Americans Can Now Travel to Canada

canadian and american flags at the U.S.-Canada border

Canada is the second-most visited country for American travelers.

(Image credit: Getty)

published 22 July 2021

Canada plans to reopen to American travelers starting August 9. Visitors hoping to travel to Canada will have to prove they have been fully vaccinated for at least 14 days.

"At every step, the safety of Canadians will continue to be our top priority," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted Monday night.

Update: As of September 7th, fully-vaccinated people from any country can come into Canada for non-essential travel. As a first step, fully-vaccinated Americans can do the same starting August 9th. At every step, the safety of Canadians will continue to be our top priority. https://t.co/UhnCDpUdW5July 20, 2021

To enter, travelers must show either digital or paper proof of their vaccination status, take a pre-arrival coronavirus test, and register on the ArriveCAN portal, which the Canadian government is using to vet traveler health information. Most visitors will not be required to take an additional coronavirus test after arriving, though some will be randomly selected for testing. The Canadian government also said visitors should have a quarantine plan ready in case they do not meet requirements. Unvaccinated children under the age of 12 are exempt from quarantining upon arrival, but will not be allowed to participate in group activities such as camping.

"With rising vaccination rates and fewer cases in Canada, we can begin to safely ease border measures," Canada’s Health Minister Patty Hajdu said in a press release. "A gradual approach to reopening will allow our health authorities to monitor the COVID-19 situation here and abroad."

“To decrease the spread of Covid-19, including the Delta variant, the United States is extending restrictions on nonessential travel at our land and ferry crossings with Canada and Mexico through August 21,” a spokesman for the department said in an email to the New York Times. “D.H.S. is in constant contact with Canadian and Mexican counterparts to identify the conditions under which restrictions may be eased safely and sustainably.”

Rebecca Holland is a travel and food writer based in Chicago. She has written for the Guardian, New York Times, Architectural Digest, Food & Wine, Wine Enthusiast and more. She is currently a graduate student at Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism. When not working, you can find her eating her way through Chicago's neighborhoods, or in non-pandemic times, traveling around the world.