Ottawa, Ontario
With summer approaching, boating season will soon be underway. The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) would like to remind all boaters of their entry and reporting obligations when travelling in Canadian waters.
Unless exempt, all travellers entering Canada by water must report their arrival to the CBSA without delay.
Canadian citizens, permanent residents and persons registered under the Indian Act
- All travellers including those with a right of entry (Canadian citizens, permanent residents and persons registered under the Indian Act) must submit their mandatory information in ArriveCAN before, or when, entering Canada at a marine port of entry.
- Travellers who leave and re-enter Canadian waters with interruption, must report to the CBSA upon re-entry and will be subject to COVID-19 border and health requirements. Travellers who leave and re-enter Canadian waters without interruption, do not have to report to the CBSA or meet COVID-19 border and health requirements.
- Interrupted travel means that a traveller leaves Canadian waters and, before re-entering, lands outside Canada, anchors, moors, makes contact with another boat while outside of Canadian waters, or embarks or disembarks any people or goods while outside Canada.
Foreign nationals
- Travel to Canada is prohibited for foreign nationals who do not qualify as fully vaccinated.
- Fully vaccinated foreign nationals who land on Canadian soil, anchor, moor, or come alongside another boat, or disembark any people or goods in Canadian waters:
- must submit their mandatory information in ArriveCAN before, or when, entering Canada at a marine port of entry;
- must report to the CBSA;
- must be admissible under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act; and
- are subject to all of Canada's COVID-19 border and health requirements.
- Foreign nationals who enter Canadian waters for leisure and touring, including pleasure fishing or sightseeing (known as loop movements), and those who transit Canadian waters from one place outside Canada to another place outside Canada, are not required to report to the CBSA as long as the boat does not land on Canadian soil, anchor, moor or come alongside another boat, and no persons or goods are discharged in Canadian waters.
Marine reporting options
In response to COVID-19, the CBSA has temporarily suspended its services at many small vessel reporting sites. Clients should consult the list of open designated marine reporting sites to ensure that services are available, either in person or via telephone reporting.
For boats carrying fewer than 30 passengers, there are two ways to report in order to enter Canada:
- Report directly in-person at one of the open designated marine reporting sites, staffed by the CBSA; or,
