travel to canada arrivecan

How to use ArriveCAN to enter Canada

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the travel requirements imposed by the government of Canada is that all individuals entering the country need to submit mandatory travel information through the ArriveCAN platform prior to their arrival.

For many newcomers to Canada who’ve never used ArriveCAN before, filling in the form can be tricky. In this resource, we take you through a step-by-step guide to submitting your information through ArriveCAN. We also address some commonly asked questions about the ArriveCAN platform to help make your travel easier.

In this article:

What is ArriveCAN?

Who needs to provide information through arrivecan, when should i fill in my information on arrivecan, how do i update my information on arrivecan, using arrivecan after you land in canada, tips for using arrivecan, what happens if i don’t fill in the arrivecan form or provide false information.

ArriveCAN is a free, digital platform operated by the Government of Canada. It allows travelers entering Canada to securely provide mandatory travel information, including their COVID-19 proof of vaccination and quarantine details, before and after entering Canada. 

You can access ArriveCAN through their website or by downloading the ArriveCAN app for Android or iOS.

All travelers entering Canada by air, rail, road, or marine vessel, must provide their travel information through ArriveCAN. Only individuals with accessibility needs, asylum seekers, and refugees are exempt from using ArriveCAN.

You’ll need to submit your information through ArriveCAN within 72 hours (or three days) before your arrival in Canada. However, you can create an ArriveCAN account or download and register on the app in advance.

Follow the below process to get your ArriveCAN receipt while entering Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic:

Step 1: Create an account on ArriveCAN

To create an account, visit the ArriveCAN website or download the ArriveCAN app. Provide your email address and set up a password, but use a password you can remember, as you’ll need that information to sign into your account later.

As part of the account creation process, you’ll have to read and accept the ArriveCAN privacy statement, which highlights how your information can be used, as well as the penalties for refusing to provide personal information or sharing false information. 

Step 2: Start your ArriveCAN form

The ArriveCAN form is broken down into several sub-sections. The sequence may vary based on whether you’re filling out your information on the website or app.

a) Specify your travel purpose

If you’re a newcomer with a valid Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) , you must be fully vaccinated to enter Canada and will select the discretionary/optional travel category. You are also allowed to enter the country if you’re a foreign national coming to Canada to study or work, for family reunification, or on compassionate grounds.

Essential workers who frequently travel across the border for work, such as individuals living in the U.S. and working in Canada, don’t need to create a complete profile each time they travel. Instead, their travel information is saved on ArriveCAN and they can make changes to it, as needed, whenever they travel to Canada.

b) Register for a post-arrival COVID-19 test

If you’re required to take a COVID-19 molecular test upon arrival in Canada, you can register for it in advance to save time at the airport when you arrive. Pre-registration is not mandatory at this time, but it is strongly encouraged. The ArriveCAN website/app will prompt you to read and acknowledge that you understand the post-arrival COVID-19 test requirements.

c) Enter your travel information

Next, you’ll input information about your travel plans, including the mode of transport you’re using to enter Canada. If you’re arriving by air, enter your flight information, such as your country of departure, arrival airport, airline, flight number, date and time of arrival. You can only enter this information if your planned arrival in Canada is within the next 72 hours. 

d) Provide your contact information

At this stage, you’ll provide a phone number that can be used to contact you. Don’t forget to prefix the number with the correct country code. You can choose whether you want to receive messages in English or French.

Step 3: Add traveller information

a) Travel document information

This includes the type of travel document you’ll be using, such as your passport, permanent resident card, or NEXUS card, document number, the country in which it was issued, and your name and date of birth as listed on the document. If you’re using the ArriveCAN app, you’ll also be asked to scan your travel document or upload a photograph of it.

If you’re a newcomer with a valid Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR), study permit , or work permit , you’ll need to select “Passport” as your travel document. 

b) Enter COVID-19 proof of vaccination

Next, enter your vaccination details, including the brand of COVID-19 vaccine you received, the country in which you were vaccinated, and the date on which you received the dose. If you’ve received two vaccination doses, you’ll need to provide information separately for each dose. You’ll also need to upload photographs of your vaccination receipts on ArriveCAN.

Currently, individuals who’ve received at least two doses of the Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, COVAXIN, Sinopharm, or Sinovac vaccines, or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine are considered to be fully vaccinated in Canada. Even if you’ve received a booster dose or a third dose of an approved COVID-19 vaccine, you only need to enter details for the first two doses.

c) Select travellers for this trip

If you’re travelling to Canada in a group and intend to stay together for the duration of your quarantine period, you do NOT need to create separate ArriveCAN accounts for each member. You can add up to eight travellers to your trip for the purpose of your ArriveCAN receipt. In order to do so, you need to share travel document information and COVID-19 proof of vaccination for each traveller within your account.

You can save the traveller information you provide on your ArriveCAN account or in the app for future use. So, every time you travel, you can just select the travellers who will accompany you for the trip.

Step 4: Understand and acknowledge travel requirements

As of April 1, 2022, fully-vaccinated travellers do not require a pre-arrival COVID-19 test. The requirements for non-vaccinated or partially vaccinated travellers are different and they require either a COVID-19 molecular test, taken within 72 hours of their departure to Canada, or a COVID-19 antigen test, taken within 24 hours of their departure to Canada.

While you don’t need to upload your COVID-19 test results on the ArriveCAN app, you do need to read and acknowledge you understand the testing requirements.

At the time of travel, you will be asked to show your pre-arrival COVID-19 test result to border officials, if you’re not fully vaccinated against COVID-19.  If your COVID-19 test result is not in English or French, you’ll need to get it translated by a certified agency. Keep both the original and certified copy with you for the duration of your quarantine period.

Step 5: Fill out the Entry into Canada travel form

In this section, you’ll be asked to answer several questions regarding your COVID-19 history. (Starting April 1, 2022, some of these questions may only be needed for travellers who are not fully vaccinated.)  Typically, the questions include:

• Have you tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 14-180 days?   If the answer is yes, and you’re able to furnish a positive molecular test result for the same, you are exempt from the pre-arrival COVID-19 test requirement.
• Do you have proof of a negative molecular COVID-19 test result on a sample taken no more than 72 hours prior to the scheduled departure of your flight to Canada?  Be sure to keep a printed or soft copy of your test results with you when you arrive in Canada.
• Which country did you receive your negative molecular COVID-19 test from? This does not necessarily need to be the same as your original country of departure. If you have a long stopover and your overall travel time is over 72 hours, you may need to get tested at a stopover destination.
• In the last 14 days, did you or anyone travelling with you visit any other countries besides [your country of departure]? Do not include any countries you’re transiting through or stopping over in, unless you’ll be leaving the airport (or vehicle if you’re entering Canada by land).

Step 6: Fill out your quarantine plan questionnaire

Fully vaccinated travelers no longer require a quarantine plan to enter Canada. This step will only apply to travelers who are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated or those who’ve received a vaccine that’s not currently approved in Canada.

While fully vaccinated individuals are currently exempt from the 14-day quarantine period, if a border official at the Canadian airport or port of entry determines that you’ve been exposed to someone with COVID-19 during your travel or are exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19, you may be required to quarantine.

This section includes questions regarding your quarantine plan, including:

• Do you have accommodation where you can quarantine for 14 days or possibly longer? 
• Can you avoid all contact with other people in the household with whom you did not travel and have no guests?
• Will you have access to the necessities of life, including water, food, medication, and heat, without leaving quarantine?
• Are there at-risk people at the location where you plan to quarantine? 
• Is there a person at the location where you plan to quarantine who works or assists in a facility, home, or workplace that includes at-risk populations? 
• Is your place of quarantine a group living environment (e.g. group home or senior residence) or does it house different families?

Step 7: Complete your self-assessment

You’ll need to confirm that you don’t have any COVID-19 symptoms, such as a fever, cough, or difficulty breathing, before you travel to Canada. If your trip includes other travellers, you’ll need to complete this screening for all individuals in your group.

Once you arrive in Canada, border officials at the airport or your port of entry will scan your ArriveCAN QR code and confirm the information you provided through the ArriveCAN app.

They may ask to see your COVID-19 test result (if required) and proof of vaccination, so keep a copy with you when you arrive. You can take a printed copy or keep a soft copy on your phone, or both. If your original documents aren’t in English or French, be sure to carry both the original and translated versions with you while entering Canada.

Even if you’re fully vaccinated, you may be randomly selected for post-arrival COVID-19 testing. You can register for a post-arrival COVID-19 test before you land in Canada to save time. You will either be tested at the airport or provided with a home-testing kit. As long as you have a suitable quarantine plan, you don’t need to wait at the airport to receive your test result. Travellers who are not fully vaccinated will need to take a second post-arrival test on Day 8 of entering Canada.

Within 48 hours of entering Canada, travellers who are not fully vaccinated must confirm you have arrived at your place of quarantine and provide a daily COVID-19 symptom self-assessment during your quarantine period. You can do this through ArriveCAN or by calling the 1-833-641-0343 toll-free number.

• Be sure to fill out the ArriveCAN form well before you travel to Canada. You’ll need a reliable internet connection and copies of your documents to complete the form, so avoid leaving it for the last minute.
• Download the ArriveCAN app on your device before your travels, even if you’re using the ArriveCAN website to submit your form. Keep the app open when you land and, if possible, take a screenshot of your ArriveCAN receipt and code and save it.
• Since you’ll have to show your ArriveCAN QR receipt or code to border officials on your phone or mobile device, make sure your devices are charged when you arrive in Canada. 
• Download and save your proof of vaccination and COVID-19 test results in your device and ensure that they are easily accessible. It’s also advisable to bring a paper copy of your proof of vaccination, along with translated versions if needed. 
• To save time, you can also submit your Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) customs and immigration declaration through the ArriveCAN app.

If you’re a foreign national travelling to Canada for discretionary purposes, you may be denied boarding or entry into Canada if you don’t submit your information through ArriveCAN.

While Canadian citizens, permanent residents, foreign workers with a work permit, and international students with a valid study permit, will not be denied entry into Canada if they don’t use ArriveCAN, they may be subject to fines of up to $75,000 or other penalties. In such a case, you won’t be eligible for the fully-vaccinated traveller exemption and will need to quarantine for 14 days or more.

Remember to fill in all the required information truthfully. Providing false information or documents through the ArriveCAN app or to a border official in Canada is a punishable offence and can result in fines and criminal charges. 

Filling in the ArriveCAN form can seem like a tedious task, but if you follow the instructions provided in this resource or on ArriveCAN app or website carefully, and provide accurate information, it will make your arrival in Canada smoother. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted many travel regulations, but the objective of these additional requirements is to make travel safer for you and others.

Things our lawyers want you to know

This article offers general information only and is not intended as legal, financial or other professional advice. A professional advisor should be consulted regarding your specific situation. While information presented is believed to be factual and current, its accuracy is not guaranteed and it should not be regarded as a complete analysis of the subjects discussed. All expressions of opinion reflect the judgment of the author(s) as of the date of publication and are subject to change. No endorsement of any third parties or their advice, opinions, information, products or services is expressly given or implied by Royal Bank of Canada or its affiliates.

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About Arrive

Arrive is operated by Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), the largest bank in Canada* and one of the most reputed banks in the world, employing 80,000 people worldwide. In collaboration with RBC, Arrive is dedicated to helping newcomers achieve their life, career, and financial goals in Canada.

*Based on market capitalization

Disclaimer: This article offers general information only and is not intended as legal, financial or other professional advice. A professional advisor should be consulted regarding your specific situation. While information presented is believed to be factual and current, its accuracy is not guaranteed and it should not be regarded as a complete analysis of the subjects discussed. All expressions of opinion reflect the judgment of the author(s) as of the date of publication and are subject to change. No endorsement of any third parties or their advice, opinions, information, products or services is expressly given or implied by Royal Bank of Canada or its affiliates.

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Entering Canada

On this page, by private boat, required identification, permanent residents, travelling with children, you and the border services officer.

Whether you’re returning home or visiting, you’ll follow the same 3 steps to enter Canada:

Step 1. Pre-arrival: Use Advance Declaration or complete a Declaration Card

If you’re arriving by air at one of Canada’s participating international airports, you can save time at the border. Submit your customs and immigration declaration online using Advance Declaration up to 72 hours before you arrive in Canada.

If you choose not to submit your declaration in advance, you can complete it at an airport kiosk or eGate. If you’re landing at an airport without kiosks or eGates, you’ll receive a Declaration Card on board the aircraft or other conveyance. Read the instructions and complete the card before you arrive. Have it ready to present to Canadian officials at the airport, along with your identification and other travel documents. If you're travelling with children, please have their documentation ready as well.

If using a Declaration Card, detach and discard the instructions. To help us serve you faster, do not fold the card.

Everyone arriving in Canada must complete a declaration. You can list up to 4 people living at the same residence on one card, or 8 people per Advance Declaration submission.

The Declaration Card or Advance Declaration submission tells us what we need to know about you, your travels and what you’re bringing into the country.

Connecting to another flight

If you’re connecting to another flight or travelling on to another destination and re-boarding the same plane, follow the signs. At some airports, you may have to check your baggage and have it screened again.

If you travel frequently our trusted traveller programs can help

If you're a member of a trusted traveller program, you can skip Step 2 and go directly to the automated kiosks or eGates for faster processing.

Step 2. Arrival: First CBSA checkpoint

When you arrive at the terminal, follow the signs to the first Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) checkpoint, also called “primary inspection.”

If you used Advance Declaration, go to a kiosk or eGate to retrieve your confirmed declaration receipt. Up to 5 people may use a kiosk as a group upon arrival.

Next, a border services officer will examine your:

• Declaration Card or Advance Declaration kiosk receipt
• your identification
• other travel documents

The officer may ask you a series of questions to determine:

• your immigration status
• the type of any goods you're bringing with you
• your duty-free allowance
• your personal exemption entitlements

Goods not properly declared that are restricted or prohibited in Canada can, under the law, be seized.

Newcomer or coming to Canada to study or work

If you’re a newcomer to Canada, coming to study or work in Canada, you may need to present further documentation. The officer will help guide you through this process. You may ask the officer for help if you don’t speak English or French well.

Step 3. Baggage and second CBSA checkpoint

Go to the baggage claim area. If you must pay duty and taxes, you can pay at most major airports while waiting for your luggage.

Once you’ve picked up your luggage:

• go to the next CBSA checkpoint
• Declaration Card, Advance Declaration kiosk or eGate receipt
• receipt, if you paid duty and taxes for your goods

The officer may direct you to a secondary inspection area.

Here, officers may ask you:

• for detailed information about your travels
• to present your luggage and goods for examination

This is a normal part of the travelling process. Your cooperation is appreciated and helps us ensure the safety of Canada, its economy and its residents.

If you’re arriving by land, follow the signs to the first checkpoint, also called “primary inspection.” Here, a border services officer will examine your identification and other travel documents and take your verbal declaration.

Visit U.S. to Canada border wait times for estimated wait times at certain locations.

If you’re arriving by private boat, go directly to a designated marine telephone reporting site and call the CBSA Telephone Reporting Centre (TRC) at 1-888-226-7277 to obtain clearance.

Private boaters that meet certain conditions may report to the CBSA by calling the TRC using cell phone from their location in Canadian waters.

Learn more about reporting requirements for private boaters.

Make sure you carry proper identification for yourself and any children travelling with you to help confirm your legal right to enter Canada. Canada has introduced a new entry requirement, known as an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA), for certain international travellers who fly to Canada.

Read about the changes and how they may affect you.

The Government of Canada recommends that Canadian citizens travel with a valid Canadian passport because it’s the only reliable and universally accepted travel and identification document available to Canadians for the purpose of international travel.

International transportation companies such as airlines may require travellers to present a passport before boarding. Canadian citizens may face delays or may not be allowed to board the plane or other conveyance if they present other documents such as a:

• Enhanced Driver's License (EDL)/Enhanced Identification Card (EIC)
• NEXUS card (used where the program is available)
• Free and Secure Trade (FAST) card used in FAST lanes
• Canadian citizenship card
• Certificate of Indian Status
• Birth certificate in combination with either a driver's licence or a government-issued photo identification

Permanent residents (immigrants living in Canada who are not yet Canadian citizens) need a valid permanent resident card to return to Canada. Check the expiry date on your card.

Note that a Certificate of Canadian Citizenship is not a travel document.

See Canadian Citizenship for further details.

Parents who share custody of their children should bring copies of the legal custody documents to the border when travelling with their children.

A consent letter should be used for all cross-border travel when a child is travelling:

• with only 1 parent or guardian
• in the care of friends or relatives
• with a group, such as a sports, school, musical or religious group

Example of a consent letter to permit travel by a child with a single custodian or parent.

When travelling with a group of vehicles, parents or guardians should arrive at the border in the same vehicle as the children.

Adults who aren’t parents or guardians should have written permission from the parents or guardians to supervise the children. The consent letter should include addresses and telephone numbers where the parents or guardian can be reached.

Border officers watch for missing children, and may ask detailed questions about the children who are travelling with you.

You may occasionally find yourself going through a more detailed inspection. In some cases, this simply means that you may have to complete a form. In other cases, the border services officer will need to identify the goods you’re bringing into the country or examine your luggage.

Border services officers are legally entitled to examine your luggage as part of their responsibility to protect Canada's safety, economy and environment. You are responsible for opening, unpacking and repacking your luggage.

By making your goods easily accessible for inspection and having your receipts handy, you will be helping the CBSA to help you. It’s a good idea to keep all your receipts for accommodation and purchases, and for any repairs done to, or parts bought for, your vehicle. The border services officer may ask to see them as evidence of the length of your stay and of the value of the goods or repairs.

If you disagree with the amount of duty and taxes that you have to pay, please ask to speak with the CBSA superintendent on duty. A consultation can often resolve the issue quickly and without cost. If you’re still not satisfied, our officers can tell you how to make a formal appeal.

Border services officers may arrest an individual for an offence under the Criminal Code (for example, impaired driving, outstanding arrest warrants, stolen property, abductions/kidnappings) and for infractions under other acts of Parliament (for example, the Customs Act , the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act ).

If you’re arrested, you may be compelled to attend court in Canada. You should note that anyone arrested in Canada is protected by and will be treated in accordance with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms .

Related links

• Bringing goods to Canada
• Traveller entry requirements
• Travel documents
• Programs for trusted travellers
• Travelling as a dual citizen

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Crossing the border into Canada

October 1, 2022 : covid-19 emergency border measures ended.

Refer to COVID-19: Travel, testing and borders for details.

Everyone wants their border crossing to go smoothly with few delays. The best way to make sure this happens is to know what to expect and be prepared.

Whether you're returning home or visiting, Canada Border Services Agency ( CBSA ) wants to help you plan your trip across the border with some useful tools.

Most requested

• Border wait times
• Travel documents and identification requirements
• Estimate duty and taxes on imported goods
• Restricted and prohibited goods
• Penalties for cannabis-related offences
• Border reminder checklist
• Secondary services and inspections

Contributors

• Canada Border Services Agency
• Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

Services and information

Covid-19: travel, testing and borders.

End of COVID-19 requirements for travelling to and within Canada.

Advance Declaration: Save time at the border

Use Advance Declaration in ArriveCAN to submit your customs and immigration declaration before flying into Canada.

Programs for trusted travellers

Learn about programs to make border crossings faster and easier for travellers and private or commercial operators.

Plan your trip across the border

Border wait times, reporting requirement, tips to improve your experience crossing the border.

Paying duty and taxes

Limits on goods purchased while abroad, personal exemptions.

Travelling with dogs to the US

As of August 1, 2024 , dogs entering the US from Canada will be subject to additional requirements.

Visitors to Canada

Who can enter, visas, what you can bring in, travelling with gifts, currency limits.

Airport arrival kiosks and eGates

Verify your identity and make an on-screen declaration at Canada's major international airports.

Examining digital devices at the Canadian border

When CBSA officers decide to examine your device at the border. Know your rights.

Travel tips

Border services and requirements for visitors, legal guardians, travellers with a disability, pet owners.

Refugees and asylum

Claim refugee protection, sponsor a refugee, find services for refugees in Canada and appeal a refugee claim.

Bring goods across the border

Types of goods you can bring to Canada and personal exemptions.

Moving or returning to Canada

For people settling in Canada or former residents moving back.

Skip the line: Access immigration services online

Select ports of entry may process these requests if you meet the criteria.

How the CBSA collects, uses and protects your information

Find out what happens to your personal information when your cross the border.

Canadians, Indigenous people, and permanent residents

Travel restrictions, COVID-19 measures, returning to Canada.

General information for non-residents about crossing the border, travelling to Canada, doing business in Canada and more.

COVID-19 : Travel, testing and borders

Who can come to Canada, testing and quarantine requirements, transiting and more.

What to expect at the border

Processes to expect when you cross the border based on the type of transportation you use.

Related links

• Smart and secure border tools for travel and trade
• Finding our missing children
• Importing goods for personal use
• Travel health measures

Page details

What you need to know about the federal government's ArriveCAN app

Since May, the federal government has been requiring all travellers to enter their information and upload their documents through the ArriveCAN app to ensure travellers are adhering to the COVID-19 travel restrictions.

The app enables travellers to upload their COVID-19 test results and describe to border officers how they plan to quarantine upon arrival.

Starting July 5, when fully vaccinated travellers will be exempt from quarantine measures, the app will also allow travellers to upload their proof of vaccination.

• Newsletter sign-up: Get The COVID-19 Brief sent to your inbox

Here's what you need to know about the app.

HOW DOES ARRIVECAN WORK?

Travellers will have to ensure that they enter their information through the app within 72 hours prior to arriving in Canada.

Upon installing and opening the app for the first time, you'll be asked to accept the terms of service and log in or register for an account.

The app will you ask you to enter your contact information and describe where you'll be quarantining for 14 days. It will also ask you about your travel history and which countries you have visited in the last 14 days and to fill out a COVID-19 symptom self assessment.

Air travellers will also be asked to provide the trip reference code produced after booking their three-day stay at quarantine hotel, unless they're quarantine exempt.

Travellers will also have to upload any relevant documents through the app, such as their COVID-19 test results. This includes fully vaccinated travellers, who will be able to upload their vaccine receipt through the app after the quarantine restrictions for these travellers ease on July 5.

If you're travelling with your family or in a group, you can also fill out the information for up to eight people in a single submission if all travellers will be staying at the same address for the quarantine period.

Upon arrival, a Canadian Border Services officer will ask to see your ArriveCAN receipt. This can be shown as a printout or on your phone's screen through the app, as a screenshot, or in the email.

During your quarantine period, you'll be able to check in daily with the app and report any symptoms as well as confirm that you've arrived at your quarantine location.

Travellers are also required to take another COVID-19 test on their eighth day of quarantine. On day nine of your quarantine period, the app will ask you to confirm if you've gotten tested on day eight.

WHAT DEVICES ARE COMPATIBLE WITH ARRIVECAN?

The app is available on the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. The ArriveCAN iPhone app is compatible with any iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad running iOS 12.0 or later. On Android, the app requires Android version 6.0 or newer.

If you don't have a compatible smartphone, you can submit your information through the browser version of ArriveCAN on any computer.

IS ARRIVECAN MANDATORY?

The federal government calls ArriveCAN a mandatory requirement for all travellers entering by land or air, but it's unclear what sort of penalties would apply for travellers who refuse.

This includes quarantine-exempt individuals, such as cross-border workers.

During a media briefing officials from the Public Health Agency of Canada speaking on background said the previous system that was based around paper documents was "inefficient," which prompted the federal government to make the app mandatory.

The federal government's website says that travellers who refuse to use ArriveCAN won't be denied entry, but may face delays due to additional questioning and potentially "be subject to enforcement action."

For travellers who don't have a device compatible with ArriveCAN, officials say they can ask a friend or family member to enter in their information on their behalf.

However, the government says travellers dealing with "exceptional circumstances" outside of their control that prevents them from using the app or asking a friend or family member, won't be penalized.

Marine travellers are still allowed to produce their documents in paper format, given that internet access at sea may be limited, but they are still "strongly encouraged" to use the app, according to the federal government's website.

 With files from Rachel Aiello.

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Travellers to Canada must now use ArriveCAN app

Travellers to Canada will soon be required to use the ArriveCAN app as part of efforts to help contain the spread of the coronavirus.

This free app was introduced in April, 2020, in an effort to help travellers comply with border measures, a government media release says. It is available as a mobile app, or by signing in online.

Here is what you need to do before and after coming to Canada.

Before arriving at the border

Starting November 21, air travellers whose final destination is Canada must submit their information through ArriveCAN before boarding. This includes travel and contact information, quarantine plan (unless they are exempt), and a COVID-19 symptom self-assessment.

Travellers will need to show their ArriveCan receipt when seeking entry to Canada. Canada Border Service Agency (CBSA) officers will verify that travellers have submitted their information digitally.

Travellers who do not comply could be subject to enforcement action, which can range from a verbal warning to a $1,000 fine. Exceptions will be provided to those who are unable to submit documents due to personal circumstances such as having a disability or inadequate infrastructure.

Beginning November 4, air travellers will be reminded by their air carrier that they will need to submit COVID-related information digitally through ArriveCAN before boarding their flight to Canada.

Beginning immediately, travellers seeking entry to Canada by land or marine are strongly encouraged to use ArriveCAN before they arrive to avoid delays and to limit points of contact when they reach the border. They can also show their ArriveCAN receipt to a border services officer when they seek to enter Canada.

After arriving to Canada

As of November 21, 2020, all travellers who enter Canada by air, land, or marine will also be required to submit information through ArriveCAN or by calling the following toll-free number: 1-833-641-0343 during their quarantine period. Those exempt under the Mandatory Isolation Order do not need to complete this procedure.

Within 48 hours of arriving to Canada, travellers must confirm they have arrived at their place of quarantine and they must complete a daily COVID-19 symptom self-assessment during the quarantine period.

Travellers who do not use ArriveCAN to submit their information prior to arriving to Canada will be required to call the 1-833-641-0343 toll-free number on a daily basis during the quarantine period to provide their information. They will not be able to use ArriveCAN.

Travellers will be considered a high priority for follow up by Canadian law enforcement if they do not submit their mandatory information.

The purpose of these measures is to reduce the spread of COVID-19, delays at the border, and physical contact between travellers, CBSA officers, and other government officials.

Unless one falls under an exemption, all travellers to Canada are required by law to undergo a 14-day quarantine period.

The Canadian government stressed in today's news release that ArriveCAN respects traveller's privacy and does not contain a GPS to track the movements of travellers.

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Tories feeling blue in Elmwood-Transcona after trying to convince orange voters to see red

Why a novel conservative byelection campaign strategy may have backfired.

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When a federal byelection was held in 2023 in the southern Manitoba riding of Portage-Lisgar, there was no question the Conservative Party of Canada would hold on to the profoundly conservative seat.

Nonetheless, the Conservatives poured money and resources into that race in a concerted effort to extinguish any political spark remaining in the hearth of Maxime Bernier and his People's Party of Canada.

The strategy was successful. Conservative Branden Leslie amassed 65 per cent of the popular vote , while Bernier was only able to draw 17 per cent in one of the few Canadian ridings believed to be receptive to his brand of populist conservatism.

An attack from the right is no longer a threat to the Conservatives.

In this week's Manitoba byelection, the Conservatives employed another unusual strategy.

They tried to retake Elmwood-Transcona, an eastern Winnipeg riding that's belonged to the NDP for all but four years of its existence, by trying to ensure voters were keenly aware of the two-year governance deal between the New Democrats and the unpopular governing Liberals.

• Conservatives try to win east Winnipeg NDP stronghold by tying leader Singh to Liberals

For most of the summer, Conservative campaign signs in the riding referred to NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh as "sellout Singh" and depicted him in a handshake with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

The Conservative strategy was clear: attack the New Democrats, whom a significant number of east Winnipeg voters have always liked, by going even harder on the Liberals, who have never enjoyed better than middling support in this corner of the city.

Running against one party by tying them to another was a novel strategy, U of M political studies Prof. Royce Koop said earlier this month.

"The Liberals are very unpopular. They're certainly not competitive in that seat," and so an attempt to tie the NDP to them "makes some sense," he said.

"But you don't see that all the time."

After what happened on Monday night in Elmwood-Transcona, you may never see it again.

When the strategy is too successful

When the final poll was counted on byelection night, NDP candidate Leila Dance had 48 per cent of the popular vote, four points better than her Conservative competitor, Colin Reynolds.

The Liberal candidate, Ian MacIntyre, received five per cent of the popular vote.

That proved to be a disaster for the Conservatives, especially when you consider that the Liberal candidates in Elmwood-Transcona the last three general elections garnered from 12 to 30 per cent of the vote in the riding.

• NDP's Leila Dance hangs on to party's stronghold seat in Elmwood-Transcona byelection

On Monday, the Liberal vote cratered in Elmwood-Transcona to a degree unseen since 2011, helping the NDP's Dance beat Conservative Reynolds by 1,158 votes.

This was not because the Conservative election strategy was unsuccessful. Rather, it appears to have been too successful.

It's entirely possible Pierre Poilievre's party managed to remind voters in a riding rarely enamoured with the Liberals that most of them really don't like Trudeau and his party right now.

For diehard left-of-centre voters, switching from the NDP to the Conservatives is not an easy manoeuvre. Nonetheless, the Conservative campaign appeared to do everything in its power to ensure voters who for all intents and purposes never vote Conservative that the Liberals are not the best political option for them right now.

Some Liberal-NDP swing voters appeared to vote orange instead of red. Or rather, just enough to ensure the NDP retained Elmwood-Transcona.

If the Conservatives ever find themselves fighting the NDP in a two-way race again, it's doubtful this third-party strategy would be repeated.

More to Liberal unpopularity than carbon tax

At this point, you may be wondering why the Conservatives took this gamble. The simplest explanation is it may not have looked like a gamble to them.

Poilievre has achieved great success among die-hard conservative voters by promising to eliminate the tax on carbon, a key Liberal policy plank. What the Conservative strategists may have minimized is the other reasons Canadian voters may have lost interest in supporting Liberals. 

The Aga Khan trip. That visit to India in costume. Gropegate. Blackface. The SNC-Lavalin affair. WE charities. Chinese interference. The ArriveCan app. A Waffen-SS member in Parliament. The housing crisis. This is a partial list in roughly chronological order.

The Conservative campaign ads aimed at Singh in Elmwood-Transcona only mentioned the carbon tax. That speaks to Conservative voters. It doesn't speak as well to Liberal-NDP swing voters.

It would be fair to suggest other factors led to Dance's win. Singh's decision to dump the confidence-and-supply deal during the byelection campaign could not have hurt.

The Conservative campaign's decision to keep Reynolds away from debates and interviews with reporters, however, likely played no role, as this is standard practice for Conservative candidates in the Poilievre era.

In the next general election, Elmwood-Transcona's borders will shift east to encompass the Dugald area. The Conservatives should pick up a few hundred more votes east of the Red River Floodway, based on poll-by-poll data from the 2021 election.

• Analysis Legends of the fall byelection in Elmwood-Transcona

That alone won't guarantee a victory for the blue team in Elmwood-Transcona. Dance will be entrenched as an incumbent and the NDP will have fewer fronts to defend and attack in Manitoba (four, counting their existing three ridings and an attempt to take Winnipeg North from the Liberals) than the Conservatives (they hold seven of Manitoba's 14 ridings and will likely target others).

What usually wins close election battles is anything but novel: knocking on doors, identifying friendly voters and getting them out to vote on election day.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Senior reporter, CBC Manitoba

Bartley Kives joined CBC Manitoba in 2016. Prior to that, he spent three years at the Winnipeg Sun and 18 at the Winnipeg Free Press, writing about politics, music, food and outdoor recreation. He's the author of the Canadian bestseller A Daytripper's Guide to Manitoba: Exploring Canada's Undiscovered Province and co-author of both Stuck in the Middle: Dissenting Views of Winnipeg and Stuck In The Middle 2: Defining Views of Manitoba.

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