Check if you can access reduced quarantine requirements

If you are for fully vaccinated Australian citizens, permanent residents or immediate family (spouse, de facto partner, parent/legal guardian of a dependent child, legal guardian, and parent), you may be eligible for the reduced quarantine requirements on your return to Australia. But this can vary depending on quarantine arrangements in the state or territory you are returning to.

Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated Australian children aged 12-17 years old entering Australia through New South Wales, Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory may also be eligible for reduced quarantine requirements.  They will only be eligible if their accompanying parents or guardians are all fully vaccinated.

If the child is travelling with unvaccinated adult family members, then the entire family group will be subject to managed quarantine. 

Must obtain foreign vaccination certificate

All travellers vaccinated outside of Australia and do not have International COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate (ICVC), you must obtain a certificate from the government of the country in which you have received your vaccination. It must be issued by a national or state/provincial-level authority or an accredited vaccination provider. Paper and digital certificates are equally acceptable.

This certificate must be in English and acceptable if written in multiple languages, and one of those languages is English.

The certificate must show the following:

• Your name as it appears in the passport
• Either date of birth or passport number.
• The Vaccine Brand Name, and
• Either the date of each dose or the date on which you completed a full course of immunization.

If the vaccination certificate does not meet all these requirements, it won’t qualify as a fully vaccinated traveller.

Accepted Vaccines as of November 1, 2021

To be qualify as fully vaccinated, you must have completed a Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approved or recognised vaccine course. This includes mixed doses.

These are the accepted vaccines and dosages for travel purposes are:

• Two doses at least 14 days apart of:
  • AstraZeneca Vaxzevria
  • AstraZeneca Covishield
  • Pfizer/Biontech Comirnaty
  • Moderna Spikevax
  • Sinovac Coronavac
  • Bharat (Covaxin)
  • Sinopharm (BBIBP-CorV)

• Or one dose of:
  • Johnson & Johnson/ Janssen-Cilag COVID Vaccine.

In the final dose of vaccine, you must at least have passed 7 days in the course of immunisation to be considered fully vaccinated. Mixed doses count towards being fully vaccinated as long as all vaccines are approved or recognised by the TGA.

If you have not been vaccinated with the above doses or schedule, you do not meet Australia’s definition of ‘fully vaccinated.’ This includes instances where the dosing schedule or vaccine eligibility differs in your country of origin.

If you do not meet Australia’s definition of fully vaccinated, current border restrictions apply and you must continue to follow current border processes when leaving Australia or coming to Australia. This includes requesting a travel exemption and undertaking mandatory quarantine.

Children under 12 and Australian citizens and permanent residents with acceptable proof that they cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons will also be able to travel overseas without seeking an exemption.

Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated Australian children aged 12-17 years old entering Australia through New South Wales, Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory may also be eligible for reduced quarantine requirements.  They will only be eligible if their accompanying parents or guardians are all fully vaccinated.

Complete an Australia Travel Declaration at least 72 hours before your flight

Before travelling to Australia, you must complete the Australia Travel Declaration at least 72 hours before your departure.

Travellers who should complete Australia Travel Declaration:

• Australian citizens and permanent residents
• People who are automatically exempt from travel restrictions

i. An immediate family member of an Australian citizen or permanent resident

ii. A New Zealand citizen usually resident in Australia and their immediate family members

iii. A person who has been in New Zealand or Australia for 14 days or more immediately prior to arrival by air in Australia

iv. A person transiting Australia for 72 hours or less

v. Airline crew, maritime crew including marine pilots

• People who may apply for individual exemptions are international students, travellers with compassionate and compelling reasons, Prospective Marriage (Subclass 300) visa holder
• People who have been granted an individual exemption to the current travel restrictions.
• Transit passengers

Travellers who do not need to complete Australia Travel Declaration:

• Flight crew
• Foreign Diplomats
• People travelling on military flights
• People arriving by sea (both crew and passengers)

When filling out the ATD you will need to upload your vaccination certificate. You will also need to:

• make a legally binding declaration in relation to your vaccination status
• acknowledge that when you check-in for your flight, you must present evidence of a negative COVID-19 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test taken within 3 days of your flight’s scheduled departure to Australia (unless you are exempt)
• make a declaration that you will:
  • comply with the quarantine requirements of the state/territory of first arrival and any other state/territory to which you intend to travel; and
  • have made quarantine arrangements prior to travel where required.

Penalties will apply for giving false and misleading information, including potential criminal prosecution for providing false or misleading information.  This is set out in s 137.1 of the Criminal Code Act 1995. Travellers may also have to undergo hotel quarantine at their own expense.

Undertake a pre-departure COVID-19 test

A negative COVID-19 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test result is required for travelling to Australia. Evidence of a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken within 3 days before your flight’s scheduled departure must be provided to your airline when you check-in.

If your flight is delayed, you will still be considered to have met the pre-departure testing requirements. You will not need a new test.

However, if your flight is re-scheduled or cancelled, you will need to provide evidence of a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken no more than 3 days before the re-scheduled flight.

At the airport

The travellers must present their foreign vaccination certificate or International COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate and a negative COVID-19 test result to the airline staff when checking in for the flight.

Quarantine

Modified quarantine arrangements, including home quarantine or no quarantine on arrival, may be available for fully vaccinated travellers coming to Australia from overseas.

States and territories are responsible for determining and managing quarantine requirements for people entering from overseas.

For 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).

DFAT cannot guarantee you a flight home, but they will assess your personal circumstances and eligibility for a government-facilitated commercial flight.

For visa assistance, you can contact us from Mondays – Saturdays, 8:00 am to 7:00 pm. We offer free consultation*. Book an appointment now! We would be happy to help you!

You can also visit and like our official Facebook page at Origin Migration & Education Visa Specialists to keep you updated on Australian Immigration news, events and promos!

*terms and conditions apply

Source:

Department of Home Affairs | What I need to do before I travel

Department of Home Affairs | Preparing to Travel from Overseas

Department of Home Affairs | Travel for Vaccinated Australians and Permanent Residents

Department of Home Affairs | Australia Travel Declaration