With effect to 30th November, 2021, Canada will expand the list of COVID-19 vaccines that travellers can receive in order to be considered fully vaccinated. Earlier Sinopharm, Sinovac, and COVAXIN were not permitted however, now these have been added in the list of existing approved manufacturers like Pfizer, Moderna, Astra Zeneca, and Johnson and Johnson.

As of January 15, 2022, certain exempt travellers will only be allowed to enter into Canada if they are fully vaccinated with the above-mentioned vaccines. The list of exempt travellers is as follows:-

• family members or people registered under the Indian Act who are related to the Canadian citizens or permanent residents.
• international students age 18 and older;
• athletes;
• Work permit holders, except for those working in agriculture and food processing; and
• essential service providers, such as truckers.

After these new measures come into effect, people who are partially or unvaccinated will only be allowed if they meet an exemption. Those who do not fall under the exempt category will be prohibited to enter into Canada.

Also, as of November 30, if you are a Canadian citizen or Permanent Resident then you will be able to return to the country without a COVID-19 test if the trip was for less than 72 hours. However, Canadian travellers who leave the country for more than three days will still be required to provide a negative PCR pre-arrival test upon their return.