Sworn Declaration of Vaccination Exemption

A COVID-19 vaccine exemption affidavit is a sworn statement in which you declare under oath that you have a lawful basis for exemption from a vaccination requirement. The exemption may rest on a sincerely held religious or conscientious belief, a documented medical contraindication, or both. Employers, educational institutions, and other organisations that maintain vaccination policies sometimes accept a notarised affidavit as part of a formal accommodation request.

An affidavit does not, by itself, grant an exemption. It is a supporting document that accompanies your accommodation request. The employer or institution must then assess it under their duty to accommodate. The notary's role is strictly limited: to verify your identity, administer the oath, and witness your signature. The notary does not assess the validity or sincerity of the beliefs stated in the affidavit.

The Ontario Human Rights Code protects individuals from discrimination based on creed (which includes sincerely held religious beliefs) and disability (which can include medical conditions that prevent vaccination). These are the two recognised grounds that may support an accommodation request.

The form gathers the personal details and the declared basis for your exemption request. You will need the following information ready for your appointment.

For a medical exemption, a physician or nurse practitioner must confirm the clinical contraindication in a separate letter. The affidavit supplements that letter by providing your sworn, first-person statement. For a creed-based exemption, the affidavit is often the primary evidence of sincerely held belief, since there is no medical document to rely on.

In either case, the decision to grant accommodation rests with the employer or institution, not with the notary or commissioner who witnesses the affidavit.

Swearing the affidavit requires appearing before a notary public or commissioner for taking affidavits. The process is brief once your information is prepared.

Most provincial mandates in Ontario were lifted in 2022. However, some employers, health-care facilities, educational institutions, and international travel requirements continue to maintain their own vaccination policies. Check with the specific organisation requesting the document before swearing the affidavit, so you are certain it will serve your needs.

Swearing a false affidavit is perjury under section 131 of the Criminal Code of Canada, an indictable offence carrying up to 14 years' imprisonment. Any decision that relied on the false affidavit can also be reversed. The notary does not verify the truth of your statements; you are personally responsible for the accuracy of what you swear to.