First post-COVID travel from US from Canada. Hand-holding requested.

August 31, 2022 11:03 PM

A friend has booked a flight from Ontario to the US in 10 days. They're fully vaxed (AstraZeneca and 2x Moderna). They have the Ontario COVID-19 Proof of Vaccination downloaded to their phone as a pdf and also a printed copy. Is there anything else COVID related they need to have before heading to the airport?
posted by brachiopod to Travel & Transportation (11 answers total)

That should be it. There are really not many requirements anymore.
posted by tubedogg at 1:02 AM on September 1, 2022

I would bring decent masks to wear on the plane and in crowded situations.
posted by Too-Ticky at 3:41 AM on September 1, 2022 [4 favorites]

Best answer: They should download and setup ArriveCAN on their phone before returning to Canada. They won't be denied re-entry, but it will expedite the process:

Canadian citizens, permanent residents, persons registered under the Indian Act and foreign nationals eligible to enter Canada under another entry exemption (such as foreign work, study, compassionate grounds) will not be denied boarding or entry, but you:

• won't be eligible for the fully vaccinated traveller exemption, and may be required to quarantine and complete an arrival and Day-8 test
• may face additional delays at the border for public health questioning
• may be subject to fines or enforcement action

posted by rambling wanderlust at 3:58 AM on September 1, 2022 [6 favorites]

Not exactly the same, but I flew from Iceland to the U.S. about a week ago. There were no COVID-related checks or restrictions of any kind, for the first time since 2019 for me. (Iceland has also dropped restrictions.)

I'd second the mask suggestion, too. Requirements aren't there, but if there's anywhere you'd want to wear a mask, it's the airport.
posted by gimonca at 3:59 AM on September 1, 2022

Just flew to and from Scotland, and there were no restrictions or requirements of any kind. Fewer than 5% of people wore masks, and it was pretty much just like flying in the before times. But yeah, I wore a mask in crowded bits of the airport and when the plane was boarded and before the ventilation system kicked into full gear.
posted by nosila at 5:56 AM on September 1, 2022

There were no COVID-related checks or restrictions of any kind, for the first time since 2019 for me. (Iceland has also dropped restrictions.)

Just flew to and from Scotland, and there were no restrictions or requirements of any kind.

There are no COVID checks or restrictions traveling to the US only if you are a US citizen or permanent resident (or holder of an immigrant visa or a couple of other minor exceptions).

For everyone else (including Canadians) proof of COVID vaccination (not including boosters) is still required for international air travel to the US.

In addition there are still mask requirements for boarding flights in Canada, although I'm not sure about the reverse direction.
posted by andrewesque at 6:00 AM on September 1, 2022 [3 favorites]

ArriveCAN is really the most important thing, although it's for the inbound trip. It's a huge pain in the butt trying to set it up on your phone in the middle of a crowded airport (ask me how I know), and the airline will check.

Wearing a mask on transit is one of the "cheapest" mitigation measures you can take and I agree with everyone else who recommends it. People are traveling sick without even putting on masks themselves, if you can believe it.
posted by praemunire at 7:18 AM on September 1, 2022

I flew from Norway to the UK last Saturday, basically nobody wearing masks (that includes me). Tested positive for COVID on Wednesday, though symptoms thankfully very mild.
posted by knapah at 7:43 AM on September 1, 2022

I think everyone has covered what you'll actually need for the transit itself, but there are a couple other covid-related considerations.

First, make sure they bring enough prescription medications to last their entire visit, plus the length of time that visit would get extended if they are unlucky and get Covid near the end of their trip.

Similarly, make sure they have either the means or the insurance to support flight changes/extra hotel days in the event they test positive.

And last, the American health care system is famously obnoxious; they should make sure they know how their province's health system deals with citizens who need care while in the US (at least enough so they can get access to emergency care in the US if needed). If they are old enough or have complicating health conditions, this might include knowing how they might get access to Paxlovid while still in the US (it's most effective when taken closest to diagnosis). Note this may vary depending on where in the US they are going (both which state and how rural/urban the area is).

It wouldn't hurt to have a few at-home tests as well, although many pharmacies (particularly in more populated areas) in the US have a way to deliver them at this point. Same with a small supply of cough drops/cold+fever drugs/whatever they need for generic upper respiratory infections; many vaccinated people that get covid do have symptoms and those are the most common. It can really help to be more comfortable in the first days before they figure out how to get more help if needed.
posted by nat at 10:37 AM on September 1, 2022

Response by poster: Thanks everyone. ArriveCan wasn’t on our radar. Lots of other great suggestions. It's comprehensively dealt with the uneasy feeling that we were missing something.
posted by brachiopod at 4:42 PM on September 1, 2022

Just a side note: you don't need the ArriveCan app. You can just fill out the form at the ArriveCan website. You don't even need to bring anything to show the Canadian border officer, since they will see your submission once your ID is scanned (but I guess when flying you need to show the emailed receipt for your submission to the airline).
posted by pjenks at 8:03 PM on September 1, 2022