Canadians Can Now Get A One-Time Exemption From ArriveCAN Fines & Quarantine At The Border
The feds recently changed the rules at the land border.
A CBSA office at the Canada-U.S. border. Right: Cars line up at the Blaine land border crossing.
The federal government recently made an update to Canada's travel restrictions at the land border, allowing fully vaccinated travellers a one-time exemption from fines and quarantine if they fail to follow all entry requirements.
In a statement shared with Narcity on August 15, a spokesperson for the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) confirmed that "temporary measures" have been put into place to provide "more flexibility to travellers with no history of non-compliance."
Under the new rules, eligible fully vaccinated travellers who fail to submit the required health documents through ArriveCAN will be "exempt from quarantine, testing and fines on a one-time basis."
The CBSA says the change has been in effect since May 2022, enabling those "who may have been unaware of the requirement to submit their mandatory health information via ArriveCAN" to continue with their travel plans.
Initially, exemptions were only available to fully vaxxed Canadian citizens, permanent residents and those with the right to enter Canada.
However, as of July 29, the one-time exception also covers fully vaccinated foreign nationals entering Canada via a land border, including travellers from the United States.
While details of the rule update were not widely publicized and cannot be found online, the CBSA told Narcity that between May 24 and August 4, 2022, the one-time exemption was granted to as many as 308,800 travellers.
Individuals who have previously been granted the exemption will not qualify for it a second time though and could face fines of up to $5,000 if they're found to be flouting public health requirements.
"Foreign nationals who do not submit their information in ArriveCAN on subsequent trips will not be allowed to enter Canada," the CBSA warns.
Canada's current travel measures are set to end on September 30, although it's not yet clear whether they will be extended yet again.
Until then, the use of ArriveCAN to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination and other essential travel documents remains mandatory for all travellers.
Before you get going, check out our Responsible Travel Guide so you can be informed, be safe, be smart, and most of all, be respectful on your adventure.