Everything Hamiltonians need to know to cross the U.S. border by land or ferry
Have you been longing to drive across the southern border to snag a deal, visit loved ones or step into your vacation home? On Nov. 8, you finally can.
Three months after Canada began allowing fully vaccinated travellers from the U.S. to enter the country by land for non-essential purposes, the U.S. will permit Canadians to do the same. But it won't be as simple as it used to be to cross the Rainbow Bridge in Niagara or other border crossings - both the U.S. and Canada have strict requirements for travelling during the pandemic.
Below is a guide of what to expect when travelling by land or ferry into the U.S., including testing, vaccination requirements and exemptions to the rules.
What is required to enter the U.S. by land or ferry?
Travellers must be fully vaccinated, meaning they have received two doses of eligible vaccines and it has been at least 14 days since their second shot. Canadians who received mixed doses of COVID-19 vaccines qualify as fully vaccinated, including a mix of Vaxzevria (AstraZeneca), Spikevax (Moderna) and Comirnaty (Pfizer).
Negative COVID-19 test results are only required to enter the U.S. via air travel.
What if I'm not vaccinated?
If travellers are not fully vaccinated, they will not be permitted entry into the U.S. at land borders and ferry crossings for non-essential purposes. The only exception to this rule is foreign national travellers, but that is set to change early next year.
What is required to get back into Canada?
If a traveller arrives by land or ferry from the U.S., they must provide proof of a negative COVID-19 molecular test taken within 72 hours of entry into Canada, including polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or nucleic acid (NAT) tests. Canada does not permit the use of a negative COVID-19 rapid antigen test to enter the country.
If a traveller had COVID-19 but is now symptom-free, Canada allows proof of a positive COVID-19 molecular test completed between 14 and 180 days before their re-entry to Canada.
With a negative COVID-19 test or proof of recent COVID-19 infection, travellers are exempt from quarantine and taking a test on Day 8 after they return, though the final decision is up to border agents.
Travellers must download or access ArriveCAN online and enter the required information within 72 hours before arriving in Canada, including pre-entry COVID-19 test results and proof of vaccination. Without these documents, Canadians may face fines or other measures.
Can I get tested before I leave Canada and use that test to re-enter the country if I just go shopping for the day?
For trips under 72 hours, Canadian citizens, people registered under the Indian Act, permanent residents and protected persons" travelling to the U.S. are permitted to complete their pre-entry molecular test before they leave the country. If the test is older than 72 hours upon re-entry to Canada, a new test is required to be taken in the U.S.
Local COVID-19 assessments centres, like St. Joe's Mountain testing centre, will not perform tests for travellers as Ontario does not cover the cost of them. Hamiltonians looking to cross the border must purchase a COVID-19 test from a private laboratory.
I'm planning a trip longer than 72 hours. How much does a test cost in the U. S.?
Prices of COVID-19 tests in the U.S. vary. On-site rapid PCR testing at the Buffalo-Niagara airport costs $225, and next-day PCR tests cost $160. COVIDCheckToday, a mobile testing service, charges $199 for a PCR test with results ready in 24 hours.
Pharmacies in the U.S., like CVS and Walgreens, offer testing, too. The tests must be scheduled in advance and usually take 24 to 48 hours to provide results.
Do these rules apply to unvaccinated children under 12 years of age? What about youth aged 12 to 17?
Children under 12 years of age who are accompanied by fully vaccinated traveller(s) must follow pre-entry, arrival and Day-8 testing requirements, unless they are younger than five years old. They do not need to quarantine if they follow public health requirements listed in a document provided at the border upon entry to Canada, but they must be included in the ArriveCAN documents.
While they don't have to quarantine, children under 12 years of age cannot attend school, camp, or daycare, travel on public transportation that doesn't allow for physical distancing, attend large crowded settings, or attend settings like long-term-care facilities for 14 days after re-entry to Canada. But they can visit parks and beaches, gather on their guardian's property with members of other households, travel on uncrowded public transit and visit grocery stores and pharmacies, among other settings. In these settings, the child is required to wear a mask and follow physical distancing guidelines.
Unvaccinated youth 12 to 17 years of age must quarantine for 14 days and complete all testing requirements, regardless of if they are accompanied by vaccinated traveller(s).
- With files from the Toronto Star and The Canadian PressAlessia Passafiume is an intern reporter with The Spectator. Reach her via email: apassafiume@thespec.com