Trudeau announces standardized Canadian COVID-19 proof of vaccination for travel

Justin Trudeau Photo: Twitter

Effective October 30, travellers departing from Canadian airports, and travellers on VIA Rail and Rocky Mountaineer trains, will be required to be fully vaccinated in order to travel

PRIME Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday announced that, in collaboration with provinces and territories, a standardized Canadian COVID-19 proof of vaccination is now available to residents of Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, and Yukon, and will be available in the other provinces soon.

Canada is also engaging with international partners to obtain recognition and acceptance abroad, so the proof can also be used to facilitate travel around the world.

Trudeau said the Canadian COVID-19 proof of vaccination provides Canadians a reliable and secure way to demonstrate their COVID-19 vaccination history, both in Canada and abroad. It is issued by provinces and territories to individuals who are vaccinated and registered with their provincial or territorial health authority. The proof of vaccination can also be used with ArriveCAN, the mobile app and website for travellers to submit mandatory information when arriving in Canada from other countries.

This standardized proof will support Canada’s new traveller vaccination requirements that will come into effect on October 30. Travellers can continue to use their provincial proof of vaccination for domestic or international travel if their province is not yet issuing the standardized proof of vaccination.

This announcement is part of the five vaccination commitments that the Government of Canada will implement in the first 100 days of its new mandate. More than 83 per cent of eligible Canadians are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, but the fight against the virus continues. The government will continue to make vaccination a priority so it can keep Canadians safe, finish the fight against COVID-19, and build a better country for everyone, Trudeau said.

Quick Facts

  • To learn more about the Canadian COVID-19 proof of vaccination and how to get it, visit Canada.ca/vaccine-proof.
  • Most people vaccinated in Canada will be able to get a Canadian COVID-19 proof of vaccination from the province or territory where they received their vaccines. Those vaccinated outside Canada can check with their home province or territory to see if they can register their vaccine record to get a Canadian proof.
  • The Government of Canada continues to engage with Indigenous partners across the country to ensure that a COVID-19 proof of vaccination respects the rights of Indigenous peoples. This includes ensuring the proof is equitable and accessible, and takes into account the needs of Indigenous communities, particularly along the Canada-U.S. border.
  • Privacy remains a key priority. Provinces, territories, and Indigenous organizations are, and will remain, the custodians of Canadians’ health data. The Government of Canada has worked closely with partners to make sure the data contained within the standardized proof of vaccination only includes the minimum information needed to determine whether a traveller meets their entry and public health requirements.
  • Establishing a standardized proof of vaccination for Canadians travelling internationally is part of the government’s vaccination commitments for the first 100 days following the swearing-in of the new Cabinet, to take place on October 26. The other commitments are:
    • To support provincial and territorial proof of vaccination programs.
    • To ensure everyone 12 or older travelling within Canada on a plane or train is fully vaccinated.
    • To ensure all federal employees and people in federally regulated workplaces are fully vaccinated.
    • To introduce legislation to make it a criminal offence to harass or threaten health care workers.
  • Effective October 30, travellers departing from Canadian airports, and travellers on VIA Rail and Rocky Mountaineer trains, will be required to be fully vaccinated in order to travel. To allow travellers time to become fully vaccinated, there will be a short transition period where they will be able to travel if they show a valid COVID-19 molecular test within 72 hours of travel as an alternative to providing proof of full vaccination. If travellers have not already started the vaccination process, or do not start soon, they risk not qualifying for travel as of November 30.