Canada to Eliminate Vaccine and ArriveCan App Requirement

On Monday, the Canadian government announced it will remove all remaining COVID-related border restrictions starting October 1.

Travelers will no longer need to be fully vaccinated, undergo pre- or on-arrival testing, quarantine, or report any COVID-19 symptoms to the authorities upon entering Canada. Additionally, the mask mandate for domestic flights and trains will be lifted, and cruise passengers will no longer have to take COVID tests before boarding. The requirement for masks on international flights will vary based on the airline and regulations of the originating or destination country.

Travelers will also be exempt from uploading travel documents and vaccination proof to the ArriveCan app, which has faced significant criticism for causing delays at the border, being difficult to use, and having frequent errors that sometimes led to unnecessary quarantine instructions. The app will remain available, and users can still upload their standard border crossing information to it, which might expedite the process, though it’s not mandatory.

In April, Canada eased its entry protocols, allowing vaccinated travelers to bypass the pre-departure COVID test, though they were still required to use the ArriveCAN app. Canada initially reopened its borders to vaccinated Americans in August 2021.

At present, unvaccinated foreign travelers can enter Canada only if they agree to undergo a mandatory PCR test upon arrival and quarantine for 14 days. These regulations will remain in place until October 1. After that date, travelers who are currently quarantining will be allowed to finish their stay without completing the full quarantine, and new arrivals will no longer need to present a negative COVID test.

With this decision, Canada aligns itself with several other nations, including Japan, Thailand, New Zealand, and others, that have recently removed or plan to soon eliminate vaccine requirements and other pandemic-related entry restrictions.