It’s finally getting easier to travel to Canada as testing requirements change for travelers

It's finally getting easier to travel to Canada, as fully vaccinated travelers will be allowed to present a rapid antigen test within one day of entering the country starting March 1, 2022. The change in testing requirements is part of a broader loosening of COVID-19 measures the Canadian government detailed Tuesday afternoon.

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"Today, the Government of Canada announced a series of adjustments to the current border measures, representing the beginning of a phased easing of travel restrictions," government officials said in a press release on Feb. 15. "The ability of the country to transition to a new phase at the border is a result of the actions of tens of millions of Canadians across the country who followed public health measures, including getting themselves and their families vaccinated."

Fully vaccinated travelers wishing to present a molecular test for entry may still do so as long as the test was taken within 72 hours of departure for Canada. At-home tests will not be accepted for entry.

"Taking a rapid antigen test at home is not sufficient to meet the pre-entry requirement – it must be authorized by the country in which it was purchased and must be administered by a laboratory, healthcare entity or telehealth service," per the release.

In addition to accepting a rapid test in lieu of a PCR test, fully vaccinated travelers are subject to randomly selected testing upon arrival. Unvaccinated travelers must continue to test on arrival with a subsequent test on day eight and a 14-day quarantine.

Today's change in travel restrictions comes less than two months after government officials urged Canadian citizens to avoid any nonessential travel outside of the country due to the omicron variant, which is no longer the case.

While testing will still be required, per this update, U.S. citizens will be able to submit a rapid antigen test instead. Antigen tests are easier to acquire and don't take as long to receive results, which should make it much easier for travelers to visit Canada.

The overall relaxation of travel-related COVID-19 restrictions appears to be a result of declining COVID-19 numbers across its provinces, which recorded a 24% decrease in the average number of new weekly cases, according to the Feb. 11 weekly epidemiology report published by the government.

Individual provinces have eased local restrictions, including Quebec and Ontario, the latter of which will no longer require proof of vaccination to access indoor spaces beginning March 1, though mask requirements remain in place.

Related: Travel is getting easier: Here are some of the countries that have eased COVID-19 protocols