Canada to Drop All COVID-19 Travel Restrictions on Oct. 1

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Visitors traveling by air, rail, or cruise ship will no longer need to show proof of vaccination or undergo testing.

Canada will lift all of its COVID-19 travel restrictions on Oct. 1.

The country will no longer require travelers to show proof of vaccination, testing, or to submit health information via Canada’s ArriveCan app, officials announced in a press conference on Monday.

“We’ve always maintained that the extraordinary measures that we’ve placed at our borders and on airplanes, trains and boats were temporary and that we would adjust them as situation changes,” Canada’s Minister of Transport Omar Alghabra said. “Today we’re doing just that.”

Travelers will also no longer need to wear masks on planes or trains.

Alghabra also confirmed that cruise passengers will no longer need to provide proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test before boarding, however the announcement on the Canadian government website notes that, “a set of guidelines will remain to protect passengers and crew, which will align with the approach used in the United States.”

Currently, Canada requires most travelers to be fully vaccinated. In April, the country eliminated the need for vaccinated travelers to get tested before their arrival, and then lifted pre-arrival testing for unvaccinated or partially vaccinated children between 5 and 11 years old.

Canada, which first reopened its borders to vaccinated American tourists in August 2021, also requires travelers who board a cruise ship to get tested before their scheduled departure.

The easing of restrictions comes as several other countries have eliminated pandemic-era rules in recent months, including Australia, New Zealand, and Japan, which plans to begin welcoming independent travelers again on Oct. 11.

For its part, the United States dropped its pre-arrival testing rules in June, but still requires international travelers to show proof of being fully vaccinated before boarding a flight to the country.

source: Travel and Leisure