Canada to open border for vaccinated Americans starting Aug. 9

Fully vaccinated Americans and permanent residents will be allowed to enter Canada for non-essential travel beginning Aug. 9, Canadian government ministers announced Monday.

The Canadian government announced that those who have been fully vaccinated for at least 14 days will be allowed into the country for nonessential travel on that date.

The announcement marked the first step toward opening the country’s border for all international tourists after non-essential travel has been banned since March 2020. There are no changes to the mandatory testing requirements for unvaccinated travelers.

How to cross the border: Adults entering the country will need to present proof (in either English or French) that they’ve received a complete round of one of the vaccines approved for use in Canada. The government will only recognize vaccines manufactured by Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson.

American tourists will still need to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test prior to arrival, but they will be exempt from the 14-day quarantine and two post-arrival coronavirus tests.

Children under the age of 12 who are not yet eligible for vaccination, or a dependent child of any age who can’t be vaccinated, will be exempt from the 14-day quarantine requirement as long as they travel with a parent or guardian and meet all public health requirements.

What’s next: The Canadian government said it plans on opening the nation’s borders to fully vaccinated travelers from all countries on Sept. 7, if conditions remain favorable.