COVID-19 Boarding flights and trains in Canada

Travellers should consider their entire journey and which Canadian airports they are flying from, as well as their return journey home.

This list of airports may evolve over the coming weeks and months. If you don't see a small airport listed, you can find details about what is needed on travel from remote communities.

A Gateway Airport is an airport that has been identified as a hub for travel to and from remote communities and where vaccination requirements apply. COVID-19 molecular self-test kits are provided to remote travellers at those airports.

Vaccines accepted by the Government of Canada for the purpose of travel to and within Canada:

• AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD (ChAdOx1-S, Vaxzevria, AZD1222)
• Bharat Biotech (Covaxin, BBV152 A, B, C)
• Janssen/Johnson & Johnson
• Moderna (mRNA-1273)
• Pfizer-BioNTech (Comirnaty, tozinameran, BNT162b2)
• Sinopharm BIBP (BBIBP-CorV)
• Sinovac (CoronaVac, PiCoVacc)

To qualify as a fully vaccinated traveller, you must have received, at least 14 full days prior to the day you travel:

• at least 2 doses of a vaccine accepted by the Government of Canada for the purpose of travel
• or a mix of 2 accepted vaccines
• or at least 1 dose of the Janssen/Johnson & Johnson vaccine

Fully vaccinated Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and persons registered under the Indian Act will be able to take connecting flights or board a train after entering Canada.

Canadians, permanent residents, and persons registered under the Indian Act who don't qualify as fully vaccinated can’t take a connecting flight or train.

New permanent residents and resettling refugees who don’t qualify as fully vaccinated will be allowed to travel onward in Canada in order to get established.

If you’re a foreign national permitted entry into Canada without qualifying as fully vaccinated, you may take a connecting flight that is scheduled to depart within 24 hours of the departure time for your flight to Canada. Foreign nationals authorized entry into Canada can continue to their final destination using their valid pre-entry molecular test as long as the scheduled departure time of their domestic flight is within 24 hours of the departure time for their flight to Canada.

Foreign nationals who don’t qualify as fully vaccinated and who don’t permanently reside in Canada will be allowed to depart Canada up until February 28, 2022. They must also show proof of a valid COVID-19 molecular test result at the time of boarding. After that time, foreign nationals will need to be fully vaccinated in order to board a flight or train to depart Canada.

Your proof of vaccination must include the following information:

• full name of the person who received the vaccine;
• the name of the government or organization who issued the proof or administered the vaccine;
• the brand name or manufacturer of the vaccine or of the mix of accepted vaccines
• the date you received your second dose of an accepted vaccine, or your first dose of Janssen/Johnson & Johnson

Protecting the privacy of Canadians is integral to implementing these requirements. Please note that airlines and railway companies are subject to applicable Canadian privacy legislation with respect to the handling of your personal information. For information on how they process your personal information, please visit their website for their privacy policy or contact them directly.

In the event that any personal information is provided to Transport Canada, it will only be used and disclosed by Transport Canada in accordance with the Privacy Act and its regulations. The personal information collected, as well as its use, disclosure and retention, will be described in the applicable personal information banks, which are currently being developed and/or modified, and will be published on Transport Canada’s Info Source page.

If your child has just turned 12, there is a 4-month exemption period following their 12th birthday in which they won’t be required to be vaccinated or tested. This gives children the time to receive both shots of the COVID-19 vaccine.

For example, if your child's 12th birthday is in January, the child can travel in January through April without providing proof of vaccination or a test result. In May, the child would be required to provide proof of vaccination.

Passengers from small or remote communities will still be able to obtain essential services for their medical, health or social well-being, and return safely to their homes.

• Travel from remote communities

Essential medical care refers to booked appointments to receive medical services that are important to saving lives and improving health outcomes.

Travellers who think they may be eligible for this type of temporary exemption should:

• access the form through their airline or railway company
• have it signed by a Canadian licensed medical doctor or nurse practitioner
• submit the form 2 weeks prior to departure and in accordance with the airline or railway company’s exemption approval process.

If you’re traveling with multiple airlines, you’ll need to contact each airline.

If you receive approval for a temporary exemption, you’ will also need to present a valid COVID-19 test before boarding.

If you’re only transiting through Canada to reach another country, these vaccination requirements don’t apply. Travellers should check with their air carriers to ensure that they can meet the requirements for:

• Transiting to another country by air

If an unvaccinated passenger must travel due to an emergency situation such as an evacuation due to fire or flood, or an urgent medical reason, airlines and railway companies will have the authority to exempt them from the mandatory vaccination requirement and/or the requirement for a valid COVID-19 molecular test. Operators will only be authorized to apply this authority, however, when there is an immediate threat to the safety of the traveller.

The following are examples of travel that would not be considered emergency and urgent travel:

• travelling to visit family
• attending weddings, funerals, and attending to personal matters such as buying a house
• seeing/caring for sick family members
• discretionary travel, such as for vacation or recreation
• situations where an activity can be held virtually

As part of the domestic National Interest Exemption Program (NIEP), Transport Canada will administer case-by-case applications for exemptions from the vaccine mandate for travel in Canada’s national interest and/or to support critical infrastructure needs (for example, participation in a COVID-19 vaccine clinical trial). A valid COVID-19 molecular test will be required.

Personal emergency and urgent travel will not be considered.

Travellers are able to submit applications under the domestic National Interest Exemption Program at least 3 weeks before your travel dates.

Travellers that are unable to be vaccinated for medical reasons, such as a specific confirmed allergy, may be eligible for an exemption to the vaccine requirement.

Travellers who think they may be eligible for this type of temporary exemption should:

• access the form through their airline or railway company
• have it signed by a Canadian licensed medical doctor or nurse practitioner
• submit the form for review at least 3 weeks prior to departure and in accordance with the airline or railway company’s exemption approval process

If you have a provincial or a territorial medical exemption, your airline or railway may accept it in lieu of the medical doctor or nurse practitioner’s signature.

If you’re traveling with multiple airlines, you’ll need to contact each airline.

If you receive approval for a temporary exemption, you’ll also need to present a valid COVID-19 test before boarding.

Leaders and members of a number of religions and religious denominations have released public statements indicating their support for the COVID-19 vaccine specifically in the interest of public health. These include:

• Islam
• Roman Catholicism
• Judaism
• Greek Orthodox
• Mennonites
• Jehovah’s Witnesses
• Christian Science

In addition, a number of provincial human rights commissions have taken the position that objection to vaccination for personal reasons is not a protected ground under their respective Code and does not need to be accommodated.

Applications for sincere religious beliefs may be considered on a case-by-case basis. Your request to your airline or railway must clearly demonstrate your sincere religious belief, how it prevents you from being vaccinated, and be signed by a Commissioner of Oaths.

You must submit your form 3 weeks prior to departure, and in line with the airline or railway company’s exemption approval process.

If you’re traveling with multiple airlines, you’ll need to contact each airline.

If you receive approval for a temporary exemption, you’ll also need to present a valid COVID-19 test before boarding.

If you don't qualify as fully vaccinated and you qualify for one of the limited exemptions that require a valid molecular test result, you must:

• provide proof of a COVID-19 negative molecular test result taken within 72 hours of your scheduled departure time OR
• proof of a previous positive molecular test result taken between 14 and 180 days before your trip

It's your responsibility to book, pay for and get the results of your molecular test prior to boarding your flight, train or ship.

Types of molecular tests

• Rapid antigen tests aren't accepted.