Updated COVID Travel Restrictions in Canada

Updated information on testing and vaccination requirements for travel to, from, and within Canada

3/18/2022 – Canada has revised its testing requirements for entry as the nation begins rolling back some of it’s COVID-19 measures.

Beginning April 1st, 2022, international vaccinated travelers will no longer be required to show a negative pre-arrival COVID-19 test result to enter Canada. Travelers entering Canada may still selected to for a random COVID-19 test upon arrival at the airport.

Vaccination requirements have not changed, and passengers entering Canada also must qualify as a “fully vaccinated traveler”; the Canadian government defines this as having received at least 2 doses of a vaccine accepted for travel, a mix of two accepted vaccines, or at least your first Janssen/Johnson & Johnson vaccine while receiving your second vaccination within 14 days prior to entering Canada.

Natural immunity and single dose vaccinations are not accepted. International travelers who do not qualify as fully vaccinated and do not qualify for an exemption will not be permitted entry into the country. The full list of exemptions and other travel updates are available here: https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid/travel-restrictions/exemptions.

10/7/2021 – Beginning October 30th, 2021, all passengers 12 years and older departing from airports and train stations in Canada will be required to be fully vaccinated in order to travel.

Source: unsplash

This new mandate will be required for both commercial and private aviation, as well as domestic and international travel.

The new requirements will apply to the following forms of travel in Canada:

• Domestic & international flights departing from Canadian airports
• VIA Rail and Rocky Mountaineer trains
• Non-essential passenger vessels, such as cruise ships, on voyages at least 24 hours long

View the latest travel updates: https://www.canada.ca/

Between October 30th and November 30th 2021, exemptions will be granted for travelers who are in the process of becoming vaccinated, with a negative test within 72 hours of departure also required. After November 30th, no more exemptions will be granted and passengers will need to be fully-vaccinated to depart from Canada (aside from strictly-granted exemptions for medical reasons).

A vaccine passport (Pan-Canadian Proof of Vaccination) is under development with all of the provinces and territories, and will be available in digital formats.

Since entry into the United States is still restricted to essential travel only, this will make it difficult to travel or leave Canada without being inoculated. For passengers looking to leave Canada, they need to depart before the new travel policies go into effect on 10/30/21.

Traveling to Canada? Check to see if you’re qualified to enter Canada: https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid/travel-restrictions/wizard-start

Mandatory Testing & Quarantines for Non-Essential Travelers in Canada

2/1/2021 – In an effort to discourage international travel as new coronavirus variants emerge, the primary airlines in Canada have reached an agreement to discontinue service to the Caribbean and Mexico as the federal government introduces new guidelines for mandatory quarantines.

Effective January 31st, 2021, commercial airlines including Air Canada, WestJet, Sunwing, and Air Transat have suspended service to select vacation destinations until April 30th, 2021. As an additional step, all incoming international & U.S. flights to Canada – including private charter flights – will be required to arrive at Vancouver, Toronto, Calgary and Montreal airports beginning 11:59 p.m. ET on February 3rd, 2021.

New Quarantine Guidelines

• PCR testing for COVID upon arrival in Canada (in addition to pre-boarding requirements)
• Up to 3 day quarantine at a government approved hotel while awaiting test results
• Negative tests allow you to finish your 14-day quarantine at home
• Swap test on 10th day after return

The new requirements are in addition to existing measures, including a mandatory two week quarantine for those returning from overseas from non-essential travel or face fines and/or jail time, a measure that has been in place since March of last year. As of the beginning of this year, travelers are also required to provide a negative COVID test result prior to arriving in Canada.

These moves are similar to 14 day quarantine requirements in Australia, as well as the recent 10 day quarantine introduced by the United Kingdom. Passengers who have already received their vaccination are still subject to the new quarantine rules, although this may change in the coming weeks and months.

Exemptions remain in place only for those considered ‘essential travel’ as it relates to the pandemic recovery efforts of Canada. Passengers who qualify as essential travel must still adhere to Provincial & Territorial guidelines.

How will this impact private flights in Canada?

During the course of these restrictions, international passengers on private jets and charter planes – including Canadian citizens returning to Canada – will be limited to arrivals at airports in Vancouver, Toronto, Calgary, and Montreal. This means that international flights directly to places like Edmonton, Quebec City and Halifax will be unavailable through April 30th.

Our team spoke with an agent from Canadian Border Services for clarification on transportation for clients who live outside of these four cities. After receiving a negative PCR test within 3 days after your return, clients are free to seek additional domestic transportation to return to their home.

For example: a client is returning from the United States to Fort McMurray. We can arrange a private flight to Calgary for the PCR test and up to 3 day hotel stay. After receiving a negative test result within those 3 days, we can then arrange for private flight returning the client home to Fort McMurray, where they will complete their 14 day quarantine and will receive a swab test on day 10.

Contact Us | Jet Charter Canada

If you have any questions regarding upcoming international flights to Canada, please contact us via email or by caloling us directly at +1 (888) 987-5387.