The federal government in Ottawa has announced that it will open the border to foreign travellers who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 beginning on August 9.
Fully vaccinated citizens and permanent residents of the United States will be permitted to enter Canada first, starting in August.
International travelers from outside North America will be allowed to enter Canada beginning on September 7, provided the "COVID-19 epidemiology remains favorable," the government said in a written statement.
Non-essential travel into Canada has been banned since March 2020, something the Canadian government said was necessary to curtail the spread of COVID-19. Entry into Canada will continue to be prohibited for all foreign travelers who are not fully vaccinated.
Fully vaccinated American citizens and permanent residents must have received the full series of a vaccine -- or combination of vaccines -- accepted by the Canadian government at least 14 days prior to entering Canada.
Currently, those vaccines are manufactured by Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson. Other vaccines, including those from China and Russia, are not recognized by Canada.
In a significant concession by the federal government, unvaccinated minors younger than age 12 entering Canada with vaccinated parents or guardians will not have to quarantine for 14 days.
In another change of policy, fully vaccinated travelers will not need a post-arrival test unless they have been randomly selected at the port of entry to complete a COVID-19 molecular test.
All travelers coming into Canada, regardless of vaccine status, will need a negative PCR or molecular test within 72 hours of requesting entry.
