On September 7, 2021, Canada is set to open its borders to fully vaccinated, non-essential travelers from all countries. There will still be special requirements in place for these travelers, including mandatory COVID-19 testing.

The COVID-19 test must have been taken at least 72 hours before departure of the last direct flight to Canada. Passengers who are transferring through a third country on their way to Canada may have to arrange a test in their port of transit. Those crossing into Canada via a land border should take the test within 72 hours of the expected time of entry.

Note that the vaccinated holders of a Canada tourist Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) will be able to gain entry to the country without having to comply with other entry restrictions, such as the need to quarantine or take a COVID-19 test 8 days after arrival.

Canada considers fully vaccinated travelers to be those who have received the last dose of an accepted vaccine at least 14 days before the date of intended arrival. The test must be uploaded to the ArriveCAN mobile app at least 72 hours before travelling.

The vaccines currently accepted by Canada include Moderna Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD, and Janssen/Johnson & Johnson. Other vaccinations, such as Sinopharm, Sinovac, and Sputnik V have not yet been approved for use by the Canadian government, but maybe accepted in the near future.

Canada’s COVID-19 case counts have been rising in recent weeks, driven by the delta variant. Despite rising case numbers, government officials have not rolled back the plan to open the border — although a change in intended border policy is still possible.

Donoso & Partners, a leading immigration law firm based in Washington, D.C., will continue to report on developments regarding the immigration law and policy through our news section of donosolaw.com.