Canadian Border Will Open to Fully Vaccinated Americans

The long wait is over! Americans can finally head back to Canada. That is, as long as they are fully vaccinated. The Canadian government announced yesterday that, beginning August 9 at 12:01 a.m., Americans who have been fully vaccinated for fourteen days can cross the border.

United States and Canadian flags at the Canadian/US border

There are still requirements even for those fully vaccinated. Travelers will have to do the following to cross the border into Canada:

Download and fill out ArriveCan app within seventy-two hours of arrival to Canada.
Travelers over the age of five must have proof of negative COVID-19 test, taken within seventy-two hours of crossing the border. A list of accepted tests can be found here.
Have digital or paper proof of vaccination. Travelers must have been vaccinated fourteen days prior to entering Canada.
Take a rapid test upon entering Canada. Some airports and land crossings have testing stations to make your arrival test easier. You can pre-register for the test to save time upon arrival. If entering through an airport or land crossing that does not have a testing station, you are required to take a home test. For a list of crossings and airports with stations click here.
Have a fourteen-day quarantine plan in case of positive test result upon arrival.

Anyone traveling into Canada must also follow any additional provincial requirements. Check with the province you are traveling to (including any you are driving through, some of which require proof that you are just driving through) to ensure you are following protocol. Only Alberta and Saskatchewan have no extra requirements.

Requirements for other provinces and territories are as follows:

Allowing American's into the country is a sort of trial, as it was also announced that beginning September 7, fully vaccinated travelers from the rest of the world will also be allowed to enter the country. There was no indication when unvaccinated travelers could visit, though last week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said they would not be welcome for "quite a while."

Despite all of the requirements needed to enter Canada, several Americans are thrilled it is finally happening. Mary Beth McGrath, an American citizen who owns a house on Prince Edward Island, exclaimed “we are so happy and relieved to be able to cross the border into Canada, and will happily meet all the requirements asked of us in order to do so. It has been a long twenty-two months since we last set foot on our property." She and her husband plan to head to Canada as soon as the border opens.

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