir Fazil

Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada

Nicholas H. Ogden, Patricia Turgeon & Erin E. Rees

Physique Des Particules, Université de Montréal, Faculté Des Arts Et Des Sciences, Montréal, QC, Canada

David London

Emergency Management Branch, Global Public Health Intelligence Network Tiger Team, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada

Simon de Montigny

Epidemiology of Zoonoses and Public Health Research Unit, Faculté de médecine vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada

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ER, NO, VG-R, and RMM designed the study. ER, VG-R and RMM contributed to the model development and analysis. DL contributed to the equation formation and SDM provided support with interpretation of the results. VG-R, RMM and ER wrote the manuscript and ER, NO, VG-R, AF, PT, DL and SDM edited the final manuscript. VG-R and RMM contributed equally to this work and share first authorship. ER is the senior author.

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Milwid, R.M., Gabriele-Rivet, V., Ogden, N.H. et al. A methodology for estimating SARS-CoV-2 importation risk by air travel into Canada between July and November 2021. BMC Public Health 24 , 1088 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-18563-1

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Simple Flying

Air canada plans first passenger boeing 767 flights to the us since 2020.

It will be the only scheduled passenger 767 service between Canada and the US.

• Air Canada will wet lease an Omni Air International Boeing 767-300ER from June 15 to July 13.
• It will fly daily between Toronto and San Francisco.
• The Canadian flag carrier previously used Omni Air equipment in 2019, 2020, and 2023.

Your eyes are not deceiving you. Air Canada removed all its passenger Boeing 767s in 2020, with only a sub-fleet of freighters remaining. And the flag carrier's lower-cost unit, Rouge, also withdrew its passenger 767s, with the final flights taking off in June 2020. But it's true: Air Canada will use the aging passenger type to fly to the US for the first time since 2020 thanks to wet-leased aircraft from US carrier Omni Air International .

As is usually the case when an airline substitutes its own aircraft, Air Canada will probably receive negative feedback from consumers, particularly if they have paid quite a lot of money.

Omni Air: Toronto-San Francisco

According to Air Canada's schedule update over the weekend to Cirium , it will wet lease a 246-seat Omni Air 767-300ER for the transborder route. The plane has 22 business seats (in a 2-2-2 layout) and 224 economy seats (in a desirable 2-3-2 layout).

Wet leasing is expensive and short-term, with the aircraft, maintenance, crew, and insurance provided. Now bookable, Air Canada will only use Omni Air's 767s from Toronto-San Francisco this summer. The daily service will run between June 15 and July 13 in both directions. It will operate as follows, with all times local:

• Toronto-San Francisco : AC2413, 08:10-10:30 (5h 20m block)
• San Francisco-Toronto : AC2412, 11:55-19:30 (4h 35m)

Want to fly the 767 on this route? Click here for tickets!

Until the weekend of April 13/14, Air Canada had not scheduled flight numbers AC2413/AC2412. The 19:30 arrival back in Canada will help passengers connect to Europe and beyond.

The 5 Foreign Airlines That Offer Passenger Flights To The US On Boeing 767s

Air canada leasing omni air aircraft.

Air Canada is used to briefly using Omni Air's 767s. Examining Cirium schedules shows it did so last summer between Toronto and Manchester, with the following video worth watching.

In 2019 and 2020, the type, including the very rare -200ER, operated from Vancouver to Honolulu, Kahului, and Phoenix.

Air Canada: Toronto-San Francisco

Looking at June 15 and July 13 shows that Canada's flag carrier is one of three airlines on the airport pair, joining fellow Star Alliance member United and pretty new entrant Porter.

Focusing on Air Canada's offering, we see five daily Toronto-San Francisco flights. It is its joint-fourth most-served international route from Canada's busiest airport in this period. It is after New York LaGuardia, Newark, and Boston and is tied with Los Angeles for the fourth spot.

The 1,963 nautical miles (3,636 km) route is scheduled as follows, with all times local. The specific departure and arrival times vary slightly, so only the most common times are stated.

• To San Francisco : 08:10-1030 (767-300ER), 12:55-1531 (A220-300), 17:15-1951 (A220-300, A320 and MAX 8; remains overnight ), 18:25-21:01 (A320 and A220-300; returns to Toronto overnight ), and 20:45-23:21 (MAX 8 and A220; remains overnight )
• From San Francisco : 06:30-14:21 (MAX 8 and A220), 08:30-16:21 (A220, A320 and MAX 8), 11:55-19:30 (767-300ER), 16:35-00:26+1 (A220), 22:05-05:56+1 (A320 and A220)

What do you make of the 767 development? Let us know in the comment section.

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FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Announces Rules to Deliver Automatic Refunds and Protect Consumers from Surprise Junk Fees in Air Travel

Newly finalized rules will mandate automatic, cash refunds for cancelled or significantly delayed flights and save consumers over half a billion dollars every year in airline fees

WASHINGTON – Building on a historic record of expanding consumer protections and standing up for airline passengers, the Biden-Harris Administration announced final rules that require airlines to provide automatic cash refunds to passengers when owed and protect consumers from costly surprise airline fees. These rules will significantly expand consumer protections in air travel, provide passengers an easier pathway to refunds when owed, and save consumers over half a billion dollars every year in hidden and surprise junk fees. 

“Passengers deserve to know upfront what costs they are facing and should get their money back when an airline owes them - without having to ask,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg . “Today’s announcements will require airlines to both provide passengers better information about costs before ticket purchase, and promptly provide cash refunds to passengers when they are owed — not only saving passengers time and money, but also preventing headaches.”

The rules are part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s work to lower costs for consumers and take on corporate rip-offs. President Biden signed an Executive Order on Promoting Competition in 2021 that encouraged DOT to take steps to promote fairer, more transparent, and competitive markets. 

Requiring Automatic Cash Airline Refunds The first rule requires airlines to promptly provide passengers with automatic cash refunds when owed because their flights are cancelled or significantly changed, their checked bags are significantly delayed, or the ancillary services, like Wi-Fi, they purchased are not provided. 

Without this rule, consumers have to navigate a patchwork of cumbersome processes to request and receive a refund — searching through airline websites to figure out how to make the request, filling out extra “digital paperwork,” or at times waiting for hours on the phone. Passengers would also receive a travel credit or voucher by default from many airlines instead of getting their money back, so they could not use their refund to rebook on another airline when their flight was changed or cancelled without navigating a cumbersome request process. 

DOT’s rule makes it simple and straightforward for passengers to receive the money they are owed. The final rule requires refunds to be:

• Automatic: Airlines must automatically issue refunds without passengers having to explicitly request them or jump through hoops.   
• Prompt: Airlines and ticket agents must promptly issue refunds within seven business days of refunds becoming due for credit card purchases and 20 calendar days for other payment methods.  
• Cash or original form of payment: Airlines and ticket agents must provide refunds in cash or whatever original payment method the individual used to make the purchase, such as credit card or airline miles. Airlines may not substitute vouchers, travel credits, or other forms of compensation unless the passenger affirmatively chooses to accept alternative compensation.   
• Full amount: Airlines and ticket agents must provide full refunds of the ticket purchase price, minus the value of any portion of transportation already used. The refunds must include all government-imposed taxes and fees and airline-imposed fees.

Protecting Against Surprise Airline Junk Fees Secondly, DOT is requiring airlines and ticket agents to tell consumers upfront what fees they charge for checked bags, a carry-on bag, for changing a reservation, or cancelling a reservation. This ensures that consumers can avoid surprise fees when they purchase tickets from airlines or ticket agents, including both brick-and-mortar travel agencies or online travel agencies.

The rule will help consumers avoid unneeded or unexpected charges that can increase quickly and add significant cost to what may, at first, look like a cheap ticket. Extra fees, like checked baggage and change fees, have been a growing source of revenue for airlines, while also becoming more complex and confusing for passengers over time. In total, thanks to the final rule, consumers are expected to save over half a billion dollars every year that they are currently overpaying in airline fees.

DOT’s rule ensures that consumers have the information they need to better understand the true costs of air travel. Under the final rule, airlines are required to:

• Disclose baggage, change, and cancellation fees upfront: Each fee must be disclosed the first time that fare and schedule information is provided on the airline’s online platform -- and cannot be displayed through a hyperlink.  
• Explain fee policies before ticket purchase: For each type of baggage, airlines and ticket agents must spell out the weight and dimension limitations that they impose. They must also describe any prohibitions or restrictions on changing or cancelling a flight, along with policies related to differences in fare when switching to a more or less expensive flight.    
• Share fee information with third parties: An airline must provide useable, current, and accurate information regarding its baggage, change, and cancellation fees and policies to any company that is required to disclose them to consumers and receives fare, schedule, and availability information from that airline.   
• Inform consumers that seats are guaranteed: When offering an advance seat assignment for a fee, airlines and ticket agents must let consumers know that purchasing a seat is not necessary to travel, so consumers can avoid paying unwanted seat selection fees.   
• P rovide both standard and passenger-specific fee information:  Consumers can choose to view passenger-specific fee information based on their participation in the airline’s rewards program, their military status, or the credit card that they use — or they can decide to stay anonymous and get the standard fee information.  
• End discount bait-and-switch tactics: The final rule puts an end to the bait-and-switch tactics some airlines use to disguise the true cost of discounted flights. It prohibits airlines from advertising a promotional discount off a low base fare that does not include all mandatory carrier-imposed fees.

DOT’s Historic Record of Consumer Protection Under the Biden-Harris Administration Both of these actions were suggested for consideration by the DOT in the Executive Order on Promoting Competition and build on historic steps the Biden-Harris Administration has already taken to expand consumer protections, promote competition, and protect air travelers. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, DOT has advanced the largest expansion of airline passenger rights, issued the biggest fines against airlines for failing consumers, and returned more money to passengers in refunds and reimbursements than ever before in the Department’s history.

• DOT launched the flightrights.gov dashboard, and now all 10 major U.S. airlines guarantee free rebooking and meals, and nine guarantee hotel accommodations when an airline issue causes a significant delay or cancellation. These are new commitments the airlines added to their customer service plans that DOT can legally ensure they adhere to and are displayed on flightrights.gov .  
• Since President Biden took office, DOT has helped return more than $3 billion in refunds and reimbursements owed to airline passengers – including over $600 million to passengers affected by the Southwest Airlines holiday meltdown in 2022.   
• DOT has issued over $164 million in penalties against airlines for consumer protection violations. Between 1996 and 2020, DOT collectively issued less than $71 million in penalties against airlines for consumer protection violations.  
• DOT recently launched a new partnership with a bipartisan group of state attorneys general to fast-track the review of consumer complaints, hold airlines accountable, and protect the rights of the traveling public.  
• In 2023, the flight cancellation rate in the U.S. was a record low at under 1.2% — the lowest rate of flight cancellations in over 10 years despite a record amount of air travel.  
• DOT is undertaking its first ever industry-wide review of airline privacy practices and its first review of airline loyalty programs

In addition to finalizing the rules to require automatic refunds and protect consumers from surprise fees, DOT is also pursuing rulemakings that would: 

• Propose to ban family seating junk fees and guarantee that parents can sit with their children for no extra charge when they fly. Before President Biden and Secretary Buttigieg pressed airlines last year, no airline committed to guaranteeing fee-free family seating. Now, four airlines guarantee fee-free family seating, as the Department is working on its family seating junk fee ban proposal.  
• Propose to make passenger compensation and amenities mandatory so that travelers are taken care of when airlines cause flight delays or cancellations.   
• Expand the rights for passengers who use wheelchairs and ensure that they can travel safely and with dignity . The comment period on this proposed rule closes on May 13, 2024.

Travelers can learn more about their protections when they fly at FlightRights.gov . Consumers may file an airline complaint with the Department here .