For the past few months, non-essential travel from the U.S. into Canada has been possible by fully vaccinated United States citizens. On November 8, 2021 the border will reopen for non-essential travel into the U.S. by our Canadian neighbors.
As border communities, Ferry, Pend Oreille, and Stevens Counties will welcome international visitors traveling to the U.S. for non-essential reasons for the first time since March 2020. To enter the U.S. at a land port, travelers must:
- Present proof of COVID-19 vaccination as outlined on the CDC website
- Verbally attest to their reason for travel and COVID-19 vaccination status
- Present other necessary documents such as proof of citizenship and photo identification as normally required
When the requirements are implemented on November 8th, children under 18 years of age will be exempt from the vaccination requirement at points of entry into the U.S. Additionally, individuals who are crossing the border for essential travel purposes such as lawful trade, emergency response, and public health purposes are not required to be vaccinated. Beginning in January 2022, however, all inbound foreign travelers crossing into the U.S., whether for essential or non-essential reasons, must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 and provide proof of vaccination. At present, children under 18 years of age will be excepted from the vaccination requirement.
For non-U.S. citizens traveling into the U.S. via land crossing, proof of a negative COVID-19 test will not be a requirement of entry. Generally, however, travelers will still need to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test to reenter Canada, which may inherently limit frequent travel into the U.S. by Canadian travelers.
Regardless of citizenship, air travelers flying into the U.S. must meet different requirements than land travelers, and these air requirements vary by vaccination status. If the traveler is fully vaccinated, then they must have proof of a negative viral COVID-19 test that was taken no more than 3 days prior to the flight’s departure. If the air traveler is not fully vaccinated, then the viral test must be taken no more than one day prior to the flight’s departure. If the person recently recovered from COVID-19, they may instead travel with documentation of recovery from COVID-19, like a positive COVID-19 test taken no more than 90 days prior to the flight’s departure and a letter from a licensed healthcare provider or a public health official stating the person is cleared to travel.
For more information about entering the U.S. by land, please see the Department of Homeland Security fact sheet. If you are considering international travel, visit the CDC’s international travel webpage for more information on requirements and recommendations. For information about requirements on travel to Canada regardless of citizenship, please visit the Government of Canada webpage.
