Australia’s Borders Finally Reopened, Here’s How To Eligibly Enter Each State

Australia’s borders are finally reopened to most eligible visa holders on December 15, 2021, it is nearly two years since the pandemic.

According to the Federal Government, skilled workers and international students who are fully vaccinated are allowed to come into Australia without a travel exemption.

However, the conditions of entering to each state may be different. Travellers must check the state’s websites before arriving.

NSW Requirements

From December 31, 2021 fully vaccinated arrivals to NSW must get a COVID-19 rapid antigen test.

All travellers must comply with Australian Government Entry Requirements, including evidence of a negative COVID-19 PCR (nose and throat swab) test taken within 72 hours of scheduled departure.

Steps fully vaccinated travellers need to follow:

SA Requirements

From 12:01 am 1 January 2022, travellers entering South Australia are no longer required to complete an EntryCheck SA application.

You must have evidence of a negative COVID-19 test received in the 72 hours prior to arrival. On arrival to SA, you must:

Undertake a COVID-19 PCR test within 24 hours of arrival in SA and quarantine until test is taken.

No entry into high risk settings for 7 days after arrival.

Before you arrive, it is also important to complete an Australia Travel Declaration (ATD) at least 72 hours before departure.

When filling out the ATD, you will need to:

provide your contact details, including a contact phone number in Australia
make a legally binding declaration in relation to your vaccination status
make a declaration regarding your last 14 days travel history
make a declaration that you are aware of the quarantine and testing requirements that apply in the State or Territory you are landing, and the penalties for non-compliance.

For eligible visa holders, you can also travel from Australia without needing to apply for a travel exemption. Before your travel, you’ll also need to check your eligibilities on governments’ websites. Arrangements for returning to Australia will depend on the state or territory to which you are travelling. Don’t forget to get your International COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate ready.

According to the Australian Immunisation Register, 90.5% of people over the age of 16 are fully vaccinated, 93.9% of people over the age of 16 have had at least one dose.

Please see the links below for more details:

https://www.covid-19.sa.gov.au/travel/international-travel, https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/travel-restrictions/international-travel-rules, https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/preparing-to-leave-australia