Travelling to Canada

While travel restrictions due to COVID-19 are in place, you must meet the following requirements to enter Canada as a student:

1. You must have a valid study permit or a letter of introduction that shows you were approved for a study permit.
2. You must be attending a designated learning institution (DLI) with a COVID-19 readiness plan. The University of Victoria is a DLI, and has an approved plan in place.

As a student, you will not be able to travel to Canada if:

• your study program has been cancelled or suspended
• you are entering Canada for any reason other than to study

If you have any concerns before you travel, you can speak with an international student adviser or you can contact the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) for more information.

Students may not travel to Canada for their studies without the necessary documentation. You will be required to show your documents at the Canadian port of entry. Students who have not yet applied for a study permit should be advised that the processing times can be very lengthy, so please make arrangements well in advance of your planned travel.

If you have any questions about documentation requirements, please contact an international student adviser.

All students travelling to Canada are required to self-isolate for 14 days on arrival. Before travelling to Canada, you must also register your self-isolation plans with the:

• Government of Canada, using the ArriveCAN app
• Government of BC, by completing a self-isolation plan
• University of Victoria, by registering your self-isolation plans online

For more information, see the self-isolation section of this website.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, restrictions have been put in place on travel to Canada; on arrival, all travellers from another country are required to self-isolate for 14 days, even if they show no symptoms.

Depending on if you are arriving to Canada by land or air, there are different COVID-19 testing and self-isolation requirements. For specific information, please see the pages on Travelling to Canada by land and Travelling to Canada by air.

International Student Services and the University of Victoria are here to support you throughout your time in self-isolation. For more information, see the self-isolation section of this website.