After nearly 16 months of rigid travel restrictions, Canada is finally starting to loosen the rules -- but only for a specific few.

Effective Monday, fully vaccinated Canadians and permanent residents -- those who have had a full course of a COVID-19 vaccine approved for use in Canada -- will be able to skip the 14-day quarantine.

Eligible air travellers will also be exempt from the requirement that they spend their first three days in Canada in a government-approved hotel.

But the Canada Border Services Agency has a warning: would-be travellers will still be prohibited from entering the country if they were not eligible to travel to Canada before Monday.

Travellers must use the ArriveCAN app or web portal prior to departure to log their vaccination details, as well as the results of a negative COVID-19 test that's less than three days old.

Anyone who arrived before Monday will still be required to spend a full two weeks in quarantine upon arrival, the agency says.