After about a year and a half of the US/Canada border being closed due to COVID-19, they have finally announced the reopening of the Canada border – YAY! As a Canadian who is fully vaccinated, I was able to return to Canada across the land border last weekend. If you’re curious about how the restrictions worked and my experience, here is how it went.
There are a few basic requirements if you plan to cross into Canada:
- Pre-Travel COVID test: Before traveling into Canada, you are required to take a PCR COVID-19 test within 72 hours of your arrival at the land border. Make sure you have a PCR test, as no other types are valid for crossing the border. I highly suggest printing a copy of the negative test and bringing it with you to the border crossing.
- Proof of Vaccination: Only fully vaccinated travelers are eligible to bypass an otherwise required 14-day quarantine when entering Canada. Make sure you have your proof of vaccination with you and a copy on your phone – you’ll need this later.
- Quarantine Plan: In case you happen to test positive for COVID-19, you need a plan for where you would quarantine if you were to test positive for COVID-19 while you are in Canada. This includes having a place where you could have access to all necessities without leaving the home or encountering others.
- Pre-Travel ArriveCAN form: Before you cross the border, I highly suggest downloading the ArriveCAN app and filling out the form. This will make your experience crossing the border much smoother. In the app, it will ask you what time you plan to cross the border, which border crossing, whether or not you have tested negative for COVID-19, what your quarantine plan is and where you will be staying, identification (passport, or other accepted ID) and upload proof of vaccination. If you have a group traveling together, you can fill out the form for each person in one app to avoid duplication.
- Potential Arrival Testing: Before August 9th, all people crossing the land borders are required to do an additional COVID-19 test upon arrival. After August 9th this arrival testing will be random. If you happen to be selected for this testing, they will give you a self-swab COVID test that you will have to schedule an appointment to do in front of someone on Zoom. You are required to quarantine until you have taken the test and the test has been picked up by FedEx or UPS. Some border crossing are equipt to collect the testing kits on site. If they collect your test on site, you do not have to quarantine afterwards. In my experience, the test results took about 4-5 days to come in.
For official guidance, I suggest reviewing the Canada Travel website.
My experience coming into Canada from the US in the middle of July was pretty smooth sailing. I got my COVID test 3 days before I planned to travel, and printed off a copy of the negative test to bring with me. The day before I traveled, I filled out the ArriveCAN app the day before I traveled, and was able to upload my proof of vaccination into the app along with my plans. When I arrived at the border, my ArriveCAN form was connected to my passport, so they didn’t have to view anything physically. After about 5 minutes at the border answering questions on why I was traveling, I was handed a self-swap COVID-19 kit, which I was able to take at the border itself. The self-swab COVID testing process took about an additional 10-15 minutes, but one that was done, I was free to go!
