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High Commission of Canada in the United Kingdom COVID-19: Frequently asked questions

Last updated: January 6, 2022

Global Travel Advisory

As of December 15, the Public Health Agency of Canada is advising travellers, regardless of their vaccination status, to avoid non-essential international travel.
 
Many foreign governments are implementing strict travel restrictions due to spread of the Omicron variant and international transportation options may be limited. As a result, you may have difficulty returning to Canada, or may have to remain abroad for an indeterminate period. Read more here.

If you must travel

Monitor and review Canada's entry requirements before and during your travel as arrival to Canada following international travel could be severely restricted due to the spread of the Omicron variant.

Below are answers to the most frequently asked questions from Canadians in the United Kingdom. There is also useful information for foreign nationals who are living, working or studying in Canada. Please check these FAQs before contacting the High Commission to allow us to focus on assisting Canadians who are in distress or require urgent assistance.

If you are a Canadian citizen in need of emergency consular assistance, please contact: ldn.consular@international.gc.ca. We strongly recommend that you contact us by email in the first instance. We check this inbox frequently between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on weekdays. We advise against coming to Canada House in person.

If you do not have access to email, you can leave us a voicemail message with your full name and number on (+ 44) (0) 20 7004 6000 (international call from a Canadian number) between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on weekdays. Follow the prompts for “Services to Canadian citizens”, then “Emergency situation involving a Canadian”. We will reply by the next business day.

For serious consular emergencies after hours, please call the 24-hour Emergency Watch and Response Centre in Ottawa, either directly on 00 800 2326 6831 (charges apply) or (+44) 0 20 7004 6000 (international call from a Canadian number) outside of office hours.

We recommend you check this page regularly for ongoing guidance. You can also follow our social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube) for updates. We recommend you also  visit the website Travel.gc.ca and register on ROCA (Register of Canadians Abroad) as a Canadian citizen abroad.

For the latest and most up-to-date information on coronavirus, or if you have additional questions, please visit the Government of Canada’s webpage at www.canada.ca/coronavirus or call the coronavirus information line: 1-833-784-4397.

Thank you for your patience while we work to respond to this unprecedented situation.

On this page

For Canadians in the UK

UK-specific questions

Returning to Canada

For foreign nationals travelling to Canada

Entry to Canada

Working and studying in Canada

For Canadians in the UK

UK-specific questions

Are there any specific travel rules or restrictions for Canadians travelling into the UK?

For information on entering the UK from Canada, we recommend you consult the UK government’s guidelines on “Entering the UK”. It is important to note that England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each have their own sets of guidelines which are regularly updated.

I am a Canadian citizen in the UK. I am concerned that I have contracted COVID-19. What should I do?

The UK’s National Health Service (NHS) has a 111 online coronavirus service which is accessible to all, where you can answer questions about your health and get advice if you feel you may be at risk. As with any illness abroad, we would recommend that you contact your health insurance provider to make enquiries about your particular situation.

Returning to Canada

I am a Canadian citizen flying to Canada. What are the entry and quarantine requirements? Are there any exemptions?

PLEASE NOTE: As of December 15, the Public Health Agency of Canada is advising travellers, regardless of their vaccination status, to avoid non-essential international travel.

Many foreign governments are implementing strict travel restrictions due to spread of the Omicron variant and international transportation options may be limited. As a result, you may have difficulty returning to Canada, or may have to remain abroad for an indeterminate period. Read more here.

If you must travel

Monitor and review Canada's entry requirements before and during your travel as arrival to Canada following international travel could be severely restricted due to the spread of the Omicron variant.

Travellers are eligible to enter or return to Canada if they qualify as a fully vaccinated traveller. Before travelling to Canada, check here if you qualify as a fully vaccinated traveller. If you do not qualify for the fully vaccinated traveller exemption, you may still be able to enter Canada. Foreign nationals who don't qualify as fully vaccinated will only be allowed to enter in specific circumstances. Find out if you can enter Canada here.

The Government of Canada is increasing the number of fully vaccinated travellers being selected for mandatory randomized arrival testing to reach 100% of vaccinated travellers in the coming weeks. Requirements for unvaccinated travellers remain unchanged.

Provinces and territories may have their own border measures as well as public health guidelines within their jurisdictions. Therefore, it is important that travellers check for the most up to date information for requirements for travel into Canada, and also requirements imposed by their intended province or territory of destination. For official, up-to-date and detailed information, visit COVID-19: Travel, testing, quarantine and borders.

What is ArriveCAN?

If you are travelling by air, land or sea to Canada, you are required to provide essential information before you arrive on the official Government of Canada platform, ArriveCAN.

The use of ArriveCAN, which has been mandatory for travellers since November 2020, expedites processing and helps to protect the health and safety of travellers and our employees.

ArriveCAN is a free, secure, user-friendly digital tool to help travellers comply with Canada’s border measures quickly and securely. It is available as a mobile app or by signing in online.

Find out more about downloading and using ArriveCAN here.

For foreign nationals travelling to Canada

I am a foreign national travelling to Canada. What are the entry and quarantine requirements? Are there any exemptions?

PLEASE NOTE: As of December 15, the Public Health Agency of Canada is advising travellers, regardless of their vaccination status, to avoid non-essential international travel.

Many foreign governments are implementing strict travel restrictions due to spread of the Omicron variant and international transportation options may be limited. As a result, you may have difficulty returning to Canada, or may have to remain abroad for an indeterminate period. Read more here.

If you must travel

Monitor and review Canada's entry requirements before and during your travel as arrival to Canada following international travel could be severely restricted due to the spread of the Omicron variant.

Travellers are eligible to enter or return to Canada if they qualify as a fully vaccinated traveller. Before travelling to Canada, check here if you qualify as a fully vaccinated traveller. Foreign nationals who don't qualify as fully vaccinated will only be allowed to enter in specific circumstances. Find out if you can enter Canada here.

The Government of Canada is increasing the number of fully vaccinated travellers being selected for mandatory randomized arrival testing to reach 100% of vaccinated travellers in the coming weeks. Requirements for unvaccinated travellers remain unchanged.

Provinces and territories may have their own border measures as well as public health guidelines within their jurisdictions. Therefore, it is important that travellers check for the most up to date information for requirements for travel into Canada, and also requirements imposed by their intended province or territory of destination.

For official, up-to-date and detailed information, visit COVID-19: Travel, testing, quarantine and borders.

What is ArriveCAN?

If you are travelling by air, land or sea to Canada, you are required to provide essential information before you arrive on the official Government of Canada platform, ArriveCAN.

The use of ArriveCAN, which has been mandatory for travellers since November 2020, expedites processing and helps to protect the health and safety of travellers and our employees.

ArriveCAN is a free, secure, user-friendly digital tool to help travellers comply with Canada’s border measures quickly and securely. It is available as a mobile app or by signing in online.

Find out more about downloading and using ArriveCAN here.

Are there any specific travel rules or restrictions for foreign nationals wishing to work or study in Canada?

To find out if you can travel to Canada at this time, we recommend you use the Find out if you can travel to Canada tool on our website.

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Date Modified:
2022-01-06