Canada has announced temporary border measures that will bar travellers from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda and South Sudan from entering the country for the next 90 days, as the government moves to prevent the ongoing Ebola outbreak from spreading into Canadian territory.
The Public Health Agency of Canada announced on Tuesday that effective May 27 at 11:59pm Eastern Time, immigration documents for residents of the three countries will be suspended, meaning that even those who hold previously approved temporary resident visas, electronic travel authorisations or permanent resident visas will not be allowed to travel to Canada for the duration of the suspension.
The government said it would also temporarily pause processing new applications for immigration documents from residents of the affected countries during that period.
A second measure set to take effect on May 30 will require Canadian citizens, permanent residents and foreign nationals who have been in any of the three countries within the previous 21 days and show no symptoms to undergo a mandatory 21-day quarantine upon arrival in Canada, with accommodation provided to those who do not have a safe place to quarantine.
Those arriving with symptoms will be isolated at a hospital for further assessment. Both measures are being implemented under Canada’s Quarantine Act and will remain in place until August 29, 2026.
“The health and safety of people in Canada is our top priority. These temporary border measures will help reduce the risk of Ebola disease entering the country while ensuring that travellers are managed based on their level of risk,” said Health Minister Marjorie Michel.
Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab added that the measures were “necessary to protect Canadians and reinforce the integrity of our border against this threat to public health.”
The government noted that the risk to people currently in Canada remains low, that there has never been a case of Ebola imported into Canada and that there are currently no cases of the disease in North America.
The measures were described as precautionary and partly motivated by the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026, which Canada is co-hosting and which is expected to draw millions of international visitors.
People already in Canada from the affected countries are not impacted by the new measures and may remain for their authorised period of stay.
