Different rules apply to children and people who are not fully vaccinated or medically exempt. MinterEllison can assist you if you are under 18, travelling with children, not fully vaccinated or medically exempt and would like further advice or assistance personalised to your circumstances.
Eligibility to enter Australia – am I travelling from an International safe travel zone?
You are eligible if you are travelling from one of the below countries and meet the below requirements:
New Zealand
- be of any nationality
- hold a valid Australian visa (or be a New Zealand citizen eligible for grant of a visa on arrival)
- complete a declaration of having only been in either Australia or New Zealand for 14 days prior to the day of travel
For further information see: New Zealand safe travel zone | COVID-19 and the border
Singapore
- hold Singaporean citizenship
- hold a valid Australian visa
- depart from Singapore and arrive in a participating Australian state or territory
- have not been in South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, or Malawi in the last 14 days
- eligible travellers do not need to have been in Singapore for 14 days before their proposed travel
For further information see: Singapore | COVID-19 and the border
Japan (after 15 December 2021)
- hold Japanese passport
- hold a valid Australian visa
- depart from Japan and arrive in a participating Australian state or territory
- have not been in South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, or Malawi in the last 14 days
- eligible travellers do not need to have been in Japan for 14 days before their proposed travel
For further information see: Japan | COVID-19 and the border
Korea (after 15 December 2021)
- hold Republic of Korea (South Korea) passport
- hold a valid Australian visa
- depart from Republic of Korea and arrive in a participating Australian state or territory
- have not been in South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, or Malawi in the last 14 days
- eligible travellers do not need to have been in Republic of Korea for 14 days before their proposed travel.
For further information see: Korea | COVID-19 and the border
If no, you could still be an eligible visa holder:
From 15 December 2021, fully vaccinated eligible visa holders from any country can now travel to Australia without needing to apply for a travel exemption.
To be an eligible visa holder, you must hold one of the following visa subclasses:
- Certain humanitarian visas (subclasses 200, 201, 202, 203, 204, 785, 790 and 449)
- Certain family visas (subclasses 300, 461 and 870)
- Certain skilled and work visas (subclasses 400, 403, 407, 417, 457, 462, 476, 482, 485, 489, 491, 494 and 988)
- Student visas (subclasses 500, 580, 590)
If you are not travelling from an international safe travel zone and are not an eligible temporary visa holder, then you must meet the below requirements to be eligible to enter Australia:
- meet the criteria for an automatic or individual exemption from Australia's border closures (numerous categories available – contact MinterEllison for further detail)
- hold a valid Australian visa
- visa holders who have been in South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, or Malawi in the last 14 days are not permitted to enter Australia, even if they hold a visa and travel exemption
What else do I need to consider when travelling to Australia?
COVID-19
- Undergo a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test within 72 hours of departure
- Produce a negative result test
Fully vaccinated
- Complete dosage of a vaccine approved or recognised by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA)
Australian Travel Declaration
- Complete at least 72 hours before departure
Foreign vaccination certificate
- Obtain an International COVID-19 vaccination certificate (ICVC). An ICVC is preferred, but if you do not have one, you will need to present a foreign vaccination certificate. Information about these certificates can be found here:
What are the State/ Territory entry requirements?
Each state/territory in Australia determines their own rules around entry and quarantine.
We recommend that you check the website of the state or territory you wish to directly arrive in, to determine whether you can enter the state or territory.
You should also review their quarantine requirements. This information can be found here:
MinterEllison provides strategic advice and assistance to employers on their global mobility needs, to bring skilled workers and business travellers to Australia.
If you would like further advice or assistance regarding the impact of COVID-19 on migration matters, please contact a member of our Migration team.
