Negative COVID-19 PCR Test now required for all arrivals into Canada

Effective today (January 7, 2021), all travellers, five years of age or older, including Canadians, will be required to show a negative PCR, NAT/NAAT or LAMP test result taken within 72 hours prior to boarding their scheduled departure to Canada.

If your flight to Canada departs before 00:01 EST on January 14, 2021 from one of the following countries, they are able to present a negative COVID-19 PCR, NAT/NAAT or LAMP test result within 96 hours of departure: Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Bonaire, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Curaçao, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Jamaica, Martinique, Mexico, Panama, Saba, Saint Lucia, Saint Martin and Sint Maarten, Sint Eustatius, Saint Vincent and Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos.

For the Canadian Government’s information on testing entities abroad:

1. Visit travel.gc.ca/travelling/advisories

2. Select a country

3. Click the “Health” tab

4. Scroll down to “Medical services and facilities”

5. Click on “Local COVID-19 testing facilities”

Travellers do not need to provide a negative COVID-19 PCR test if:

• Their flight to Canada departs from one of the recognised countries identified by the Government of Canada as a country where PCR testing is deemed unavailable, you may still travel however upon landing in Canada be required to quarantine for 14 days in a Public Health Agency of Canada quarantine location.; and/or

• You are only transiting through a Canadian airport from one international destination to another, without entering Canada. Please ensure you are aware of and in compliance with the entry requirements for your final destination.

As a reminder, we recommend you visit travel.gc.ca for official updates from the Government of Canada. They have also published a list of frequently asked questions about the new testing requirement. For specific questions related to the implementation of the government policy, please contact the government or Canadian Consular Services.

You may also want to visit Air Canada's COVID-19 testing page which includes the latest information as they receive it from the Government of Canada.

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