Heading to the U.S. for some cross-border shopping? Here’s what you need to know about your COVID tests — and the cost
Black Friday is around the corner, and with border restrictions loosening Monday, you may be wondering if the trip to the U.S. is worth those deals.
The pandemic spawned additional costs for Canadians travelling south. Here's a look at the extra costs cross-border shoppers will face and tips to avoid any nasty surprises.
Canadians travelling to the U.S. by air will be required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination as well as a negative test result. This can be any kind of COVID test, including the cheaper rapid antigen tests.
A test costs anywhere from $16 to $40, depending on where you get it, said Marty Firestone, president of Toronto-based travel insurance company Travel Secure Inc.
If you're travelling by land, however, no test is required, but proof of vaccination is, except for children under 18, who are exempt from the vaccination requirements.
It's getting back into Canada that will be more expensive, test-wise, said Firestone; Canada requires proof of a negative PCR or molecular test taken within 72 hours, which costs at least $150, and more if you need the results quickly.
If you're doing a quick trip, you can get the test in Canada, said Firestone, though that won't necessarily save you money.
Personal finance expert Barry Choi said at-home kits are available for around the same price, and recommendes bringing one with you and using it prior to your return home.
While $40 for a rapid test and $150 for a PCR test isn't astronomical, these costs can quickly add up if the whole family is along for the ride, said Choi.
If you're there for Black Friday deals, how much money are you actually saving?" he said.
Firestone agreed.
It absolutely changes the dynamics of what travel used to be."
Both Firestone and Choi recommend getting travel insurance for your trip, though they note that insurance costs haven't really gone up from pre-pandemic prices.
Firestone said if you're vaccinated, many regular travel insurance policies will include COVID-19 in their emergency medical coverage. But many still aren't covering COVID-19-related cancellations and interruptions, he said, so you may want to get extra coverage for that.
Manulife offers travel insurance that covers up to $5 million in COVID-19-related medical expenses if the travellers are fully vaccinated.
You may be able to get some cancellation coverage through your credit card, said Choi. But do your research.
It really comes down to terms and conditions," said Choi.
For example, if you test positive for COVID-19 while in the United States, you may have to pay the food and accommodation costs for a two-week quarantine, plus your return flight, said Firestone. That's if you're travelling by air. If you are travelling by land or water and your PCR COVID-19 test is positive or you have symptoms, you can still get back to Canada.
If you're travelling with children keep in mind that some schools and daycares may require your child stay home for two weeks after returning from an international trip, if they are unvaccinated, said Firestone.
Another potential cost as parents may have to take time off work to take care of them, Choi said.
That three-day trip may all of a sudden become a 17-day ... holiday."
Firestone said car rental costs will likely remain high, so travellers shouldn't expect to find a cheap deal there. Airfares have gone back up from earlier pandemic lows, he added, and airlines are doing a lot of consolidation to keep flights full, so plan for delays or schedule changes.
I can't imagine a family going across to go shopping, because whatever savings you found in your Black Friday specials is going to get offset by four or five PCR tests that you had to take."
Choi agreed, adding that in the past few years, Canada has been stepping up its game for Black Friday sales, and it's likely not worth it to cross the border this time around.
But Black Friday could be a great time to book future travel, he said.
With files from Ivy Mak
Rosa Saba is a Toronto-based business reporter for the Star. Follow her on Twitter: @rosajsaba