International Students and Travel to Canada

A young girl traveler or tourist or student with a backpack travels

Who may enter Canada to study

To be able to enter Canada as a student, you need to

  • have a valid study permit or letter of introduction that shows you have been approved for a study permit
  • be attending a designated learning institution with a COVID-19 readiness plan approved by its province or territory
  • It is also important to check if restrictions are in place for your country that may affect your ability to travel. For example, the Government of Canada has suspended flights from India until August 21, 2021.

You must have a quarantine plan

An international student must have a 14-day quarantine plan in case it is determined at the border that they do not meet all of the conditions required to be exempt from quarantine. This is still the case even if they believe they meet the criteria for being considered a fully vaccinated traveller.

Information about the quarantine plan must be submitted in ArriveCAN prior to travel to Canada.

Who is considered a fully vaccinated traveller?

Those who are fully vaccinated may qualify for exemptions from some of the quarantine and testing requirements.

To be considered fully vaccinated, travellers will need to have received the full series of a COVID-19 vaccine—or combination of vaccines—accepted by the Government of Canada, at least 14 days prior to entering Canada. Currently, those vaccines are manufactured by

  • Pfizer-BioNTech (Comirnaty, tozinameran, BNT162b2)
  • Moderna (mRNA-1273)
  • AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD (ChAdOx1-S, Vaxzevria, AZD1222)
  • Janssen/Johnson & Johnson (Ad26.COV2.S)

If you have received a different vaccine, you are currently not considered fully vaccinated in Canada.

Travellers must provide proof of vaccination in English or French (or a certified translation of their document). Travellers can receive their vaccine in any country, but it has to be 1 of the 4 vaccines accepted by Health Canada.

To be eligible for exemptions, fully vaccinated travellers must still meet the pre-entry and on-arrival testing requirements, including being tested within 72 hours pre-departure. They must also be:

  • asymptomatic
  • submit all required COVID-19 information electronically into ArriveCAN prior to travel to Canada
  • have a paper or digital copy of their proof of vaccination, and 
  • have a suitable quarantine plan.

Disclaimer: The information from the newsletter is directly derived from IRCC. The material and information contained on this website is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice. Although best efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy of the information at the time of writing, we cannot guarantee the completeness or accuracy of all information. As information may change without notice, always refer to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s website for the most accurate and up-to-date information.

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