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 October 1. Read also : As COVID-19 resurfaces, health officials urge people to be vigilant.
The country will no longer require travelers to show proof of vaccinations, tests, or submit health information via Canada’s ArriveCan app, officials announced at a press conference Monday.
“We have always maintained that the extraordinary measures we have put in place at our borders and on planes, trains and ships were temporary and that we will adjust them as the situation changes,” said the Minister of Transport of the Canada, Omar Alghabra. “Today we do just that.”
Travelers 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, but 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 be tested before their arrival, and then implemented 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 boarding a cruise ship to be tested before their scheduled departure.
The easing of restrictions comes as several other countries have scrapped pandemic-era rules in recent months, including Australia, New Zealand and Japan, which plans to begin welcoming independent travelers. October 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.
