Effective January 7, 2021, the Canadian government has implemented a new requirement that all people travelling to Canada must provide a negative Covid-19 test before entering the country. This applies to all travellers age 5 or older, regardless of immigration status, and includes Canadian citizens.
Before boarding a plane to Canada travellers must provide documentation showing that they have had a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) Covid-19 test and that they do not have the virus. The test must have been taken within the last 72 hours (3 days).
Persons who provide a negative test result will be admitted into Canada but will still have to go into quarantine for 14 days after arrival. Travellers should have a quarantine plan explaining where they will quarantine and how they will obtain food and other necessities during this period. This plan and their contact information must be provided through the ArriveCAN application before travelling to Canada. Travellers who do have an adequate quarantine plan may be required to report to a government quarantine centre for the 14-day period. Violating any instructions by a border official in this regard could lead to fines of up to $750,000, and/or 6 months imprisonment if convicted.
Travellers coming from a country where PCR testing is not available will be allowed to enter the country but must report to a government quarantine centre for their 14-day quarantine period.
It should be noted that all travel to Canada from the United Kingdom is currently prohibited due to the new SARS-CoV-2 variant which has been detected there. This new highly infectious strain of Covid-19 poses a risk to public health in Canada. The Canadian government is reviewing the situation and will announce whether the probation will remain in place after January 6, 2021, and regularly thereafter. In the meantime, individuals resident in the United Kingdom should not attempt any travel to Canada.
