Australia Travel Requirements: What to Know Before Flying There!

Australia Travel Requirements: What to Know Before Visiting New South Wales and More!

Sydney or Melbourne first?

Update as of 6 Jul 2022: Australia has lifted all travel restrictions related to COVID-19. 

If you can’t wait to jump on the earliest flight to Australia‘s beautiful states like New South Wales (Sydney), the Northern Territory, Victoria (Melbourne), and many others, then good news: Australian borders are opening up again, whether to nations it shares travel bubbles with or not. Don’t be too hasty though, and read on for the Australia travel requirements you need to know before you book your holiday in the Land Down Under!

Also read: UK Travel Restrictions: All You Need to Know Before Visiting

Who can travel to Australia

From 21 February 2022, all visa holders who are fully vaccinated can travel to Australia without a travel exemption. Unvaccinated travellers, though, will still need to be in an exempt category or hold an individual travel exemption to enter the country.

Travel requirements for Australia

Image credit: Levi Ventura

Australia Travel Declaration (ATD)

Before you travel to Australia, you should complete Australia’s Digital Passenger Declaration (DPD) at least 72 hours before your departure for Australia. This is required of all passengers travelling by air to Australia.

Vaccination certification

International visitors must show proof of their vaccination status in the form of a vaccination certificate from their local health authority when checking in for the flight. The certificate must be issued by a national or state/provincial-level authority or an accredited vaccination provider.

Those who have been vaccinated in Australia will need to present an Australian International COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate (ICVC). Prospective visitors must ensure that they have taken their last dose of vaccine at least seven days before they are considered fully vaccinated. For more information refer to this guide on foreign vaccination certificates.

Pre-departure testing

A negative COVID-19 test result is mandatory for all passengers five years of age or older planning to travel to or transit through Australia. 

Accepted tests include RT-PCR tests, transcription mediated amplification, or a loop-mediated isothermal amplification test. These must be taken within 72 hours of your departure and provided to the airline upon check-in at the departure point. Rapid antigen tests are also accepted but this must be done no more than 24 hours before the scheduled departure of your flight

Note: Starting 17 Apr 2022, Australia will be removing the requirement of pre-departure testing for fully vaccinated travellers. However, non-vaccinated travellers will still need a negative test result to enter the country.

For more information about pre-arrival requirements, click here. 

Arrivals

Sydney travel requirements

Image credit: Soheb Zaidi

Even though Australia is generally open to tourism as of 21 Feb 2022, each state in Australia has its own travel requirements that can differ from one another.

Australian Capital Territory (ACT)

Image credit: Prakash Khanal

As of writing, there are no international flights arriving in the Australian Capital Territory, and the vast majority of international arrivals land in New South Wales. However, guidelines have been laid out for foreign arrivals in the ACT.

Fully vaccinated travellers must take a rapid antigen test for COVID-19 within 24 hours of arriving. They must quarantine until they receive a negative test result. If fully vaccinated travellers test negative, they can leave quarantine and need not wait to be advised to do so. However, they are not allowed to enter high-risk settings until after 14 days of their arrival.

Meanwhile, unvaccinated travellers must complete the necessary quarantine period at their port of entry. Find out more here.

New South Wales

Image credit: Aldrino

International visitors or Australian nationals must take a rapid antigen test within 24 hours of arriving. You are required to self-isolate at home or your accommodation until you receive the negative result taken within 24 hours of your arrival in New South Wales. During your stay, you can’t go to high-risk settings for at least seven days after arriving, and you have to take another rapid antigen test on the sixth day.

Travellers arriving in NSW but are not considered fully vaccinated will need to do a seven-day mandatory hotel quarantine. They will be charged a fixed fee for hotel quarantine and will be supported throughout their stay. Read more about these particular Australia travel requirements here

Northern Territory

Image credit: paul walker

According to the Northern Territory Government, aside from pre-arrival requirements, “there are no longer any entry restrictions on people arriving in the Northern Territory and no requirement for a border entry form.”

However, if you’re not fully vaccinated for medical reasons, be sure to bring your medical contraindication certificate. This should include your name, date of medical consultation, details of the medical practitioner, and details about your condition that outline why you can not get a COVID-19 jab.

Queensland

Image credit: City of Gold Coast

Fully vaccinated international travellers have to take a COVID-19 test within 24 hours. They must self-isolate until they receive a negative result. Do note that when travelling to their home, accommodation, or boat for self-isolation, fully vaccinated travellers can only take a private vehicle, a hired car, taxi, or endorsed transport provider. They may not take public transportation.

Those who are not fully vaccinated are required to land in the Brisbane International Airport and quarantine for 14 days at government-designated accommodations in accordance with Quarantine for International Arrivals Direction (No. 21).

Unvaccinated minors (16-17 years old) accompanied by fully vaccinated adults will have to home quarantine for 14 days. Children below 16 years old do not have to quarantine as they are considered fully vaccinated. Those who can’t be vaccinated against COVID-19 because of medical reasons will also be considered fully vaccinated as long as they can present a medical contraindication. Read more about it here.

South Australia

Image credit: Charles G

You have to undertake a COVID-19 RT-PCR test within 24 hours of arriving in South Australia. You have to quarantine until your results come back negative and you can’t enter a high-risk setting for seven days after arriving. Minors until 17 years old travelling with fully vaccinated guardians, and those who can’t be vaccinated due to medical reasons are also considered fully vaccinated in South Australia.

Unvaccinated international travellers must undertake a mandatory 14-day quarantine after arrival in addition to an RT-PCR test. After this, they have to take another test on the 6th day and 13th day.  Find out more here.

Tasmania

Image credit: David Clode

According to the Tasmanian government website, travellers who are up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations, or those with an exemption, do not need to register to enter Tasmania or undertake COVID-19 testing prior to arrival. However, fully vaccinated travellers will still be required to provide proof of vaccination upon entry.

Meanwhile, unvaccinated travellers must apply for approval to enter Tasmania. If they’re approved, unvaccinated travellers need to quarantine for a minimum of five days and a maximum of 14 days before entering. However, after 26 Feb 2022, wherein there will no longer be entry requirements for travellers to Tasmania, regardless of vaccination status. Stay up to date here.

Victoria

Image credit: Daniel Pelaez Duque

Fully vaccinated travellers arriving in Victoria must immediately quarantine at home or in a booked accommodation. Within 24 hours, you must get a rapid antigen test or an RT-PCR test and continue to quarantine until you have a negative result. You may only leave your quarantine facility for emergency purposes, such as medical care or getting medical supplies, including a COVID-19 testing kit.

If you test positive, read about your next steps here. Otherwise, you are clear to explore Victoria. Just remember that for seven days after your negative result, you have to carry proof of ID, your COVID result, and evidence that you are double dosed or exempted from vaccination. Those who have valid medical exemptions are considered fully vaccinated and must follow the protocol of fully vaccinated arrivals.

International travellers who don’t have complete COVID-19 vaccinations, and are aged 18 years and over, need to quarantine for seven days in a hotel. Unvaccinated minors between 12 and 17 years old also need to quarantine for seven days at home or in a private accommodation. They need to take COVID tests within 24 hours of arriving in Victoria. Rapid antigen and RT-PCR tests are both accepted. More details here.

Western Australia

Image credit: Harry Cunningham

Western Australia’s borders are set to open on 3 March 2022. As of now, the guidelines released for international arrivals are similar to those of the other states. All international passengers landing in Western Australia must have an approved G2G Pass.

Aside from this, everyone will be required to undertake a mandatory quarantine. Those who have been vaccinated thrice will have to quarantine for seven days at suitable premises.  On the other hand, unvaccinated international arrivals must quarantine in a hotel for 14 days at their own expense.

All international arrivals must take an RT-PCR test or rapid antigen test within 24 hours of arrival. Apart from this, they must take another PCR test on the sixth day or a rapid antigen test on the seventh day of their quarantine. This same rule applies to all other household members of the travellers who are fulfilling their quarantine at a private home. If everyone’s results come back negative, they can end their self-isolation. However, if one household member tests positive, everyone must continue isolating until symptoms subside. Read this in detail here.

During your stay

What’s allowed for fully vaccinated travellers

Sydney travel requirements

Image credit: Kate Trifo

  1. Everyone must wear face masks indoors. This includes the common property of apartment building, public transport areas, whilst on public transport, etc. 
  2. In tourist-heavy states like New South Wales, you must check in with designated apps, such as the Service.NSW app, when entering establishments; you normally have to provide your details as requested. Learn more about COVID-19 safe check-in rules here. 
  3. Provide proof of vaccination upon entering any premises or when requested by a police officer or authorised officer.

What’s allowed for unvaccinated travellers

After serving their 14-day mandatory quarantine period, those who are not fully vaccinated can enjoy intercity travel but must abide by all the rules applied to fully vaccinated persons. However, establishments and occupants of any premises hold the right to deny you entry; hence, make sure you know all about the Australia travel requirements — no matter your vaccination status!

If you’re looking for travel requirements for other destinations, we have you covered with places like Malaysia, South Korea and The Philippines.

Disclaimer: The information in this article is accurate at the time of publication. But due to how the pandemic is ever-evolving, we urge our readers to do their own research. Useful sources include your local ministry of foreign affairs or health, the official website of your chosen airline, and the official government websites of Australia. 


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Elyssa

Elyssa is always on the lookout for something interesting to do (or eat). When she’s not out looking for trouble, she can be found at home trying out a new recipe, curled up with a mystery book, or watching a crime documentary.

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Therese Sta. Maria
Therese Sta. Maria

Therese's close friends know that if they haven’t seen her around recently, then she’s probably having an adventure with her luggage and camera in hand. Though she loves staying at home and spending lazy afternoons with friends, there are times when she has to be "away from home to feel at home," — that’s when she’s bitten by the travel bug. See her travels on Instagram @reesstamaria.

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