This page was last updated on 16 December, 2021.
At a Glance
Travel Restrictions
Entry For Vaccinated Travelers: Partially Allowed
Vaccination Requirements: Australian citizens and permanent residents who are fully vaccinated with an Australian Government recognised vaccine (https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/COVID-19/COVID-19-vaccinations), or under the age of 12, may be eligible for reduced quarantine arrangements when you return to Australia. You will need to demonstrate your vaccination status at check-in when travelling to Australia.
Information on vaccines approved for use in Australia can be found here https://www.tga.gov.au/covid-19-vaccines.
Vaccines Approved for Use in Australia:
Moderna
Pfizer/BioNTech
Janssen (Johnson & Johnson)
Oxford/AstraZeneca
Tourist Entry: Partially Allowed
Testing: Negative PCR results required for some travelers.
Quarantine Required: No
Quarantine Details: Quarantine for 14 days required for some travelers.
Local Restrictions
Lockdown in Effect: Partial
Events: Partially Allowed
Transport: Operational with restrictions
Shopping: Open
Restaurants and Bars: Open with restrictions
Detailed Travel Advisory
Published 15.12.2021
1. Passengers are not allowed to enter.
– This does not apply to:
– nationals of Australia and their immediate family members;
– permanent residents of Australia and their immediate family members;
– nationals of New Zealand residing in Australia and their immediate family members;
– passengers who have been in Australia or New Zealand in the past 14 days;
– nationals of Japan, Korea (Rep.) and Singapore arriving directly from their country of nationality with a COVID-19 vaccination certificate showing that they were fully vaccinated at least 7 days before departure. Vaccines accepted are AstraZeneca (Vaxzevria), AstraZeneca (Covishield), Covaxin, Janssen, Moderna (Spikevax), Pfizer-BioNTec (Comirnaty), Sinopharm (for ages 18-60 years only) and Sinovac;
– nationals of Japan, Korea (Rep.) and Singapore younger than 18 years and older than 11 years arriving directly from their country of nationality and traveling with their vaccinated parents/guardians;
– nationals of Japan, Korea (Rep.) and Singapore younger than 12 years arriving directly from their country of nationality;
– passengers with a COVID-19 vaccination certificate showing that they were fully vaccinated at least 7 days before departure and a visa issued by Australia listed at https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/vaccinated-travellers . Vaccines accepted are AstraZeneca (Vaxzevria), AstraZeneca (Covishield), Covaxin, Janssen, Moderna (Spikevax), Pfizer-BioNTec (Comirnaty), Sinopharm (for ages 18-60 years only) and Sinovac.
2. Passengers entering or transiting through Australia must have a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken at most 3 days before departure from the first embarkation point. More details can be found at https://tinyurl.com/y398dxv4
– This does not apply to:
– passengers younger than 5 years;
– passengers arriving from Kiribati, Myanmar, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Isl., Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu or Vanuatu;
– passengers arriving from Belize, Cook Isl., Fiji, French Polynesia, Marshall Isl., Micronesia (Federated States), Nauru, New Caledonia, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste or Wallis and Futuna Isl.
3. Passengers entering or transiting through Australia from Belize, Cook Isl., Fiji, French Polynesia, Marshall Isl., Micronesia (Federated States), Nauru, New Caledonia, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste or Wallis and Futuna Isl. must have a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken at most 96 hours before departure from the first embarkation point. More details can be found at https://tinyurl.com/y398dxv4
– This does not apply to passengers younger than 5 years.
4. Passengers traveling above the passenger caps, must have a COVID-19 vaccination certificate showing that they were fully vaccinated at least 7 days before departure. Vaccines accepted are AstraZeneca (Vaxzevria), AstraZeneca (Covishield), Covaxin, Janssen, Moderna (Spikevax), Pfizer-BioNTec (Comirnaty), Sinopharm (for ages 18-60 years only) and Sinovac.
– This does not apply to:
– passengers younger than 12 years traveling with a fully vaccinated parent/guardian;
– nationals of Australia between 12 and 17 years traveling with a fully vaccinated parent/guardian and arriving in Australian Capital Territory, New South Wale or Victoria.
5. Passengers are not allowed to transit through Australia to New Zealand for more than 72 hours.
– This does not apply to passengers with an exemption applied at https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/help-support/departmental-forms/online-forms/covid19-enquiry-form
6. Passengers could be subject to presenting a “Travel Declaration” form and present it at time of check-in. The form can be found at https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/australia-travel-declaration
7. Passengers could be subject to quarantine for 14 days at the first point of entry. Details can be found at https://www.australia.gov.au/states
8. Airline crew are subject to quarantine until their next flight. Quarantine arrangements for airline crew are subject to respective state or territory requirements.
9. Passengers transiting through Australia for 8 to 72 hours to a third country are subject to quarantine until their next flight.
– This does not apply to passengers with a COVID-19 vaccination certificate showing that they were fully vaccinated.
Detailed Tourist Information
Any other travellers who have been in South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Seychelles, Mozambique, or Malawi in the last 14 days are not permitted to enter Australia, even if they hold a travel exemption, eligible visa or are seeking to enter under a Safe Travel Zone arrangement.
Australian citizens, permanent residents or their immediate family members entering Australia who have been in South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Seychelles, Mozambique, or Malawi in the last 14 days must enter supervised quarantine for 14 days in line with state and territory requirements, irrespective of their vaccination status.
Learn more about who can enter Australia from the Department of Home Affairs. (https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/coming-australia)
Australian citizens and permanent residents who are fully vaccinated with an Australian Government recognised vaccine (https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/COVID-19/COVID-19-vaccinations), or under the age of 12, may be eligible for reduced quarantine arrangements when you return to Australia. You will need to demonstrate your vaccination status at check-in when travelling to Australia.
Pre-departure COVID-19 test:
A negative COVID-19 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test result is required for travelling to or transiting through Australia. Unless you are travelling on a quarantine-free flight from New Zealand, evidence of a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken 72 hours or less before your scheduled departure must be provided to your airline.
Masks must be worn on all international flights, including in airports. There are some exemptions to pre-departure testing requirements. More information can be found at the Department of Health website (https://bit.ly/3lrgJNI)
Additional requirements
You may also require:
-a valid visa to enter Australia
-an exemption to Australia’s travel restrictions
-authority to enter Australian states or territories.
Some of these documents must be presented at the airport when you
check-in and when you arrive in Australia.
Quarantine
Unless arriving to Australia on a quarantine-free flight from New Zealand (https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/new-zealand-safe-travel-zone), travellers to Australia (including Australian citizens) must:
-quarantine for 14 days at a designated facility in their port of arrival
-complete all relevant declarations and forms so we can arrange quarantine; and
-undertake contact tracing, in the event of a positive COVID-19 case.
For more information, see Coronavirus (https://www.health.gov.au/news/health-alerts/novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov-health-alert/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-travellers ) advice for international travellers. You may be required to pay for the costs of your quarantine. To find out more about quarantine requirements, contact the relevant state or territory government health department (https://www.health.gov.au/about-us/contact-us/local-state-and-territory-health-departments)
Returning Australians
If you are an Australian citizen or Australian permanent resident who has been trying to return to Australia and have been unable to do so, you can register your details with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT): https://covid19.dfat.gov.au/citizeninformation/s/
DFAT cannot guarantee you a flight home, but they will assess your personal circumstances and eligibility for a government-facilitated commercial flight.
Before you travel to Australia, you should complete the Australia Travel Declaration. (https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/node/142)
Lockdown Details
A national three step plan (https://bit.ly/3ybNWQI) to relax coronavirus restrictions has been announced, with states and territories to decide when each step will be implemented locally.
Physical distancing measures are still in place across Australia. However, some states are revising restrictions on public gatherings. Check State and Territory websites for the rules where you live (https://bit.ly/3qHKafe).
Australia is recommending that people wear face masks to help prevent infection. This recommendation is likely to become law in some states.
From the 23rd of July, people in metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell shire will have to wear a mask or face covering if they’re leaving their home, or face a $200 fine.
Schools are beginning to open again with restrictions in place.
Some schools have implemented online learning.
Expect there to be sudden jumps to online learning if another spike in cases is recognised.
Sources
https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/travel-restrictions-0
Data Source: covidcontrols.co
