Australia travel rules: Everything you need to know as country prepares to reopen to vaccinated tourists

Pre-departure tests are not required for arrivals from 17 April

After almost two years of near-total closure to tourists, business travellers and family visitors, Australia is open to fully vaccination tourists.

But individual state rules for arrival – even from neighbouring states – differ widely, meaning travel is still complex.

These are the key questions and answers.

How does Australia define “fully vaccinated”?

Two doses at least 14 days apart of AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Moderna or Novavax; Covaxin from India, Sputnik V from Russia and Sinopharm (under 60s only) and Sinovac from China are also allowed. Those with a single dose of Johnson & Johnson/Janssen are also considered fully jabbed.

The Department of Foreign Affairs says: “Seven days must have passed since the final dose of vaccine in a course of immunisation.

“Mixed doses count towards being fully vaccinated.”

In addition, “travellers with acceptable proof they cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons” are treated the same as fully jabbed arrivals.

No expiry date has been put on vaccinations, and proof of boosters is irrelevant.

What about children?

The general principle is: “Children aged under 12 years count as fully vaccinated for travel purposes.”

However, the rules state that if an accompanying adult is unvaccinated then they will be regarded as unjabbed: “If the child is travelling with unvaccinated adult family members, then the entire family group will be subject to managed quarantine and passenger caps.”

How do I prove vaccination?

Proof of NHS jabs should be sufficient. You should be able to get a digital record of your NHS vaccinations via this link.

The Australian government says verification should be in English, containing the name as it appears in the traveller’s passport, together with date of birth or passport number; the vaccine brand name; the date of each dose or the date on which a full course of immunisation was completed.

The NHS app and paper certificates show these (with date of birth but not passport number).

“Paper and digital certificates are equally acceptable,” say the Australian authorities, but The Independent advises travellers to take both.

If the name on your certificate and your passport name is different, you may still be able to get in: “If you are travelling with a foreign vaccination certificate that does not match the name in your passport, you should also ensure that you have other evidence of your name, such as a marriage certificate or driver’s licence.”

What documents, tests and quarantine do I need?

A negative lateral flow test within the 24 hours before departure (or a PCR within three days) to Australia is required, but this requirement will be dropped for arrivals from 17 April

The Independent understands that “departure” counts as your take-off time from your home country (eg the UK), so long as you are not stopping off for more than a few hours along the way.

You must also complete a Digital Travel Declaration. Besides all the usual information, it asks for your nationality: if you have a standard UK passport, choose “British Citizen” from the drop-down menu. The form also requires you to list places you have been in the 14 days before arrival in Australia, and to upload your proof of vaccination.

You may also have to complete a state or territory declaration.

On arrival, testing and quarantine depends on the requirements of the state you land in.

New South Wales (NSW)

“Fully vaccinated international passengers arriving in NSW must get a Covid-19 rapid antigen test within 24 hours of arriving in NSW (and can stop self-isolating once they receive a negative result from this test).” In practice this means there is no quarantine, if you test immediately on arrival and get the result a few minutes later.

You must also test or after day six after arriving in New South Wales.

Victoria

Lateral flow test immediately on arrival with self-isolation until a result is obtained. One exception: “You can transit directly to another state or territory following arrival in Victoria.”

Australian Capital Territory (Canberra)

Complete a Declaration Form. No further issues for fully vaccinated arrivals.

Queensland

Lateral flow test immediately on arrival with self-isolation until a result is obtained.

South Australia

It’s tricky. You need a PCR test taken in the three days before arrival in South Australia. Once there, you must take a PCR test within 24 hours of arrival and isolate until you get a negative result. You are not allowed into “high-risk settings” for a week after arrival. These are defined as “a residential aged care facility. a disability care facility. a prison, correctional facility, training centre or other place of custody”.

Northern Territory

No problems for fully vaccinated travellers beyond filling in an NT Border Entry Application in the week before arrival.

Tasmania

It appears problem free: “Fully vaccinated travellers from low or high-risk areas or those with an exemption do not need to register to enter Tasmania.” All arrivals will need to transit through another Australian state to reach Tasmania.

Western Australia

Forget it. In the unlikely event you are granted permission to enter, you will need to go into hotel quarantine at your expense for at least a week.

What about unvaccinated visitors?

Unless they meet the medical exemption test mentioned above, “unvaccinated visa holders will still need a valid travel exemption to enter Australia”. This means special, hard-to-secure permission plus quarantine on arrival.

What else do I need?

Most UK tourists, business travellers and family visitors can apply for the free eVisitor visa that should be accessed only on this link.

It is a simple process to apply (apart from the demand for “Province” on your address, which requires the local authority name – eg a London borough). In simple cases permission will be granted within minutes.

The eVisitor visa allows unlimited visits of up to three months in the course of a year.

Do not use any site that seeks to charge a fee if you plan to use the eVisitor.

Can I stay longer?

Yes, if you are aged 18-30 and apply for a working holidaymaker visa. Applicants who reach Australia before 19 April 2022 can apply for a refund of the A$495 (£265) fee. They can also work for more than six months with one employer, in any industry, anywhere in Australia.

Will I be able to find a flight easily?

Yes, but the crucial issue is ensuring that you are able to transit through the intermediate stop. For example, Hong Kong is off limits. The easiest approach is on Qantas, nonstop from London Heathrow to Darwin or Perth and continuing to Sydney or Melbourne.