COVID-19: Families entering Canada

Organization: Public Health Agency of Canada

Date published: 2022-04-29

Related links

• All border handouts for travellers

Unvaccinated travellers under 12 arriving with at least one fully vaccinated parent or guardian

Pre-border

To be considered a fully vaccinated parent or guardian, a traveller must:

• check that they meet the requirements of being fully vaccinated
  • This means you have received:
    • the full series of a vaccine or a combination of vaccines accepted by the Government of Canada (Pfizer-BioNTech Comirnaty, Moderna Spikevax, AstraZeneca Vaxzevria/Covishield, Janssen/Johnson & Johnson, Bharat Biotech Covaxin, Sinopharm BIBP, Sinovac/CoronaVac/PiCoVacc, Novavax/Nuvaxovid/COVOVAX, Medicago Covifenz®)
    • your last dose at least 14 days before your travel to Canada
• meet all other entry criteria, including:
  • submitting all required COVID-19 information into ArriveCAN prior to travel (if arriving by air information must be submitted before boarding a flight)
  • having a paper or digital copy of their proof of vaccination in English or French (or a certified translation)

What parents and guardians need to enter into ArriveCAN

• Contact and travel information
• 14-day travel history
• Vaccination information

Primary travellers can submit on behalf of their spouses/common law partners or children if they have the same contact information.

At the border

• Provide all required information and documents, including:
  • ArriveCAN receipt
  • proof of vaccination for the fully vaccinated travellers (paper or digital files)
  • other travel documents
• If a fully vaccinated traveller has tested positive for COVID-19 within 10-180 days prior to their entry to Canada, they should bring proof of their positive COVID-19 molecular test result to be exempt from mandatory random testing.

Mandatory random testing (not applicable to marine travel)

• Fully vaccinated travellers will not need to take a COVID-19 test on-arrival unless selected for mandatory random testing.
• If the fully vaccinated adult is selected for mandatory random testing, all unvaccinated travellers, through the ages of 5-11, will also be selected for mandatory random testing on-arrival.
• Arrival testing could be on-site at the airport, offsite, or the travellers may be provided a self-swab test kit at the border to take home.
  • If the traveller is not tested on site, they must complete and submit their specimen collection for processing within 24 hours of entering Canada.

After entry

• If the traveller meets all the entry requirements listed above, regardless of whether they were selected for mandatory random testing, they do not need to quarantine.
• If one of the travellers tests positive for COVID-19 through mandatory random testing, they are required to isolate for 10 days from:
  • the start of symptoms or
  • the specimen collection date validated by the test provider or
  • the date the test result is received (if specimen collection date not available) even if the province or territory of entry has a shorter isolation period
  • In this case, travellers must follow the stricter rules.

Unvaccinated travellers over 12 arriving with at least one fully vaccinated parent or guardian

Unvaccinated travellers with right of entry

• Unvaccinated travellers over the age of 12 with right of entry to Canada, travelling with a fully vaccinated parent or guardian will be subject to the same travel requirements as an unvaccinated traveller, including:
  • pre-arrival testing
  • on-arrival testing, unless travelling by marine mode
  • post-arrival testing (day 8), unless travelling by marine mode
  • 14-day quarantine

For more information:

• Unvaccinated travellers entering Canada during COVID-19

Unvaccinated travellers who are foreign nationals

Unvaccinated travellers over the age of 12 who are foreign nationals, travelling with a fully vaccinated parent or guardian will be denied entry to Canada, unless exempt.

Unvaccinated travellers arriving with unvaccinated parent(s) or guardian(s)

All unvaccinated travellers with right of entry

• Unvaccinated travellers with right of entry to Canada, travelling with unvaccinated parent(s) or guardian(s), will be subject to the same entry requirements as an unvaccinated traveller including:
  • pre-arrival testing, if 5 years of age or older
  • arrival testing
  • post-arrival testing (day 8)
  • 14-day quarantine

For more information:

• Unvaccinated travellers entering Canada during COVID-19

All unvaccinated travellers who are foreign nationals

Unvaccinated travellers over 5 years old who are foreign nationals, travelling with unvaccinated parent(s) or guardian(s) will be denied entry to Canada.

This resource provides general information only and does not include all possible requirements which may apply to your situation. For more detailed information on requirements, please visit: Travel.gc.ca/travel-covid.