Thankfully this is no longer required to visit Canada.
After a long 20-month hiatus, we finally had the chance to go to Canada and see our families! This was our first international trip since the start of the pandemic and to get there we had to jump through a few hoops. But being able to see and hug our loved ones was all worth it!
Traveling in times of covid isn’t easy. The rules keep changing and things are fluid. So, in this post we outline the steps we had to take to travel to Canada and the things we did to minimize the risk.
First off, let me tell you why we waited so long to go. Being Canadian citizens, we could have gone sooner, except that we would have had to quarantine for two weeks which was far from ideal. So, we waited for Canada to allow vaccinated Americans and US permanent residents to enter Canada.
The magical date was August 9th, 2021. However, we waited a few extra days for any process quirks to be smoothed out. Overall, it all went well, and we plan on revisiting our families again this fall unless the situation changes.
You must be fully vaccinated with a Canadian approved Covid-19 vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca/Covishield, and Janssen/Johnson & Johnson) to avoid the 14-day quarantine and the day-8 testing requirements. No exceptions. Even people that have recovered from covid need to be fully vaccinated to be allowed into Canada for tourism.
Covid testing to enter Canada
You need to provide a Covid-19 molecular test taken no more than 72 hours (not 3 days) before your flight to Canada. If you are connecting in another US city you must take the test within 72 hours of the scheduled departure time of the final leg of your itinerary, ie. the flight that arrives in Canada.
Canada accepts many different types of molecular tests including the PCR and RT-PCR tests which are readily available at testing sites. For more information about the different types of tests, check the Government of Canada website. Unlike the USVI that needed a specific CLIA lab, Canada does not have requirements on the lab, just the test.
In order to get our results in time for our trip, we opted to go to a self-pay lab and shell out $150 each to get our results in 24 to 48 hours. There were more expensive options for quicker results, and as the hours ticked on we wondered if we should have sprung for those. We got our results after 40 hours, and it was nearing our check-in time.
(Starting February 28, 2022, Canada will accept a rapid antigen test taken within a day of arrival instead of a molecular Covid-19 test. However, even if fully vaccinated, travelers will be randomly tested on arrival. For more information about the new regulations see the Government of Canada website)
Once received, we had to upload our Covid-19 test results in the ArriveCAN portal. The test results (paper or electronic) must include your name and date of birth, as well as the name and address of the lab or testing facility, date, and type of test. We suggest printing your lab report as we noticed it was faster for the agents to check the document (and some passengers had trouble with the app on their phone).
ArriveCAN portal
We had to fill in the information and upload documents such as our proof of vaccination and Covid-19 test results into the ArriveCAN portal within 72 hours of our trip to Canada. We had to state the purpose of our travel and submit a suitable quarantine plan in case we didn’t meet the travel requirements for the quarantine exemption.
Our quarantine plan wasn’t great, but it worked, and we got our ArriveCan receipt. Keep in mind that you cannot quarantine with someone if they are over 65 and that everyone in the household would also have to quarantine with you. Therefore, our plan was to quarantine at a hotel and order food to our room. Thankfully, we didn’t need to do that!
Also, be ready to enter your passport number and safe traveler number (Nexus, Global Entry), as well as where you will be staying and for how long.
Even with your ArriveCan receipt in hand, you’re not ‘in’ until a border agent says you are. You could be selected for a random arrival Covid-19 test.
Checking in at the airport
We checked in online and got our boarding passes. Even if we were traveling only with carry-ons, we still needed to get our documents checked multiple times at the airport.
- First, we waited in line to show our ArriveCan receipts and negative Covid-19 test results and the agent stuck a small sticker on the back of our passports.
- Second, we had to go to the Air Canada counter and show our documents to the gate agent to get our boarding pass stamped with DOCS OK.
- Third, we went through the security check point as usual.
- Finally, another gate agent checked if our boarding passes were stamped with DOCS OK and scanned them allowing us to board the plane.
Thankfully, we had an uneventful and pleasant flight to Montreal, Canada. Everyone on board was compliant with the mask mandate rules. This isn’t always the case.
See our post: What It Was Like to Travel During the Pandemic and What to Expect
Arriving in Canada
On arrival, we had to show our documents multiple times as we made our way through customs and border protection in Canada. Here too, printed documents seemed to accelerate the process. Be ready to show your must-have documents on arrival: ArriveCAN receipt, proof of vaccination, pre-entry test results, and other travel documents like your passport.
- Shortly after deplaning a border agent checked our ArriveCAN receipts, and Covid-19 test results.
- Then we went through customs like usual. If you have Nexus or Global Entry you can use the expedited processing lanes.
- Since we traveled only with carry-on bags, we didn’t need to stop at the luggage carousel.
- Then we were all set to exit the airport and once again we had to show our ArriveCan receipts. And a border agent also checked if we had the small sticker on the back of our passport.
- Finally, we were allowed to exit the airport. However, some travelers, even if vaccinated and with a negative Covid-19 test can be selected for a random Covid-19 test upon arrival.
Once outside we took a breath of fresh air and looked at each other with a smile saying, ‘we made it’!
(Thankfully, since our first visit the process has gotten simpler and we only had to show our proof of vaccination, pre-entry test results and Arrive-CAN QR code to the gate agent before our flight and to the border agent on arrival.)
Take a direct flight to minimize the risk
We chose to fly with Air Canada because they had a direct flight from Fort Lauderdale to Montreal. Our usual carrier American Airlines no longer offers direct flights from Miami. Normally we don’t really mind having a connection, but there’s nothing normal about traveling right now! Many have had last minute changes and cancellations leaving them stranded mid-route.
Because Canada is only open to vaccinated tourists meant that on our direct flight almost everyone, except for a few kids (under 12) and the immunocompromised would be vaccinated against covid. On top of that, all travelers over the age of 5 must provide a negative covid test to enter Canada. This made us feel safe and was worth the premium!
Of course, keeping your mask on over your nose and mouth, washing your hands, and sanitizing your seat are all good practices to minimize the risk of travel in times of covid.
- Why You Should Clean Your Airplane Seat and How
- How to Minimize the Risks of Travel During the Pandemic
Returning to the US
Of course, all good things must come to an end, and it was time to return home. And in order to enter the US, we had to provide proof of a negative rapid (antigen or nucleic acid amplification) covid test taken at the earliest 3 days (since December 6, 2021, it’s 1 day) before our flight, regardless of the time of day. This requirement applies to all travelers over 2 years old.
It’s possible to schedule a pre-departure Covid-19 rapid antigen test at select Canadian international airports. For example, at the Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL) you will have to pay $149 CAD ($118 US) for this convenience. Another option is to get a test done at a local lab.
Fortunately, the US accepts some home tests that include remote supervision (with a tele-health provider) such as the Abbott’s BinaxNOW COVID-19 Ag Card and the Ellume COVID-19 Home Test. We used the former with the NAVICA app and this was by far the easiest and most economical option. Since these aren’t available in Canada, be sure to bring them with you and ensure you will have a good Wi-Fi connection.
Note: Check the expiry date when you get them, as these tests have a limited shelf life.
Conclusion
I suspect that covid testing will be part of our travel experience for quite a while. International travel is complicated right now and depending on where you go there are different and evolving entry requirements. Every country has its own set of rules regarding who can enter their territory and sometimes the rules differ from one region to another. It’s confusing to say the least. Just when you think you understand the rules, everything may change, so stay informed.
Make sure you have the updated information you need to travel with peace of mind before leaving. And when you reach your destination, to get back home. Do keep in mind that if you test positive for covid and can’t return home you will have to quarantine abroad and unless your insurance covers it, which many do not, you’ll have to foot the bill!
While it was challenging to figure out the rules, and somewhat stressful waiting for our test results and navigating through the various checkpoints, it was worth it. To see our families after such a long separation was a wonderful experience and we would do it again. Like many things, going through this process a second time will be easier.
*The information was current at the time publishing this post.
*As of October 2022, all Covid related restrictions have been lifted.