News Room
Canada extends travel restrictions into the new year
Canada’s border will be closed to foreign nationals who are coming for a non-optional, non-discretionary reason. Border officials will turn away any traveller coming for reasons such as recreation, tourism, or entertainment.
Some people are already exempt from travel restrictions, such as:
- Canadian citizens (including dual citizens) or permanent residents;
- certain people who have been approved for Canadian permanent residence;
- certain temporary foreign workers;
- certain international students;
- protected persons;
- immediate family members of Canadians;
- extended family members of Canadians;
- people coming to Canada for compassionate reasons; or
anyone else who falls under the exemptions listed on the government’s webpage.
Originally, travel restrictions went into place from March 18 to June 30 in an effort to stop the spread of coronavirus. Since then, they have been rolled over on a month-by-month basis.
The only other exemptions to the mandatory 14-day quarantine requirement are:
- crew members;
- people invited by the health minister to help with the COVID-19 response, and other healthcare workers;
- members of visiting forces who are coming to work;
- people coming to receive medical services within 36 hours of their arrival;
- crossing the border in a trans-border community;
- people crossing into Canada aboard a “vessel” for the purposes of research, as long as they stay on the vessel; and
- other circumstances listed in the new Order in Council.