US Opens Canada and Mexico Land Border Crossings for Fully Vaccinated Travelers

Starting in early November all fully vaccinated travelers from Canada and Mexico may enter the United States via land and ferry crossings. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas announced the revised policy for nonessential travelers on October 12, 2021, but he did not provide a specific date when the new requirements will take effect.

All nonessential travel across the land borders, including travel for hunting, had been mutually closed by the US, Mexico and Canada since March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Canada relaxed its borders in August for fully vaccinated US travelers crossing by land and later in September for all other international travelers by air. Political pressure has been mounting on the Biden Administration since then to reopen borders from the US side.

In November, all nonessential travelers will need to present documentation proving they were fully vaccinated at least 14 days prior to travel. All those who have been crossing the border as essential travelers (truck drivers, teachers, healthcare workers, etc.) must be vaccinated by January 2022, at which time the requirement will apply to all travelers.

Those crossing the border by land or ferry will not be required to have a negative COVID-19 test result, while air travelers will need one. Visitors should expect long delays at border crossings, perhaps up to eight hours. Check the wait times at Canadian and Mexican border crossings with US Customs and Border Protection at https://bwt.cbp.gov. For more information, SCI members may contact the Hunter Information Service at www.safariclub.org/contact.