Coronavirus test required for travellers crossing Canada-U.S. land border

Shelby Thevenot
Published: February 9, 2021

Canada is extending the requirement for travellers to provide a COVID-19 test to land border crossers as early as Feb. 15.

Canada's prime minister, Justin Trudeau, told Canadians that the test must have been done within 72 hours, and it must be a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test.

Travellers who come to the border without showing proof of a COVID-19 test could be refused entry or face fines of up to $3,000.

These measures are similar to the mandatory testing that was put in place for air travellers in January.

Get help coming to Canada. Contact an immigration lawyer.

Travellers coming by plane will also need to take a COVID-19 test upon arrival, and will need to stay in a hotel for three days while awaiting results. Trudeau previously said that this would cost travellers an estimated $2,000. Hotels will be required to provide transportation to and from the airport and deliver food to the traveller's room, according to instructions for hotels participating in the new measure on the government website. The starting date for this new measure has not yet been released.

These tests are in addition to the mandatory 14-day quarantine order on all incoming travellers. This two week period is inclusive of the three days air travellers are required to spend in a hotel. Travellers to Canada also need to download the ArriveCAN app.

Only four Canadian airports are accepting international travellers: Vancouver International Airport, Calgary International Airport, Toronto Pearson International Airport, and Montreal-Trudeau International Airport. Canadian airlines have also cut services to Mexico and the Caribbean.

International travel was only responsible for 2 per cent of coronavirus cases in Canada thanks in part due to travel restrictions, Trudeau said previously. Travel has been significantly reduced to Canada, both by land and air. As of January 31, there was a year-over-year decrease of roughly 88 per cent in the number of land border crossings, and a 92 per cent decrease in air travel crossings, according to Canadian Border Services Agency travel statistics.

Foreign nationals are only allowed to enter Canada for essential reasons, or to reunite with family. Canada's travel restrictions are currently in place until February 21, and are expected to be renewed. Canada's borders have been subject to travel restrictions since March 2020.

Get help coming to Canada. Contact an immigration lawyer.

© CIC News All Rights Reserved. Visit CanadaVisa.com to discover your Canadian immigration options.

Share this article
Share your voice
Did you find this article helpful?
Thank you for your feedback.
Subscribe to our newsletter
Did you find this article helpful?
Please provide a response
Thank you for your helpful feedback
Please contact us if you would like to share additional feedback, have a question, or would like Canadian immigration assistance.
  • Do you need Canadian immigration assistance? Contact the Contact Cohen Immigration Law firm by completing our form
  • Send us your feedback or your non-legal assistance questions by emailing us at media@canadavisa.com
Related articles
Here is the Yeates immigration report shaping the future of IRCC
How do people in Canada spend their money?
A man grabs two fistfuls of cash. Canadians in 2021 spent the most money on shelter.
Canada’s immigration department is undergoing major changes
Supreme Court of Canada determines that a person can only be inadmissible to Canada if they are a threat to national security
Supreme Court of Canada
Top Stories
Nigerian students critical to ongoing success of Canada’s international education sector
Canada extending international student off-campus work hours policy until April 2024
If I gain Canadian permanent residence, do I have to become a citizen?
Join our free newsletter. Get Canada's top immigration stories delivered to your inbox.
Subscribe
More in Citizenship
If I gain Canadian permanent residence, do I have to become a citizen?
A man stands on a viewing deck at Banff national park in Alberta.
What are the benefits of a Canadian passport?
A man holds his passport up at the airport as he travels through customs. Canada has one of the most recognised passports from any country around the world.
My parent is a Canadian citizen, but I was born outside Canada. Am I eligible for proof of citizenship?
The Canadian Flag flies in full in front of the Parliament of Canada, the Peace Tower is seen in the background on a cloudy day in Ottawa.
Am I eligible to become an Overseas Citizen of India?
The Bandra Worli Sea Link is seen passing over the Mahim Bay, with the city around it. Dadar, Prabhadevi, Lower Parel, Worli, Matunga, Mahim and Bandra can be seen.
Link copied to clipboard