Solemn Declaration for Residents of Canada Returning from Compassionate Travel

Your completed Solemn Declaration can be used as part of your online request to apply for a hotel stopover exemption.
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What is it?

COVID-19 has changed everyone's lives around the world. For example, like many jurisdictions around the world, there have been travel restrictions placed on all non-essential discretionary travel to Canada from abroad.

While all Canadians and permanent residents can come home to Canada, there are restrictions. At present, one of those restrictions for returning air travellers who are Canadian residents is a mandatory 3-day hotel quarantine.

For those who are flying home (does NOT apply to those returning by land) after travelling abroad for compassionate reasons, you can apply for an exemption from the mandatory 3-night hotel stopover.

You can apply if you are a Canadian resident (i.e. citizen, permanent resident, temporary person, etc.) and you must have travelled to a foreign country for one of the following reasons:

  • be present during the final moments of life for a member of your immediate or extended family

  • provide support to a member of your immediate or extended family who is deemed to be critically ill by a licensed health care professional

  • provide care to a member of your immediate or extended family who is deemed by a licensed health care professional to require support for a medical reason

  • attend a funeral or end-of-life ceremony of a member of your immediate or extended family


To apply for this exemption you must complete a solemn declaration form. The solemn declaration form must be signed in front of a commissioner of oaths or notary public. The commissioned form must be attached as part of your online request for an exemption.

As well, supporting documentation must be obtained in order to start your request for exemption. These include:

  • Proof of required support or care, signed by a licensed health care professional is mandatory if you're:

    • providing support to an immediate or extended family member who is deemed to be critically ill by a licensed health care practitioner

    • providing care to an immediate or extended family member who is deemed by a licensed health care practitioner to require support for a medical reason

  • Proof of death documentation if you're:

    • attending a funeral or end-of-life ceremony of an immediate or extended family member


To find more information regarding how to make a request online for exemption from the mandatory 3-night hotel stopover after travel abroad for compassionate reasons, as well as everything else discussed in this article can be found please click here.