Australia's tourism industry is rejoicing at the news that tourists will soon be allowed entry into the country, after nearly two years of border restrictions.
The changes will also allow those who were not able to obtain a visa under previous entry requirements and cannot be reunited with their loved ones.
🟥HERE ARE THE QUESTIONS AND THE ANSWERS BELOW
When can tourists come to Australia?
Is Western Australia open to tourists?
Do tourists need a COVID-19 vaccine to travel to Australia?
What if the definition of full vaccinated changes to triple vaccinated?
Can unvaccinated persons travel to Australia?
Which COVID-19 vaccines does Australia recognize?
Can unvaccinated children enter Australia?
When was the last vaccine given?
Do tourists need to present negative COVID19 test evidence?
If I have recently recovered from COVID-19, do I need a confirmed COVID-19 test result before I travel?
If I have COVID-19 and have recovered more than 30 days ago, do I need a confirmed COVID-19 test result before I travel?
What if I recovered more than 30 days ago and continue to test positive?
What about delayed and rescheduled flights?
Is it mandatory to wear a mask?
Persons and conditions that can be exempted from the use of masks
Are cruise ships allowed?
COVID-19 rules will still apply
When can tourists come to Australia?
All fully vaccinated visa holders, including tourists, will be allowed to travel to Australia without exemption from 21 February.
International arrivals will be subject to the quarantine requirements of each state or territory.
Australian citizens, permanent residents, family members and some vaccinated visa holders are already allowed to travel to Australia.
Is Western Australia open to tourists?
WA is open to travelers from overseas from 9 February. However, the state's international arrival limit will be capped at 530 people per week.
International arrivals in WA must complete a G2G Pass statement. Seven days quarantine and day 1 PCR – RAT on day 7 must pass COVID testing. Click for more information .
Do tourists need a COVID-19 vaccine to travel to Australia?
All international travelers to Australia – including tourists – are required to be fully vaccinated unless they have proof of medical exemption.
The federal government defines a full vaccination as two doses for most vaccine brands, and international arrivals are not required to have a booster vaccine, i.e. a third.
What if the definition of full vaccinated changes to triple vaccinated?
The Victorian government has pointed out that international arrivals may require two doses and one booster medication.
Other states and territories may follow suit if ATAGI, the government's vaccine advisory body, changes the definition of "fully vaccinated" to mean three doses.
Despite this, Prime Minister Scott Morrison, when announcing the reopening of the border, said that people would not need three doses of the COVID vaccine to be considered fully vaccinated.
“There will be two [doses],” Morrison said in a February 7 statement. There are various discussions around the world for the three doses. "Two doses, as the Chief Medical Officer said," he said.
Can unvaccinated persons travel to Australia?
Unvaccinated travelers will need to provide medical proof that they cannot be vaccinated to travel to Australia.
They must also apply for a travel exemption to come to Australia.
If they are allowed to travel, they will have to go through the mandatory hotel quarantine on arrival.
Which COVID-19 vaccines does Australia recognize?
International travelers to Australia are considered fully vaccinated if they receive the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) recognized COVID-19 vaccines.
It includes taking at least two doses (mixed doses are acceptable) of the following:
AstraZeneca Vaxzevria
AstraZeneca Covishield
Pfizer/Biontech Comirnaty
Moderna Spikevax or Takeda
Sinovac Coronavac
Bharat Biotech Covaxin
Sinopharm BBIBP-CorV (for people under 60 years of age on arrival in Australia)
Gamaleya Research Institute Sputnik V
Novavax/Biocelect Nuvaxovid
Or a dose:
Johnson & Johnson/Janssen-Cilag
When was the last vaccine given?
The last dose required to be fully vaccinated must have been taken at least seven days before traveling to Australia.
Vaccination certificate display
Passengers must show their International COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate (ICVC) or foreign vaccination certificate to airline personnel.
Can unvaccinated children enter Australia?
Children under 12 do not need to be vaccinated to travel to Australia.
However, if the child or children are traveling with an unvaccinated adult family member , the entire family group will be subject to the arrival rule and placed in mandatory hotel quarantine.
Some states and territories allow unvaccinated or partially vaccinated children ages 12 to 17 to travel with a fully vaccinated adult.
Do tourists need to prove a negative COVID test?
All international arriving passengers must present one of the following when 'check-in' before flying to Australia. Note that these changes take effect on Sunday, January 23, 2022. Pre-departure test.
A PCR test done within three days of takeoff.
The nucleic acid amplification NAA test must be performed 3 days prior to the flight plan – departure day.
The RAT must be made within 24 hours of the flight's scheduled departure time.
RAT test; should be performed by or under the supervision of a medical practitioner (eg, pharmacist, GP, nurse, pathologist, pathology collector, or trained personnel at airport testing stations).
Accepted COVID-19 test results
Your COVID-19 test result may be on paper or electronically .
To get on the plane!
If this information is not provided, you will not be able to check-in and board the aircraft.
Passenger's name and date of birth (accepted passport number if age at test or date of birth is not listed)
Test result (such as “negative” or “not detected”)
Test method performed, eg NAA test or RAT
Brand and brand of test (for RAT tests)
Sample collection date for accepted COVID-19 testing (includes time for RAT)
That the sample for testing has been collected and the test is signed by or under the supervision of an authorized person and by an authorized person.
If your documents are not in English?
You should provide your accepted COVID-19 test results in English if possible. If you can't, you can:
Provide a certified translated copy or,
Contact your airline to see if they can interpret the report at check-in.
If I have recently recovered from COVID-19, do I need a confirmed COVID-19 test result before I travel?
If you have recovered from COVID-19 in the last 30 days before your scheduled flight, you are not required to undergo further COVID-19 testing prior to departure if you can present a certificate from your doctor at check-in containing ALL of the following. detailed information below.
A statement is required on the day the certificate is issued (must be within 30 days prior to the flight)
stating that the person had the coronavirus but has now recovered and is not considered contagious.
The day the certificate is issued:
At least 7 days have passed since the first positive result of an accepted COVID-19 test and the person has no symptoms of the coronavirus known as COVID-19 (the person's full test that the person has not had a fever or respiratory symptoms of the coronavirus known as COVID-19 in the last 72 hours) information.)
If your certificate does not contain the above information, you should not go to the airport as you will be prevented from boarding the plane .
If I have COVID-19 and have recovered more than 30 days ago, do I need a confirmed COVID-19 test result before I travel?
Yeah. If you had COVID-19 more than 30 days ago, you must have a positive COVID-19 test before traveling.
What if I recovered more than 30 days ago and continue to test positive?
Some people continue to test positive, this is called persistent shedding, where you can continue to test positive but you are not contagious. You still need to get a full report from your doctor as above.
Delayed and rescheduled flights
If your flight is delayed within 3 days for an NAA test or 24 hours for a RAT test, you do not need to have a new test.
If your flight has been rescheduled or cancelled, you must have a new test at the appropriate time before the rescheduled or newly booked flight.
Is it mandatory to wear a mask?
People traveling to Australia are required to wear masks throughout their flights and at all Australian airports. A cloth or surgical mask is acceptable.
If you do not agree to wear a mask, you will not be allowed to check-in or board the plane.
Provide your own mask and bring enough masks for the duration of your trip. Change your mask every 4 hours or when your mask gets wet.
Persons and conditions that can be exempted from the use of masks
Children aged 11 years or younger, anyone whose medical condition prevents them from wearing a mask and who can present a medical certificate as proof.
The medical certificate should include:
your name (which must match your travel identification documents), the date of the medical consultation and the doctor's name, address and type of practice, and clear reasons why you cannot wear a mask.
Are cruise ships allowed?
There is currently a ban on international cruise ships in Australia.
The ban took effect in March 2020 at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Extended until mid-February 2022 due to the fast spreading Omicron variant.
The cruise ship industry says ships may not return to Australian waters until April or May this year.