Flying to Canada: COVID-19 testing for travellers

Persons who have recovered from COVID-19 can continue to test positive long after they have recovered and are no longer infectious.

Travellers who have previously tested positive for COVID-19 must provide proof of a positive COVID-19 molecular test conducted between 14 and 90 days prior to your scheduled flight.

These tests are considered acceptable molecular tests:

• PCR - Polymerase chain reaction
• RT-PCR – reverse transcription real time PCR
• Quantitative PCR (qPCR)
• Nucleic acid test (NAT) or Nucleic acid amplification test (NAATs)
• Reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP)
• Isothermal amplification
• Droplet digital PCR or digital droplet PCR (ddPCR)
• RNA (Ribonucleic acid)
• Ct (cycle threshold)
• CRISPR
• Sequencing
• Next generational sequencing (NGS) or whole genome sequencing (WGS)
• Oxford Nanopore sequencing (LamPORE)
• Detection of the N gene
• Detection of Orf1a/b
• Detection of the S gene
• Detection of the E gene
• Detection of the RdRp gene

These tests use methods such as a nasopharyngeal (NP) swab, nose swab, or saliva sample. At this time, proof of having a vaccine will not replace a negative test result.

Learn more about COVID-19 diagnostic tests

The Government of Canada will notify travellers should it become mandatory to obtain COVID-19 molecular tests from specific accredited laboratories or facilities.

At this time, proof of vaccination does not replace a valid test result.

There are only a limited number of exceptions where an individual is not required to do post-border testing:

• Resolved COVID-19 infection - persons who have molecular test proof to show they had a positive COVID-19 test taken between 14-90 days before travel
• Children - children who are four years of age or younger (children who are five on the day of their travel must have proof of a negative COVID-19 test)
• Transit through Canada - transiting passengers who are only flying through Canada to reach another country

Medical and health care

• Medical treatments - persons who must leave and return to Canada to receive essential medical services in another country. One person may accompany them. They must have:
  • written evidence from a licensed health care practitioner in Canada indicating services or treatments outside Canada are essential; and
  • written evidence from a licensed health care practitioner in the foreign country indicating services or treatments were provided in that country
• Medical evacuation - Persons who boarded a medical evacuation flight for medical purposes if the urgency of the medical situation does not permit a COVID-19 molecular test to be administered to the person before boarding the aircraft for the flight to Canada

Essential work considered exempt under the Emergency Orders

• Essential service provider as determined by the Chief Public Health Officer
• Emergency services – persons who are:
  • firefighters, peace officers, and paramedics, who return from providing such services in another country and are required to provide their services within 14 days of their return to Canada
  • permitted to work in Canada under paragraph 186(t) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations who enter for the purpose of providing those services
• Government Officials – employees of the Government of Canada or a foreign government, including border services officers, immigration enforcement officers, law enforcement and correctional officers, who are escorting individuals travelling to Canada or from Canada pursuant to a legal process such as deportation, extradition or international transfer of offenders.
• Law enforcement officer, border enforcement officer, or immigration enforcement officer - Officials of the Government of Canada, a provincial or a foreign government, including law enforcement, border enforcement, and immigration enforcement officers, who enter Canada for the purposes of law, border or immigration enforcement, or national security activities that support active investigations, ensure continuity of enforcement operations or activities, or transfer information or evidence pursuant to, or in support, of a legal process, and who are required to provide their services within 14 days of entry and have reasonable rationales for the immediacy of the work and the inability to plan for a 14 day quarantine;
• Crew members - a person who:
  • is a crew member as defined in subsection 101.01(1) of the Canadian Aviation Regulations or a person who enters Canada only to become such a crew member
  • is a member of a crew as defined in subsection 3(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations who is re-entering Canada
  • is re-entering Canada after having left to undertake mandatory training relating to the operation of a vehicle
• Canadian Armed Forces - A member of the Canadian Armed Forces who enters Canada for the purpose of performing their duties
• Visiting forces - Visiting force air crew entering Canada for the purpose of performing mission-essential duties as a member of that force

Other special circumstances

• National interest - A person or member of a group whose presence in Canada, as determined by the Minister of Health, is in the national interest.
• Person denied entry to another country - Canadian citizens, permanent residents of Canada and persons registered as an Indian under the Indian Act, who were denied entry to a country or territory and who must subsequently board a flight destined to Canada (direct back).
• Refugee Protection - Persons who enters Canada from the United States for the purpose of making a claim for refugee protection
• Extraordinary and unforeseen circumstances –
  • Exigent hardship consular cases for Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or persons with status under the Indian Act, as determined by the Minister of Foreign Affairs
  • Disaster response support as determined by the Minister of Transport or Minister of Public Safety

Select the country you’re coming from. Not all countries have testing facilities information available yet.

Canadian government offices abroad do not provide medical attention (including administering COVID-19 testing) or cover medical expenses for Canadian citizens abroad. At any time, you may also contact the Emergency Watch and Response Centre in Ottawa.

• Embassies and consulates by destination
• Emergency Watch and Response Centre

Keep your pre-entry test results for 14 days. In addition, you will be required to isolate and keep your test results for an additional 14 days if at any time during your quarantine you:

• develop signs and symptoms of COVID-19
• are exposed to another person who exhibits signs and symptoms of COVID-19
• test positive for COVID-19

You must provide proof of your test results, if asked, to any federal, provincial, territorial or municipal government official.

All travellers arriving in Canada are obligated by Canadian law to respond truthfully to all questions. Providing false information to a Government of Canada official upon entry to Canada is a serious offence and may result in penalties and/or criminal charges. Foreign nationals who provide false information could also be denied entry to the country and/or be barred from returning to Canada.

Making a false declaration when boarding a flight to Canada, including the presentation of a fraudulent test result, carries the potential for up to $5,000 in administrative monetary penalties under the Aeronautics Act, in addition to a fine of $3000 under the Quarantine Act, if the same false document is also presented upon entry into Canada.

Violating any instructions provided when you enter Canada or putting others at risk of a serious communicable disease are offences under the Quarantine Act and could lead to up to three years in prison and/or up to $1 million in fines.

There are no exceptions for vaccinated travellers, at this time.

There are only a limited number of exceptions where an individual is not required to do post-border testing:

• Resolved COVID-19 infection - persons who have molecular test proof to show they had a positive COVID-19 test taken between 14-90 days before travel
• Children - children who are four years of age or younger (children who are five on the day of their travel must do the testing post-border)
• Diplomatic or consular couriers
• Diplomatic, official and courtesy visas - An accredited person and a person holding a D-1, O-1, or C-1 visa entering Canada to take up a post and become an accredited person, and immediate family members of those persons
• Medical evacuation - Persons who boarded a medical evacuation flight for medical purposes if the urgency of the medical situation does not permit a COVID-19 molecular test to be administered to the person before boarding the aircraft for the flight to Canada
• National Interest – persons or groups determined by the Minister of Health
• Extraordinary and unforeseen circumstances –
  • Exigent hardship consular cases for Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or persons with status under the Indian Act, as determined by the Minister of Foreign Affairs
  • Disaster response support as determined by the Minister of Transport or Minister of Public Safety
  • Exigent cases as determined by a Quarantine Officer
• Persons who were exempt from quarantine requirements

Some circumstances allow for alternative testing protocols upon arrival.

A government representative will provide further instruction on arrival for testing.

• Unaccompanied minors - a person who is less than 18 years of age and is not accompanied by a person who is 18 years of age or older
• Compassionate Reasons - A person that has explicit approval from PHAC to be temporarily released from quarantine for the following purposes:
  1. To attend to the death of or provide support to a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, temporary resident, protected person or a person registered under the Indian Act who is residing in Canada and who is deemed to be critically ill by a licensed health care professional
  2. To provide care for a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, temporary resident, protected person or a person registered as an Indian under the Indian Act who is residing in Canada and who is deemed by a licensed health care professional to have a medical reason that they require support
  3. To attend a funeral or end of life ceremony
• Persons or class of persons as determined by the Chief Public Health Officer

You will be required to get tested before exiting the airport. To speed you through testing at the airport, we encourage you to register in advance with the testing provider:

• Montreal – Biron Groupe Santé
• Toronto – Switch Health – This also registers you in advance for your Day-10 test
• Calgary – Government of Alberta
• Vancouver – LifeLabs

It is still possible to register at the airport.

All travellers will receive calls from a live agent or automated system and you may also be visited at your place of quarantine by a Screening Officer to verify your compliance.

You are under a legal obligation to take the arrival and Day-10 tests. Failure to comply with the requirements of the Quarantine Act and emergency orders made under this Act is an offence and could lead to fines of up to $750,000 or imprisonment. If you do not take the tests, you may also be transferred to a designated quarantine facility.

If you receive a negative result on your arrival test, you may check out of the hotel and go directly to your quarantine location to complete the remainder of your quarantine. You must have a suitable plan for your quarantine.

This applies if you:

• Receive a negative test result before the end of your 3-night stay
• Need to use a taxi or ride-sharing service, have a private vehicle, or have an onward domestic flight to reach your final destination

You are still required to complete a test on Day-10 of your quarantine.

If you receive a positive result on your arrival test, stay in your room until you receive a phone call from a government representative who will provide further instructions

You are required to take another test. The lab that conducted your test will call you to set up an appointment to complete another nasal swab at the hotel. You must stay at the hotel until you have completed your repeat test and have also spoken to a government representative.

Tests are performed at the airport by various providers depending on your arrival city.

• Calgary: Contact Alberta Health Services by email at borderpilot@gov.ab.ca
• Montreal: Contact Biron by phone at 1-866-382-0287
• Vancouver: Contact LifeLabs by phone or email
  • Phone: 1-877-313-4982
  • Email: ClientService@lifelabs.com
• Toronto: Visit the Switch Health website or contact them by phone
  • 1-888-966-6531
  • 1-647-977-1030

You may contact Switch Health toll-free at 1-888-966-6531 and a customer service representative will be able to create an account for you, and add you to a call-back time slot.

During your call-back, a nurse will guide you through the home test process over the phone. This includes:

• taking a nasal swab
• packaging the sample
• arranging a courier to pick up the sample for delivery to the laboratory

You may also call Switch Health toll-free at 1-888-966-6531 to receive your test results.

You must stay in your place of quarantine until you receive a negative test result from the Day-10 test and you have completed your mandatory 14-day quarantine.

You will either get tested at a participating pharmacy, or use a Switch Health kit, depending on the address of your Day-10 place of quarantine.

If you were advised to go to a designated pharmacy for your Day-10 test (arrival through Calgary International Airport)

You’re allowed to leave your place of quarantine to get this test. You must go directly to the pharmacy, without making any stops along the way, using private transportation or a taxi to and from the pharmacy. You must immediately return to your place of quarantine after completing your test.

If you have questions about getting tested at the pharmacy, please contact Alberta Health Services at borderpilot@gov.ab.ca.

All travellers will receive calls from a live agent or automated system and you may also be visited at your place of quarantine by a Screening Officer to verify your compliance.

You are under a legal obligation to take the arrival and Day-10 tests. Failure to comply with the requirements of the Quarantine Act and emergency orders made under this Act is an offence and could lead to fines of up to $750,000 or imprisonment. If you do not take the tests, you may also be transferred to a designated quarantine facility.

You can only leave your place of quarantine if you receive a negative result from your Day-10 test AND once you have completed your mandatory quarantine. The 14-day quarantine period includes the days you spent at your government-authorized hotel.

You must isolate yourself from others immediately for a period of 14 days that begins from the time you took the test with positive results (i.e. date/time of specimen collection). A government representative will call you to provide you with additional instructions.

If you receive an inconclusive result on your Day-10 test, you must complete another test.

Switch Health should automatically courier another test kit to you. Contact them by email at results@switchhealth.ca or by calling 1-888-996-6531 or 1-647-977-1030 right away to ensure a kit has been sent.

You must stay in quarantine until you receive a negative result from your repeat test and you have completed your mandatory 14 day quarantine.

If you have not received your Day-10 test result, contact Switch Health directly by email at results@switchhealth.ca or by calling 1-888-996-6531 or 1-647-977-1030.

You can only leave your place of quarantine if you receive a negative result from your Day-10 test and you have completed your full 14-day quarantine.

Your Day-10 test must be completed using the Switch Health kit provided (see below if you arrived at the Calgary airport). You must stay in quarantine until you have received a negative test result using the kit provided AND your 14-day quarantine period is complete.

You will either get tested at a participating pharmacy, or use a kit, depending on the address of your Day-10 place of quarantine.

If you were advised to go to a designated pharmacy for your Day-10 test

You’re allowed to leave your place of quarantine to get this test. You must go directly to the pharmacy, without making any stops along the way, using private transportation or a taxi to and from the pharmacy. You must immediately return to your place of quarantine after completing your test.

If you have questions about getting tested at the pharmacy, please contact Alberta Health Services at borderpilot@gov.ab.ca.