What you need to do to be prepared to cross the border into and out of Canada from the United States.
CROSSING INTO CANADA
We recently traveled to Canada in April 2022. As of April 1, Canada no longer requires COVID testing to enter the country if fully vaccinated. If you are fully vaccinated, you just need to create an account on the ArriveCAN app. The app can be downloaded to your phone from the iTunes or Google Play stores. You can also sign into the website from a computer. The app will be updated after April 25 so if you are planning to travel after April 25, make sure you download or update to the latest version (version 2.28) at that time.
The app will have you take pictures of your passport and vaccination documentation. You will also have to complete a brief health questionnaire. ArriveCAN will also have you type in a hotel name and address or a place to quarantine should you test positive for the coronavirus. Even if you are fully vaccinated, they can still select you for random testing at the airport. If this happens and you test positive, you will need to have a place to quarantine. When the information is completed with ArriveCAN with 72 hours of your trip, you will be given a QR code that you can present to border security when you land at an airport or cross into Canada by car.
We crossed into Canada at both an airport and a land border crossing. We had to present our QR code and passports at each crossing. Since our land crossing was 72 hours after our crossing at an airport, we had to get another QR code by logging onto the app and answering the health questionnaire again. We did not have to take pictures of our passports or proof of vaccination again. We did, however, once again have to include a name and address of a quarantine location.
CROSSING INTO THE UNITED STATES
If you’re an American citizen and are fully vaccinated, you will need a negative COVID test result within 24 hours of FLYING back to the United States or have proof of a positive test with “documentation of recovery.” A “documentation of recovery” is a signed letter from a licensed healthcare provider or a public health official that states you have been cleared for travel according to CDC’s travel guidance.
You don’t need a PCR test. You may get one if you wish but an antigen test is sufficient and can be done by an individual if that individual is administering the test under supervision. “The testing procedure must include a telehealth service affiliated with the manufacturer of the test that provides real-time supervision remotely through an audio and video connection. Some FDA-authorized self-tests that include a telehealth service may require a prescription.”
We used the eMed BinaxNOW test. I ordered it online prior to traveling to Canada and carried it with us in our carry-on bag into Canada. I did some research online and it was one of the cheaper options. The test itself was quite easy and fast. We did it in our hotel room the night before our flight home. They have someone who can observe you test yourself 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Just make sure you DO NOT open the box the test comes in until you are connected with someone who will observe you taking the test and are instructed to open the box. I downloaded the NAVICA app and was able to get the result sent directly to the app.
Once I got the result, I was able to check-in online for my flight back into the United States. We flew American Airlines back into the United States and they use the VeriFLY app to document the negative COVID test and proof of vaccination before they will allow you to complete the check-in process online. We had to take pictures of ourselves and had to have our passport information, vaccination information, and testing information handy when inputting information into the app. Our test information was documented in UTC time so in order for me to upload it onto the app, I had to change the time on my phone to UTC since I kept getting an error message stating the test time cannot be a time in the “future.” It was a simple workaround but can be frustrating if you do not think to do it. Once the VeriFLY process was complete, they automatically notified the airline and we were able to check-in online.
I highly recommend checking with whatever airline you’re flying back to determine their process for verifying your testing information. VeriFLY is used by some airlines and not all of them flying into the United States. While we were at the airport, there were several people who could not get checked in because they didn’t know they had to get tested before leaving or their check-in process got extended because they didn’t use the VeriFLY app. It was quick and easy to show the agent at the airport our VeriFLY pass before we handed them our check-in luggage.
The need for a negative test to return to the United States is NOT NECESSARY if crossing the border via LAND or SEA. We drove across the border near Niagara Falls and only had to show our American passports to get back into the United States. We did not have to show proof of a negative test or even our vaccination cards.
Traveling to and from Canada as an American citizen can be an easier experience if you plan ahead and research what is needed to enter both the United States and Canada.
As of April 23, 2022, if you’re an American citizen, you’ll need the following to make entering Canada easier:
- Passport
- Proof of vaccination
- ArriveCAN app
To make it easier to enter the United States by air if an American citizen, you’ll need the following:
- Passport
- Proof of vaccination
- Antigen COVID test, negative test result, any app required by the testing company.
- VeriFly app or any app required by the airline to expedite processing of negative test result.