You are currently viewing Canada’s 14-Day Quarantine Can Now Be Avoided

Every single Canadian who wants to travel internationally now has the option to do so with no quarantine at all upon return. Since July 5th, you can avoid the 14-day quarantine… if you are fully vaccinated… but thankfully there’s a simple way to do that if you feel your forced travel break has been long enough.

As Flytrippers told you recently, Canada is finally loosening its travel restrictions, as recommended by a thorough report from the government’s own scientific experts many weeks ago.

(Although the experts recommended removing many more restrictions, and the government keeps saying they follow the science…)

But it’s better than nothing, for sure. And now the new rules are in effect.

Here are all the details… and most importantly how you can travel right away in case you are tempted by a summer escape to one of the 134 countries/territories Canadians can travel to already—no matter your current vaccination status.

 

Changes to Canada’s travel rules

Keep in mind that many other restrictions will be lifted and modified in the coming weeks, as the government itself said. In other words, the restrictions should be loosened even more as summer progresses.

Still… this news is so amazing! A lot of you told us you were waiting for the quarantine to end to leave…

First, here is an infographic if you are more of the visual type.

(see full-sized image)

 

Let’s start with the highlights, and many more details can be found at the end of this post.

Here is exactly what is changing:

Here are the basics of the first rule changes announced:

  • In effect since July 5th
  • For Canadians (and others who are already allowed to enter Canada)
  • Must be fully vaccinated (4 Health Canada-approved vaccines)
  • A vaccination certificate from any country is accepted (EN, FR, or translated)
  • A previous infection and 1 dose of a 2-dose vaccine is not accepted yet
  • See note for children below

For clarity, this new rule changes absolutely nothing about:

  • Who is allowed to enter Canada (even if fully vaccinated)
  • The land border rules (but it could reopen in mid-August, at least if vaccinated)
  • The pre-entry testing requirement (still required even if fully vaccinated)
  • The free arrival test in Canada
  • The need for a suitable place for quarantine (in case of a positive result)
  • Anything at all for those who are not fully vaccinated (even with one dose)

Here is another infographic that summarizes the new rules.

Infographic (see full-size image)

 

A note for families with kids under 18:

  • Children under 18 with fully vaccinated parents don’t have to go to a hotel
  • But children have to quarantine at home for 14 days (if not fully vaccinated)
  • Parents can leave home and do not need to quarantine

The rule for children is disappointing, especially since many countries (and even the Yukon Territory here in Canada) have exempt children from all quarantine if the parents are vaccinated.

For those who have kids over 12 eligible for the vaccine, the tip for instant free vaccination below is even more appealing now…

And maybe kids under 12 are okay with a 14-day quarantine in exchange for going on an epic trip, who knows.

If you want more detailed information about each of those points, you can find it in the section at the end of this post where I explain each concept and element even more thoroughly for your convenience.

And we’ll soon share a Q&A video here, in case you want more info. In the meantime, here is the one we did after the initial announcement (with the info the government gave then, some of which being superseded by the info on this page since).

 

But now… let’s look at your concrete travel options, which is arguably and understandably the thing many travelers care about the most.

(How can we blame you? Traveling is pretty damn awesome!)

 

Your amazing new travel options

At first glance, most Canadians are not eligible yet… which is obviously not surprising at all since facts don’t lie, as much as some would like them to be different.

As we shared after the initial announcement on June 9th, in terms of fully vaccinated population, Canada ranked:

  • 26th out of the 27 “high-income” countries
  • 6th out of the 7-member G7
  • 32nd out of the 37-member OECD
  • 94th out of the ≈ 200 countries/territories globally

(In terms of total doses, Canada ranked 38th for vaccines administered per capita: all figures are official statistics by Our World in Data.)

Maybe you want to wait for your vaccination here, but maybe after 15+ months of this forced travel break, you want to leave ASAP! That makes sense if you are a passionate traveler.

Great news: there is a way! And it’s easy too.

You can leave tomorrow morning and head to one of the 120 countries/territories Canadians can travel to.

In fact, you can leave:

  • Right away if you’re not vaccinated at all
  • On the 21st day after your first dose, if you’ve had one

All you need is… a cheap flight to the US of A.

(As low as $150 one-way in June from major Canadian cities. Or just 10,000 points, if you are into the wonderful world of travel rewards and are amongst the Flytrippers readers who earned over half a million dollars in welcome bonuses alone with the credit card deals we’ve recommended.)

The very next day… you’re free 😉

 

The best way to travel right away

It is extremely easy and convenient to get vaccinated in the USA for free, as we experienced ourselves in early April. And now dozens of states have removed their residency requirement too, so there are a lot of options!

If you don’t want to do this, at least follow our tips we’ve been telling you for months:

  • Schedule your time off from work as late as possible in the summer if you can
  • Most importantly, keep your options open by not booking anything non-refundable in Canada

But I know many of you have told us about how much you miss traveling and want to travel as soon as possible. Depending on your age group, it would be way too long to wait here compared to how simple it is over there.

This is not for everyone, but it sure is an option to carefully consider based on your own personal situation. And as the resource for Canadian travelers, we help you do so with our ultimate guide to getting vaccinated in the US for free as a Canadian.

It’s worth noting that there are rumors that US President Biden might unilaterally reopen the US land border soon, which would make US vaccination even simpler and cheaper… but this is far from official, confirmed… or even likely according to others…

If you do use the information we provide to make an educated decision and get vaccinated in the USA, there is a huge and immediate upside…

 

Considering each of your 3 travel options

Getting vaccinated in the USA will give you 3 amazing travel options with no more quarantine upon return:

  • Go get vaccinated in the USA and just travel there
  • Go get vaccinated in the USA and go from there to another country the very next day
  • Go get vaccinated in the USA, return immediately via the land border for no hotel quarantine, and then go somewhere else whenever you want

The only requirement for no quarantine in Canada, of course, is to return at least 14 days after your vaccination, to be considered fully vaccinated, and therefore be exempt from the quarantine.

And for the 3rd option, to be clear, even if you are not yet fully vaccinated, you are allowed to leave your 14-day quarantine to go somewhere else right away… but only if you are not experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms (yes, you can leave by plane during your quarantine…those are the government’s rules, even if their website says the opposite—Flytrippers got an official confirmation).

Traveling somewhere other than the USA has the main benefit of being more of a culture shock and a lot cheaper too, at least for most countries.

Flytrippers will be here to help you make up for the lost trips with the flight deals we spot and many tips to travel more for less!

Subscribe to our free email newsletter to get all our content in your inbox (and no spam, ever).

 

Details of the rule changes

Here are a few important things to know about each of the concepts if you want to understand the rule changes perfectly.

 

Only for Canadians and those who are already allowed to enter Canada

All foreigners are banned from entering Canada, and this does not change yet. Even if they are fully vaccinated with the exact same vaccines we have here.

Not sure what the science part of that is… Either vaccines work or they don’t…

In short, only those who are already allowed to enter Canada are eligible for this exemption at this time.

 

Fully vaccinated

For clarity, just getting the required number of doses is not sufficient.

You are only considered fully vaccinated 14 days after the second dose (for Pfizer, Moderna, and AstraZeneca) or 14 days after the single dose (for Johnson & Johnson). Our ultimate guide to getting vaccinated in the US for free as a Canadian has a section about the different types of vaccines if you are interested.

Any vaccine not approved for use in Canada will not be recognized as a vaccine that exempts the traveler from the quarantine rules. So if you’ve gotten the Sinopharm, Sinovac, Cansino, Vector, Bharat, Sputnik/Gamalaya, or any other vaccine in other countries, you won’t be exempt.

 

Showing proof of vaccination

A certificate of vaccination from any country will be accepted (as long as it’s one of those 4 vaccines of course). You can show the certificate’s paper version or a digital version and it has to be uploaded to the ArriveCAN app (that is already required to enter anyway).

The proof of vaccination must be in English or French (or have a certified translation if not).

 

July start date

The exact date these rule changes will take effect is July 5th, at 00:01 AM Eastern.

The date when the further changes will be announced has not been provided yet. So much for providing predictability, the absolute minimum the industry and citizens have asked for…

We’ll let you know as soon as we know more (subscribe to our free newsletter).

 

Children

As mentioned, children traveling with fully vaccinated travelers will be exempt from the hotel quarantine but will not be exempt from the 14-day quarantine yet. At least, parents will be allowed to leave the home during the kids’ quarantine.

We had hoped Canada would use Yukon as an example, as the Territory had their own 14-day quarantine. They removed it from vaccinated travelers already, and children under 12 (so those who can’t get vaccinated) do not have to quarantine if traveling with fully vaccinated parents.

 

New quarantine process

Not much more to say about the actual newly-announced rules, as it’s pretty straightforward.

If you are eligible, you would be exempt from the factually ineffective hotel quarantine program no matter whether you arrive by air or by land. You would be exempt from the mandatory 14-day quarantine.

At first, the government announced that travelers would need to quarantine in a suitable place of quarantine while awaiting the results of the free arrival test… but that has been scrapped in the time between the initial announcement and the launch.

To be very cleary: there is absolutely NO quarantine if you are fully vaccinated, not even for a day.

 

Entry restrictions for non-Canadians

A lot of people have a hard time understanding travel restrictions, but the basic gist of it is that Canadians have always been allowed to enter Canada.

Canada’s entry restrictions are for foreigners, and these rules are not changing at all yet. Even if the foreigner is fully vaccinated. In other words, who is allowed to enter Canada is not changing in any way in early July.

 

Land border rules

This changes absolutely nothing to the fact that the land border is closed for outbound traffic and open to Canadians returning to Canada. That is due to expire on July 21st.

Useful infographic about the USA-Canada border (image credit: Flytrippers)

 

Rumors of President Biden unilaterally removing all USA restrictions and reopening the land border in July have been heating up significantly recently… that may be what forced Trudeau’s hand, who knows.

As mentioned in the previous section, that would make getting a vaccine so much easier, since New York State, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine just removed their residency requirements for free shots and are just a short drive away for many of you.

That means 9 out of the 11 US states that have a land border with Canada now will vaccinate you for free, with Michigan, Minnesota, Idaho, North Dakota, and Alaska already being on the list (Washington and Montana are the lone holdouts, although Montana seems to have different rules county-by-county).

 

Pre-entry testing requirement

Since January, everyone needs to show proof of negative molecular test to board a flight to Canada. This is not changing yet, even if you are fully vaccinated.

Just a very useful side note: if you are traveling to the USA, stop paying $200+ for COVID-19 tests!!! There are free NAATs at many Walgreens pharmacies, with no residency requirement. These are accepted to enter Canada and you get results a lot faster than with PCR tests.

I got mine in just 1 hour last week after returning from my trip to Uzbekistan via the land border! Just be careful: Walgreens calls them RAPID ID NOW tests, so make sure not to mistake these for rapid antigen tests. Antigen is not accepted to enter Canada, it has to be molecular (which NAATs and PCRs both are).

You can read my detailed post about free COVID-19 tests in the USA if you are interested.

 

For those who are not fully vaccinated

It is very simple: if you are not fully vaccinated, none of Canada’s many rules for international travel change at all.

If you have just one dose of a two-dose vaccine, or if your final dose was received less than 14 days prior to your entry into Canada, the rules are exactly the same as they are now for you.

 

Want to get all coronavirus updates for Canadian travelers?

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Summary

The 14-day mandatory quarantine requirement can now be avoided: Canada no longer has a quarantine requirement at all anymore for fully vaccinated Canadian travelers.

What would you like to know about traveling this summer? Tell us in the comments below.

 

Explore awesome destinations: travel inspiration

Learn pro tricks: travel tips

Discover free travel: travel rewards

 

Featured image: Santorini, Greece (photo credit: Jonathan Gallegos)

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Andrew D'Amours

Andrew is the co-founder of Flytrippers. He is passionate about traveling the world but also, as a former management consultant, about the travel industry itself. He shares his experiences to help you save money on travel. As a very cost-conscious traveler, he loves finding deals and getting free travel thanks to travel rewards points... to help him visit every country in the world (current count: 71/193 Countries, 47/50 US States & 9/10 Canadian Provinces).

This Post Has 14 Comments

  1. Peter Hopper

    Well, I just experienced returning from the US fully vaccinated. I flew to YYZ from TPA. What a mess! First the AC gate agent did not understand the NAAT test. Is it PCR? she asked. I said it is approved by Canada. She had to ask a supervisor. I had the page from Canada.ca to verify. But that is an AC internal training issue. I suggest having a paper or digital copy of the approved tests with you when you check in.
    Upon arrival in YYZ I entered the Customs hall and found about 700 or more people there waiting. ( I am guessing on the numbers) The hall was full as you got off the escalator. And the idiots at GTAA decided to close the men’s bathroom as well. So about 10 of us had to wait for the “family” bathroom.
    Once I finally made it to the CBSA agent, he pointed to a screen and said I need these five things. Passport, Receipt from the new machine that takes your photo, negative covid test, ArriveCan receipt, and proof of vaccination. Imagine 700 people trying to find all that stuff.
    Why do we fill all this out online, add our documents, and then have to show it all again?? This really is travel punishment. It is SO OBVIOUS!
    One bright spot. I was expecting another 700 people lined up for their PCR test after Customs…but low and behold, they just handed us a self test kit! I would attach pictures if I could. It is by Switch Health. No instructions given. Nothing on the ArriveCan app about it. I checked and it says Welcome to Canada on the app and says they will contact me tomorrow.
    I cannot believe in 2021 we have to go through this to come HOME. Disgusting. Incompetent. Punishment.
    This travel punishment by Canada needs to stop. What a shock coming from Florida (where they treat people like adults) back to Canada. Its a shame.

    1. Andrew D'Amours

      Thanks for sharing your experience! I’ve been to 10 countries since the beginning of the pandemic and it’s true that it’s absolutely mind-blowing to see how the only place I was treated like a terrorist is coming back to my own country. Sad that the government resorted to fueling the travel shaming to distract from its early vaccine failure. But hey, most people are glad to blame travelers for everything, even though for the past 10 months or so, nearly 100% of COVID-19 cases were from community transmission. The facts be damned, it’s better to blame travelers since that way most people can feel like they are not part of the problem… even if nearly 100% of cases were from people here in Canada…

  2. Matsume

    Although the hotel quarantine is not needed anymore. Do I still need to book a quarantine hotel ( as part of the quarantine plan or proof) with the understanding that it will need to be cancelled once I land and get through border control?

    I’m flying into Vancouver on the 31st. I plan to stay with my sister, who has a separate bedroom/bathroom which I can use but in case they say that her place is not good enough. Do I need a quarantine hotel actually booked to show them as part of the entry requirements? Or will a ‘ plan’ ( where I would like to stay if I need to isolate) good enough?

    Thank you!

    1. Andrew D'Amours

      Hi! If you are fully vaccinated, no need to book the hotel. Your plan is enough.
      If you are not vaccinated, the rule has not changed yet, it is in effect until Aug. 9th.

      1. matsume

        Thank you!!

  3. Emma

    I got my first vaccine dose of Pfizer in Vancouver, but now I’m in the US and would like to get my second dose so I can travel back without having to go through the hotel quarantine. Will the Canadian/BC government accept vaccination records from two different countries for the first and second doses? As long as it’s an approved vaccine and I have documentation? I want to make sure before I get it and book my flight back (after the 6th). Thank you!

    1. Andrew D'Amours

      Yes, no problem. As long as you have proof of both doses and as long as the 2nd dose was at least 14 days before returning to Canada (go get it ASAP), you are exempted from the quarantine 🙂

  4. Shelley

    I’m planning on travelling to France & returning August 11.
    I live in Calgary but my return flight stops in Vancouver first.
    Do I need to stay in Vancouver till I get test results or can I continue on my next flight & be tested in Calgary?

    1. Andrew D'Amours

      If you are fully vaccinated and exempt from quarantine, you can continue on to Calgary right away. If not, you have to stay in a hotel in Vancouver (but that could change on July 21st).

  5. Reluctant pandemic traveller

    Hi Andrew,

    You would only need to quarantine in a suitable place of quarantine (your home, any regular priced hotel without the government surcharge, etc.) exactly like the current quarantine… except you could end it as soon as you get the negative result on your arrival test. The typical delay for results is about 1 day.

    So, I think this is actually incorrect — if you’re post-14 days fully vaccinated and enter Canada from the 6th of July, you have no quarantine obligations (unless you are symptomatic or your test result comes back positive). You do not need to quarantine while waiting for the test results.

    According to PHAC:

    Beginning July 5, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. EDT, fully vaccinated travellers who are permitted to enter Canada will not be subject to the federal requirement to quarantine or take a COVID-19 test on day-8. In addition, fully vaccinated travellers arriving by air will not be required to stay at a government-authorized hotel.

    And also from the newly updated entry pages, which states very clearly and simply:

    If you meet all the requirements, you won’t need to quarantine.

    Am I missing something here? You do still to have a 14-day quarantine plan in ArriveCan (in case your vaccination certs are rejected, you test positive and/or you’re symptomatic at the border), but in most cases you shouldn’t need to use it.

    1. Andrew D'Amours

      It’s weirdly worded for sure, but I think they just mean no quarantine as in no 14-day quarantine. The press conference clearly stated that you need to quarantine while awaiting results though. Once the official order-in-council is published, we’ll be able to confirm but I would say 99% sure that you need to quarantine while awaiting results for the first day.

      1. Reluctant pandemic traveller

        Glad you finally updated this post 🙂 I flew into Canada on Wednesday, and can confirm that there is no requirement to quarantine while waiting for the first day test. The whole process at the border was very easy and straightforward, and no questions were asked despite having been vaccinated in another country.

  6. CeCe

    Hi, I needed to travel to the USA for medical reasons, I have a note from my Dr. I also got my 2nd dose at Walgreens in Puerto Rico. I extended my trip to make sure I travel after the 14 days, I cannot afford to extend my trip till July 6th! So are you telling me, that even though I am a fully vaccinated Canadian, I will still have to quarantine at a government approved hotel, because I am coming back 11 days early?!
    Is there anyway around this? I don’t understand why July 5th?

    1. Andrew D'Amours

      Hi, being vaccinated changes absolutely nothing to any rule, not until July 6th. There is no way around it sadly, those are the rules. Well, you can enter overland and that way at least there’s no hotel quarantine for anyone.
      However, there are exemptions already for those who traveled for medical reasons, we are a website for leisure travel so I didn’t look into these at all unlike the rest. Here is what the government says:

      Persons who must leave and return to Canada to receive essential medical services in another country.

      This is not intended for individuals who want to get vaccinated for COVID-19. It’s intended for Canadians who require essential medical treatment (for example, life-saving treatment) outside of Canada. One person may accompany them. They must have:

      written evidence from a licensed health care practitioner in Canada indicating services or treatments outside Canada are essential;
      and
      written evidence from a licensed health care practitioner in the foreign country indicating services or treatments were provided in that country

      This is the link to the exemption list: https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid/travel-restrictions/exemptions

      Hope this helps. Safe travels!

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