COVID-19Border Testing Program

As of August 9, 2021, the Government of Canada modified its testing program at the border for fully vaccinated travellers to a surveillance program in support of the government’s approach to easing border measures. This surveillance program will ensure that the Government of Canada continues to meet its responsibility for protecting the health of Canadians while minimizing burden on individual travellers and bolstering program sustainability:

• Fully vaccinated travellers arriving to Canada, who meet all the criteria, no longer need to take a Day-8 test.
• To be considered fully vaccinated, travellers must have received the full series of a COVID-19 vaccine — or combination of vaccines — accepted by the Government of Canada, at least 14 days prior to entering Canada. Currently, those vaccines are manufactured by Pfizer- BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD, and Janssen (Johnson & Johnson). Travellers can receive their vaccine in any country.
• For travellers who are considered to be fully vaccinated, and who enter Canada by air or at a land border crossing, they will be notified by a border services officer if they have been selected for a randomized arrival test.
• If a traveller is selected for a randomized test, they:
  • Must take the arrival test as directed on the day they enter Canada
  • May receive a ‘test kit’ to complete within 24 hours of entering Canada
  • Do not have to wait for the results of the test, and can continue to travel to their final destination, including taking connecting flights
  • Are not required to pay a fee for the arrival test