The new mandatory vaccination requirement to board planes in Canadian airports came into effect on October 30th (with a one-month grace period that allows non-vaccinated travelers to present a test as an alternative). But in reality… as I experienced myself 3 days later, there is strangely no verification at all.
I had read several such testimonials since Saturday and was skeptical (since the beginning of the pandemic, 90% of what everyone says about the rules is just wrong, unfortunately). I figured this was too dumb to be true.
But indeed, I flew yesterday and nobody ever asked to see my proof of vaccination at all. And Transport Canada confirmed it to Flytrippers.
That doesn’t mean you should lie, of course. It’s just that no matter whether you think banning the unvaccinated from traveling is justified or not, it’s strange that the government says it’s important to be vaccinated or tested… but not important enough to verify.
Here are the details.
Basics of the new requirement
I’ll remind you that there was never any requirement to board a plane in Canada or to leave Canada, only the destinations’ entry rules applied (contrary to the very common myth).
As explained in the ultimate guide to the new requirement to board a plane in a Canadian airport, this change was announced over 2 months ago and it started on Saturday.
It’s a whole new step of rules to check when planning a trip: Since the beginning, there were only 2 steps and now there are 3, as explained in our ultimate guide on pandemic travel.
Anyway, the short version is that absolutely nothing changes for vaccinated travelers.
For non-vaccinated travelers, a 72-hour molecular test (PCR, RT-LAMP, etc.) can be provided as an alternative before November 30th.
And as we said last week, that option might remain after because it is very possible that the government is bluffing when it says that unvaccinated travelers won’t be allowed to leave the country (an extreme measure, by its own admission).
My experience yesterday
On Tuesday, I left from Montreal (YUL) to go to New Orleans (MSY), via Newark (EWR).
I was anxious to see if the vaccine proof check was really an honor system as many had said.
So upon arriving, I quickly headed to the security checkpoint. No one asked if I was vaccinated or not (apparently CATSA was supposed to help airlines verify).
When I got to the boarding gate, nobody asked if I was vaccinated either.
So no verification at all.
I could have not been vaccinated (and not tested either) and I would have been allowed to board anyway.
According to the government’s logic, as they claim that the new requirement is supposed to be to protect travelers, that means that this other failure on their part puts us at serious risk…
The government says it’s so vital to ban the unvaccinated from flights (even though those who are vaccinated like me can still transmit the virus and we don’t need to be tested… and even though foreigners can still board flights to and from Canada without being vaccinated—or even tested—to transit in Canada)…
… but it’s not vital enough to verify that everyone is complying with the requirement.
If it’s so important to have only vaccinated travelers on planes, why not verify (and why let foreigners onboard planes without being vaccinated and without being tested for their transits)? And if it’s not important enough to verify, why does the measure exist?
Honestly, I’ve had a front-row seat to the absurdity of many of the government’s travel rules by following this all closely from the beginning… but even I thought the government would certainly not make such a big deal out of this new requirement without at least making sure that proof of vaccination was verified…
But yes!
A pattern of many half-baked measures
Of course, there are surely fines for those who don’t follow the rules—or rather those who get caught not following the rules. And probably some random checks too.
As we’ve said since day one, it’s important to follow all the rules… it’s really just to show that once again, what the government is putting in place for travel is managed haphazardly.
Like when they implemented a hotel quarantine stay… and everyone could go home after a day (even people who tested positive upon arrival…)
Once again it’s exactly the same thing: The new rule sounds good and it reassures all the low information voters who will just look at the headlines and will certainly be happy that restrictions are being added… but in practice, it is not very effective if no one verifies.
(Just like the hotel quarantine was completely ineffective as we said from the start, but the government’s own panel of experts confirmed that when they were tasked with analyzing it…)
There are so many examples since March 2020…
What you need to do about this requirement
In short, airlines will ask if you are vaccinated and the government relies on the travelers’ honesty. For the moment at least.
As always (and as everyone should always do now that we’re in 2021), I had done my check-in online on Monday.
They asked if I was vaccinated (or if I had a PCR test if not), but they didn’t ask for any proof. I just clicked to say that I am vaccinated.
That’s it.
My flights were on Air Canada and United and I paid with Aeroplan points.
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But anyway, I imagine it’s similar with other airlines.
Or actually possibly even less verified with foreign airlines. Those ones surely have not changed their computer systems to ask this question, considering Canada is one of the few countries in the world that requires a vaccine to leave the country (if not *the* only one).
Could it be that the government has not asked airlines to verify the requirement for international flights because it knows this rule is not actually feasible? Maybe, but maybe they just don’t check for any flight either.
Flytrippers has reached out to Transport Canada media relations for clarification on the verification process, and they confirmed that there is no systematic verification.
In the meantime, get your proof of vaccination ready if you’re flying, so that you’re compliant. So many people seem to be stressing about the proof required for nothing, as explained in our article about the new “Canadian” vaccine passport.
That’s what this document is for, so you can use that one.
But you can also show the paper version if you prefer. It obviously depends on each country (each country makes its own rules; this is the most important thing to understand about travel rules) but most are not very strict about the format of the proof at this point in time. Always check, you have no choice but to check the rest of their rules too anyway…
Canada is pretty loose on the accepted proofs (so loose that they don’t check them at all…)
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Summary
Canada’s new vaccine requirement to board a plane in Canada is in effect since Saturday after 2 months of preparation, but no one verifies if you actually are vaccinated…
Have you flown since Saturday? Tell us in the comments below.
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Planning a trip to New York over the US Thanksgiving holiday. Already called my MP’s office to say that testing over this busy holiday period might be difficult for those of us travelling to and from the US. There is some suggestion that new guidelines might be announced on Nov 21. Are you aware of this? Might affect my efforts to schedule Covid tests in the US.
The current rules theoretically expire November 21st (as they have each month for many many months) but there’s no guarantee that they won’t just be extended once again, unfortunately. We are following this closely and we’ll know soon enough 😉
Your experience is interesting. Before Sat, I had 4 flights and was asked to show my proof of vaccination at YYC and YVR.
Before Saturday the requirement didn’t exist though, they asked because your destination required it, not to board the flight itself.
Right, this is why I find it so odd that nobody verified for your flight into the U.S. When we flew from Iceland back to the U.S. in August the verification of test results was very thorough. Nothing to do with vaccination status, of course, but you’re saying that no one even checked your test results for a flight into the U.S. ? Wow.
By the way, which province haven’t you made it to yet? (And why ?!?)
The US apparently doesn’t require systematic verification either, strangely.
Saskatchewan is the only one I haven’t been to. Never had the opportunity 😛
On Sunday (Oct. 31) I flew from Newark to Ottawa (via Toronto) on Porter. I had done my Covid test in order to enter Canada, and the only time I was asked for it was by the Porter desk agent, who wanted to see my passport, ArriveCAN receipt code, and proof of Covid test. I had the Covid results on my phone in teeny tiny print, expecting that anyone looking at it would expand it to see the details. He did not do this, and I realize that any official-looking form would have done the trick. No one else asked for proof of the test. I figured they would assume I was vaccinated due to having an ArriveCAN receipt. In retrospect that would not necessarily let them know that. Incidentally, I had a free Covid test at a walk-up tent set up in Manhattan, where these are all over the place. I tried to time it to be close to the 72 hour window just in case results didn’t come in quickly, but they did (overnight).
Yes, but you uploaded it in ArriveCan. There’s proof. That is not required at all for the requirement to board a plane in Canada.
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