Bow21

Hi all been a long time since posting on here but just wanted to see if anyone has been through this situation or could offer help or insight.

my parents are wanting to visit me and my family in Calgary and stay for over Xmas and return to the UK in January. The only thing is they aren’t vaccinated. They are fine with having to quarantine with us at home, we haven’t seen them for over a year.

just wanted to know what tests they would have to have and all that stuff. I’ve looked on government of Canada website and says they can visit for reunification and says they would have to quarantine. But mentions nothing about having to be double vaccinated. My dad is a Canadian citizen but hasn’t renewed his Canadian passport in over 10 years. My
mother has just a UK passport.

thanks for any help in advance.

christmasoompa

Have you seen this page?

https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid/tr...ons/exemptions

From what you've said, if they're not vaccinated then they'll need to prove that they are staying for more than 15 days, prove their relationship to you (and that you are a PR/citizen), they'll need a quarantine plan (they won't be able to stay with you for this), a negative test within 72 hours of entering Canada, register in advance for their arrival test, complete the ArriveCAN info, and then I think another test 8 days after arriving. I think it's the same whether a citizen or not, so the same for both parents, but the above link will tell you for sure.

bats

I think they have to be vaccinated as from the end of October all passengers flying from Canadian airports have to be double vaccinated

Theres also the ESTA thing or whatever that's called in Canada. Your mum will need that but as your Dad is Canadian he has to have a Canadian passport.

Siouxie

Do bear in mind that Canadian Citizens are required to travel / enter Canada on a Canadian Passport.. https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration...it-canada.html

dbd33

Why don't they just get vaccinated?

Bow21

Thanks everyone that’s a great help.

christmasoompa

No problem. Most of it is fine, the testing etc will be costly but not too onerous, but the key thing is noting that they can't quarantine in accommodation shared with a family (i.e. with you as you mentioned in your first post), so they will need to spend the first couple of weeks in a hotel and not see you. There's also a risk they may be refused entry, as they need to prove they come under the exemption for family reunification and if the border officer doesn't agree they can be refused.

In all honesty, it would be much easier/cheaper if you could travel to see them in the UK? Assuming you're vaccinated of course.

christmasoompa

+1, that's a good catch, I hadn't spotted that in the first post.

Bow21, your father will need to get his passport renewal app in asap, if he wants to travel early December so that he can spend Xmas with you.

bats

I'd say the most important thing is that they won't be won't be allowed on a plane leaving a Canadian airport if they aren't vaccinated, so they not be allowed in in the first place.

christmasoompa

They are allowed in if unvaccinated, but only under specific circumstances. Most tourists wouldn't be, but they'd be coming under the 'family reunification' exemption.

Unless there's another rule I've missed that you're referring to?

scilly

Bats is right in saying that passengers have to be double vaccinated AND show a vaccination "passport" for travel domestically and internationally from Canada airports.

So how will the parents be allowed to leave, even if they are able to enter???

It would be so much easier if they were vaccinated!

christmasoompa

It really would, but I assume there are medical reasons as to why they can't be vaccinated.

If they're allowing non-vaccinated people in (albeit with a lot of extra cost and hassle), then it's crazy they won't let them leave! Not sure how they can enforce that if it's non-residents but who knows. Definitely something else for the OP to look in to.

Siouxie

Travel from 30th October until 30th November can be allowed with a negative test, however, after 30th November there is legislation pending to enforce vaccine passport requirements for travel within and out of Canada. Regardless, there will be exemptions to this requirement but the govt haven't disclosed them as yet.

See: https://www.thelawyersdaily.ca/articles/30421
and official: https://www.canada.ca/en/transport-c...ravellers.html

There will be exemptions but they haven't been announced yet

scilly

Interesting to see how this is phrased.

BC Ferries announced a few days ago that they had determined that they came under this new ruling, and therefore passengers needed to be vaccinated AND show vaccination passes (as they're called here in BC. Only one ferry route is definitely over 24 hours.

Gozit

The father is a Canadian citizen. Even if they weren't travelling to see their kids his wife would surely be allowed in because she is his wife, no?

As pointed out though he does need a Canadian passport.