Canada’s Updated Travel Restrictions Kick In Today & Here’s What You Need To Know

Get ready, travellers! Canada’s latest travel restrictions have just kicked in and this means you’ll need a pre-arrival negative PCR test to return to Canada if you leave — regardless of how long your trip is.

On December 17, the federal government announced a series of updates to Canada’s travel measures in response to the “significant risks and uncertainties presented by the spread of the Omicron variant in Canada and globally.”

This included lifting the pre-arrival test exemption for those taking short trips outside of the country, which was put into place back in late-November.

This means that as of Tuesday, December 21, all travellers entering Canada will once again be required to show a pre-arrival negative PCR test result, regardless of an individual’s vaccination status and trip length.

The pre-arrival test must be taken in a country other than Canada, also effective December 21.

On-arrival testing resources have been ramped up at Canadian airports too, increasing from 11,000 air travellers per day on November 3, 2021, to almost 21,000 as of December 16.

In addition to the PCR test reinstatement, the feds also issued a new non-essential international travel advisory. While it is guidance rather than a hard rule, officials say the Level 3 notice means "your safety and security could be at risk" if you do decide to travel abroad.

That’s not all. As of December 18 at 11:59 p.m., the Government of Canada lifted the travel ban that had previously been placed on ten specific countries.

“While we recognize the controversial nature of this measure, we believe it was necessary to slow the arrival of Omicron in Canada and buy us some time,” the feds confirmed in a notice. “Given the current situation, this measure has served its purpose and is no longer needed.”

In response to the stricter travel restrictions, Canadian airline WestJet slammed the measures as a "setback" and said they are "not based on science."