ezbordercrossing

US Canada Border Crossing Guide

Welcome to Ezbordercrossing.com

LinkedIn0

Important! Reduced Border Crossing Port Hours
Current U.S. and Canadian Covid-19 travel restrictions

Page Updated:

U.S. Covid-19 Travel Restrictions

The U.S. has a wide range of Covid-19 travel restrictions in place but you can now enter the country if you are fully vaccinated. The essential service travel restrictions  will be eliminated completely for land, rail, and air travelers and replaced with the vaccination requirement as of January 22, 2022. This includes truck drivers. You must of course still provide all the normally required border crossing documentation.

The mask requirements we describe below will also stay in effect through at least March 22, 2022.  You must also be aware that every U.S. state has a different approach to Covid-19, so you need to check the rules for the states you are traveling to as well. Some states have lifted restrictions while others still have mask and social distancing rules you must follow. We have links to the state Covid-19 websites below.

For a complete discussion of what constitutes essential travel see our post on “Coronavirus Travel Issues”.  The Travel Issues post also covers a wide range of additional issues that are applicable to both the U.S. and Canada so be sure to read it after finishing this post.

We have links to numerous resources at the end of this post to help you get more information on the topics we discuss here. We also have a separate post with the details on the Covid-19 travel restrictions on entering Canada.

Current U.S. Covid Travel Rules

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) now allows fully vaccinated international travelers to enter the United States for any reason.  The essential travel restriction have been lifted for all vaccinated travelers. This applies whether you are travelling by air, land, or water. If you are flying into the U.S., you must be vaccinated even if you are traveling for an essential purpose.

Starting shortly, all travelers flying into the U.S. from a foreign country will need to take a Covid-19 test within one day of their departure, regardless of nationality or vaccination status. Unvaccinated travelers are not allowed to enter the U.S., with limited exceptions. It is important to note that you can take the test within one calendar day and you are not limited to within 24 hours of your departure. This means that passengers will be able to take their test at any time during the day before their flight, no matter what time their flight departs.

Canadians should be aware that although they can enter the U.S. by land without a Covid-19 test, they must take one to return to Canada unless you have been away from Canada for less than 72 hours. 

You will be considered fully vaccinated if you received any of the vaccines approved by the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or by the World Health Organization (WHO). You must have completed your shots at least 2 weeks before your travel date. It is ok if you received doses of two different vaccines so long as both are on the list of approved shots. As of October 19, 2021 the list includes:

Exemptions to Covid Vaccination Requirements:

  • Children under 18 will not be required to be fully vaccinated. If flying, they will still need to take a COVID-19 test unless they are 2 or younger.
  • You will also be exempt from the vaccination requirement if you were someone who participated in COVID-19 clinical trial, had severe allergic reactions to the vaccines
  • An exemption has been created if you are from a country where shots are not widely available. This will apply to people from countries with vaccination rates below 10% of adults. They may be admitted to the U.S. with a government letter authorizing travel for a compelling reason.
  • There are also a handful of exemptions for very specialized situations.

Covid Rules if Entering the U.S. by Land or Water

The essential travel requirements remain if you are an unvaccinated foreign traveler entering the U.S. by land, rail, or water. If you are unvaccinated, you will still need to be traveling for an essential purpose. Vaccinated persons are required to show proof of their vaccination status or to legally “attest” to their vaccination status if asked by a border agent when entering the U.S. by land, rail, or water. Unlike travel by air, you will not need to provide  proof of a negative PCR COVID-19 test.

It is expected that beginning January 22, 2022, foreign travelers entering the U.S. by land or ferry – whether for essential or non-essential reasons – must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19. Truckers, students, and healthcare workers who have been allowed to enter the U.S. without a vaccination because they were traveling for an essential purpose must now be vaccinated.

More details on how these changes will be implemented will be announced soon so check back to this post for updates.

Travelling to the U.S. by Airplane – Covid-19 Testing Requirement

If you are entering the United States by air you still need to be tested for the virus before boarding a plane. Those who are vaccinated still need to show proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR or Antigen test taken within 24 hours of travel.  Unvaccinated travelers already must take their PCR or Antigen within 24 hours of travel so now all travelers have just a 24 hour window to take, and get back, their test results. You will not be allowed to board your flight if you have not met all the Covid testing requirements.

  • These requirements apply to ALL air passengers 2 years of age or older.
  • Make sure you are given a viral test – either a nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) or a viral antigen test.
  • Plan ahead to make sure that you will receive your results before your flight departs
  • You must show your documentation to the airline before being allowed to board your flight.
  • Your test result must be in the form of written documentation. You may display either the paper copy or an electronic copy of the result.
  • The test result documentation must include information that identifies the person, a specimen collection date and the type of test.
  • This order applies to ALL flights, including private and charter flights.
  • The CDC is not designating any specific testing agencies that must be used. You will need to find the correct type of test on your own in the country you are departing from.
  • CDC attestation form: You will also need to fill out a CDC attestation form and submit it to your airline. Customers can print the form from the CDC’s website or complete one at the airport prior to departure. The airline will retain this form for 2 years. They will not retain your Covid-19 test result.
  • The CDC does not recommend getting tested again in the three months after a positive viral test if you do not have symptoms of COVID-19. If you have had a positive viral test in the past 3 months, and you have met all other criteria, you may travel instead with documentation of your positive viral test results and a letter from your healthcare provider or a public health official that states you have been cleared for travel. The positive test result and letter together are referred to as “documentation of recovery.”

Airlines are required to verify vaccination records and match them against identity information. In addition, quarantine officers from the CDC will spot-check passengers when they arrive in the U.S. to ensure compliance. Airlines have set up systems to enable contact tracing for all passengers coming to the U.S. You are required to provide your airline with your contact information including a phone number and email address. This enables U.S. officials to contact any travelers that have potentially been exposed to another traveler with Covid.

Covid-19 Testing for Connecting Flights

Any flight entering the U.S. – even for a connection – will require testing before departure.

If you are arriving to the U.S. via one or more connecting flights, your test must be done in the 3 days before the first flight in your itinerary, but only if the connecting flights were booked as a single passenger record with a final destination in the US and each connection (layover) is no longer than 24 hours long. If your connecting flight to the US was booked separately or a connection in your itinerary lasts longer than 24 hours, you will need to get tested within the 3 days before your flight that arrives in the US.

Covid-19 Testing for Delayed Flights

If your flight is delayed before departure, you will need to get re-tested if the delay causes your test to fall outside of the 3-day pre-departure testing period requirement.

Airlines will prevent anyone who is showing symptoms of the virus from getting on a plane – including U.S. or Canadian citizens.  Carriers are required to complete a basic health assessment of every passenger.

U.S. Nationwide Mask Requirement

You are required to wear a face mask while boarding, disembarking or traveling on almost any type of public transit. This includes airplanes, ships, trains, subways, buses, taxis, ride-shares (Uber and Lyft), and at transportation hubs, such as airports, bus or ferry terminals, train and subway stations, and seaports. Passengers must wear a mask in transit except for brief periods, such as to eat, drink or take medication. The only exceptions are for travelers younger than age 2 and for those with certain medical conditions. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has the power to fine you $250 for the first offense to up to $1,500 for repeat offenders if you refuse to wear a mask.  Federal, state and local law enforcement, plus the operators of transit systems, are to remove any person who refuses to comply with the mask mandate at the “earliest opportunity.” Airlines have placed hundreds of people on their no-fly lists because they refuse to abide by the mask requirements.

In addition, masks must be worn in all federal buildings and on all federal lands including federal parks and forests, federal courthouses, government offices and more.

You may use either manufactured or homemade masks. However, the mask requirements are pretty strict and you should read the CDC masking rules if you have any questions.

U.S. State Travel Restrictions

Each of the 50 US. states have enacted their own regulations on travel within that state. Many require facemasks in public places. To determine whether a trip you are planning will be limited by Covid-19, you will need to examine the regulations for each state you wish to travel through. The rules are changing constantly so make sure you have current information. We have links to state and province Coronavirus websites at the end of this post.

U.S. Government Coronavirus Websites

Below are some of the United State government websites which contain the latest guidance on Covid-19 and any rules and restrictions in place for travelers.

Top