The federal government has reached agreement with all provinces and territories to launch a standard federal proof of vaccination requirement.
Prime Minister Trudeau made the announcement this morning in Ottawa.
The vaccine passport will show the holder's name, date of birth and COVID-19 vaccine history - including which doses were received and when.
"I'm happy to confirm that all provinces and territories have confirmed that they will be moving forward with a standardized national proof of vaccination," Trudeau said, speaking to reporters.
Most people who were vaccinated in Canada already have a vaccine passport issued by their province or territory, government officials said in a technical briefing to reporters.
In response, instead of creating a federal database for health information, the federal government will issue a standardized digital document with a 'Canada' watermark in the upper right corner.
The new vaccine passport should make it easier for border officers here and abroad to verify proof of vaccination, officials said. Instead of having to scrutinize a range of vaccine passports issued at the provincial level, a standardized document will be more easily recognizable.
"Canada has been a world leader on vaccinations," Trudeau said. "We made a commitment to ensure there is a national standard for proof of vaccination, so people can travel, domestically, but especially internationally. All provinces and territories have agreed."
Trudeau added that Saskatchewan, Ontario, Québec, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador and all three territories have already put this national standard into use.
"You can download it into your phone, you can print it out, you can ask for a copy by mail if you don't have those capacities, but you are now able to show proofs of vaccination immediately in all those provinces, and all other provinces have agreed and are working hard to come online," Trudeau said.
Travellers returning to Canada will also be able to upload this document as proof of vaccination on the ArriveCAN mobile app.
Starting Oct. 30, travellers departing from Canadian airports and travelling on Canadian trains will need to prove they are fully vaccinated. Those under 12 who are not eligible for the vaccine will be exempt, but for adults, there will be very few exceptions granted. A mandate for employees of federally regulated air, rail, and marine transportation sectors comes into effect the same day.
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