Ottawa (CNN) – The long wait will soon be over for foreigners who have been barred from entering Canada for almost 16 months.
As of August 9, U.S. citizens and permanent residents who currently reside in the United States and are fully vaccinated will be allowed to enter Canada.
Non-essential travel to Canada has been banned since March 2020, which the Canadian government has said is necessary to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
International travelers could also be allowed to enter Canada as of September 7, provided that “the epidemiology of covid-19 remains favorable,” the Canadian government said in a statement on Monday.
Entry into Canada will continue to be prohibited for all foreign travelers who are not fully vaccinated.
Lanes of entry closed at the Canada-U.S. Border in Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle, Quebec, September 16, 2020.
All fully vaccinated U.S. citizens and permanent residents must have the full schedule of a vaccine, or combination of vaccines, accepted by the Canadian government at least 14 days before entering Canada, the statement said.
Currently, the accepted vaccines are those from Pfizer / BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson.
Other vaccines, including those from China or Russia, will not be recognized by Canada. Officials say they continue to “investigate” and will announce policy changes accordingly.
Travelers must provide proof that they have been vaccinated.
In a major concession, unvaccinated children under 12 who enter Canada with vaccinated parents or guardians will not have to self-quarantine for 14 days.
In another policy change, fully vaccinated travelers will not need a post-arrival test unless they have been randomly selected at the point of entry to perform a covid-19 molecular test.
All travelers entering Canada, regardless of their immunization status, will be required to undergo a negative PCR or molecular test within 72 hours of requesting entry.
However, the White House on Monday refused to commit to reopening its northern border to Canadians.
“We continue to review our travel restrictions and any decision to reopen travel will be guided by our public health and medical experts,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters.
“We take this incredibly seriously, but we watch and are guided by our own medical experts. I wouldn’t watch it with reciprocal intent,” Psaki said.
The United States has established working groups with allies in the United Kingdom and the European Union on reopening travel, but the results of those discussions are unclear.
The EU lifted travel restrictions for US citizens last month.
CNN’s Kevin Liptak contributed to this report.
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