Travelling into or out of Vancouver’s airport? What you need to know about COVID-19 testing

Fully vaccinated Canadians who depart and re-enter the country within 72 hours of leaving are exempt from providing a pre-entry test result.

As the holiday travel season gets underway, officials at Vancouver International Airport want to make sure all travellers know what is required of them both departing and arriving at the airport.

Airport officials, with direction from the government of Canada, will be conducting COVID-19 testing for all fully vaccinated passengers arriving from an international destination at Vancouver International Airport (YVR).

This will be in addition to a number of existing travel requirements in place at the airport.

Here is what passengers need to know.

First, to depart YVR and any Canadian airport, travellers must be fully vaccinated. Passengers must be able to prove vaccination status and their documentation will be verified by the airline at check-in. For Canadians, the best documentation is the Canadian COVID-19 proof of vaccination, the airport said, with limited exemptions for religious or medical reasons. More information on exemptions is available from the airline or Transport Canada.

Second, each destination has its own set of entry requirements. Passengers are required to understand and prepare for the entry requirements of their destination before travelling from Canada. Starting Dec. 6, everyone travelling to the U.S. must show a negative COVID-19 test taken within a day of boarding their flight or documentation of having recovered from COVID-19 in the past 90 days, airport officials said.

Third, when passengers return to Canada, they must complete ArriveCAN. This includes entering negative COVID-19 test information and a quarantine plan – and pre-registering for the arrivals test. Everyone will need to quarantine until test results are received, typically within 24 to 72 hours.

For passengers connecting through the airport, they will be subject to COVID-19 testing at YVR before continuing onward to their next destination. After taking the test, passengers can carry on to their final destination to quarantine while they await test results.