So many countries are dropping Covid-19 hurdles for inbound tourists that we could fill our pages with dozens of happy announcements every day. (And in our consistently up-to-date post on entry requirements in the Caribbean and Mexico, we do.)
But one announcement this week is particularly gratifying for our North American readers: As of Friday, April 1, Canada will no longer require visitors to present a negative coronavirus test as a prerequisite for entry.
Previously, anyone who wished to enter Canada had to arrange and pay for a Covid-19 test just before traveling via land, air, or water.
No more.
Is there a catch? Not for most people. You only have to bring your proof of vaccination.
If you are unvaccinated, on the other hand, you still can't go to Canada for casual tourism. That isn't changing.
For Americans vacationing in Canada, the situation re-complicates when it's time to return home. The United States is retaining its demand that all incoming travelers present negative results from Covid-19 tests "taken no more than 1 day before travel, or documentation of having recovered from Covid-19 in the past 90 days."
But with so many countries in the USA's national peer group (such as Canada and the United Kingdom) abandoning similar mandates, it's likely only a matter of time before restrictions sunset in the U.S., too. Soon, we should be able to cross back and forth across the Canadian border as freely as at the start of 2020.
Just think: A year ago, Canada was totally off-limits to tourism, and six months ago, the U.S. government was darkly warning citizens to "reconsider travel" north of the border.
It's frustrating that this pandemic is still stalking the world in an evolving form, but let's also take a moment to be grateful for how far we've come.
You can find Canada's newly revised list of requirements and exemptions on the government's travel website.
