Finally ready to travel abroad? Returning home can get complicated

Many Canadians were forced to shelve their upcoming vacations when the pandemic first hit.

Two years later, as March break approaches, and with COVID-19 restrictions lifting, a number of people are anxious to resurrect those long-awaited travel plans. 

Canadian-based travel agency Flight Centre said bookings for trips departing from Canadian airports in March have spiked by more than 700 per cent compared to bookings the same time last year. 

"There is no question there's pent-up demand," said Flight Centre spokesperson Allison Wallace. "People … want to take that trip that they've been waiting for."

But with the pandemic far from over, travellers still face a spate of rules when returning to Canada, including providing PCR test results to re-enter the country and the chance of being randomly selected for another PCR test upon arrival.

And the process has only become more complicated due to the spread of the highly contagious Omicron variant.

To return home, Canadians must show proof of a negative molecular test (such as a PCR test) within 72 hours of their departing flight or planned arrival at the land border. Due to Omicron's rapid spread and an increase in international travel, Canadians may face difficulty booking their pre-entry test, or getting their results in time. 

"Say you're driving across the border in Washington or something — it's very hard to get appointments if you're just doing it for travel and you're not a citizen," said Wallace. 

Snowbirds David and Dianne Fine are currently living in an RV park in Yuma, Ariz., but plan to return home to Hepworth, Ont., in early April. The couple said they worry about getting a timely test in April — a month when thousands of Canadian snowbirds will likely be lining up for the same pre-entry test in the U.S. before returning to Canada.

"People are going to be stuck at the border," worried David Fine. "It's going to be a mess."

Wallace advises travellers pre-book their return test at a clinic near their travel destination well in advance to avoid any hold-ups.

"I highly recommend booking your appointment before you even take your trip," she said. 

Fine said the best solution would be for the federal government to nix the pre-entry test requirement for fully vaccinated travellers — something several politicians and travel industry groups have previously lobbied for. 

"Anyone who has three vaccines should not need to take a PCR test," said Fine. "They're responsible and they've done their duty."