Canada to do away with COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement for Domestic Travel

Canada will soon be ending the existing vaccine mandates for transportation workers and those travelling within Canada. There will no longer be a requirement to be fully vaccinated for boarding an airplane or train in Canada. The mandate for wearing masks will nevertheless still apply. 

On June 14, 2022, the Government of Canada announced that with effect from June 20, 2022, the COVID-19 vaccination requirement will be suspended for - 

• Domestic travel (within Canada), 
• Outbound travel (from Canada to another country), 
• Federally regulated transportation sectors, and 
• Federal government employees. 

However, the current vaccination requirements at the border will remain in effect. 

Other public health measures - such as wearing a mask - will continue to apply. Wearing of masks will be enforced throughout the journey of an individual on a train or plane, except for brief periods (such as, for eating or drinking).

Recently, Transport Canada issued an official News Release stating “the suspension of the mandatory vaccination requirement for domestic travellers and federally regulated transportation workers”. Responsible for transportation policies and programs, Transport Canada is a federal institution that promotes safe, secure, efficient as well as environmentally responsible transportation. 

Can I enter Canada without being vaccinated against COVID-19?

A foreign national that wishes to enter Canada will be subject to the vaccine requirements. Entry into Canada will be denied to a foreign national that is not fully vaccinated. A suspension of the vaccination mandate will allow unvaccinated foreign nationals to be able to leave Canada by plane or train. 

Do I have to be vaccinated to return to Canada? I am a Canadian permanent resident. 

The entry requirements will continue to be in place for travelling to Canada from overseas. Canadians - permanent residents and citizens - that are not fully vaccinated and are returning to Canada from international destinations will:

1. Have to provide a valid pre-entry test result, 
2. Be subject to Day 1 and Day 8 molecular testing, and 
3. Have to be quarantined for 14 days. 

What is ArriveCAN?

A digital platform available free of cost, ArriveCAN allows travelers that intend to enter Canada to submit their compulsory travel information 72 hours before entering the country, and also after they have entered Canada. Run by the Government of Canada, ArriveCAN is a secure platform that can be accessed either via the website or by downloading the application. 

All travellers, with a few exceptions, entering Canada - by air, land, rail, or marine vessel - have to enter their information in ArriveCAN. The mode of entering Canada (such as by land, air or sea) as well as the intended Port of Entry (POE) will have to be specified. 

What happens if I don’t use ArriveCAN before coming to Canada?

Travelers that arrive in Canada without having first fulfilled the ArriveCAN requirement might be subject to the following, irrespective of their vaccination status - 

• Molecular testing (Day 1, Day 8), 
• 14-day quarantine, and
• Fines or other enforcement actions. 

With the vaccination requirement suspended for domestic and outbound travel, from June 20, 2022 at 00:01 EDT vaccination will no longer be a requirement for boarding a plane or train in Canada. Border measures will not be affected. All travelers entering Canada will have to continue following the entry requirements, including vaccination. 

Random COVID-19 testing at the airports in Canada has been suspended for the rest of June towards easing the long wait times that travelers have encountered in the recent weeks. From July 1, 2022, random COVID-19 testing will resume off-site.