Loading...
Loading...

When can we travel again?

There have been many proposed timelines by industry and government bodies, however, these timelines should be viewed as a guide only, and will be reliant on the Australian Government opening up the borders for citizens and permanent residents to travel freely.

The proposed 'Trans-Tasman travel bubble', which would allow travellers from Australia and New Zealand to move freely between the two nations, has been put on hold. The main reason is that the New Zealand Government has concerns about our state borders remaining closed, and the impact of new Coronavirus cases being recorded in Australia.

At the current time, it appears international travel may not resume until early 2021. For the latest travel advice please visit Smartraveller and the World Health Organisation.

For more information on domestic travel restrictions and border openings head here.

Travel restrictions and rules

Interstate Travel Restrictions

Last updated - September 29 2020.

If travelling interstate, check the below quarantine and self-isolation government requirements for each individual state in the drop downs below.

  • Residents free to travel around state, except to remote Aboriginal communities
  • Borders closed to all non residents unless exempt
  • Essential travellers must apply for exemption 
     
  • Residents free to travel around state
  • Mandatory 14-day quarantine at own cost for travellers arriving from declared hotspots (Victoria & parts of NSW)
  • All travellers must complete a border entry form
  • Travellers from Greater Sydney will be allowed to enter without mandatory quarantine from October 9

 

  • Residents free to travel around state
  • Borders closed until further notice except to essential workers
  • Mandatory health check for all arrivals & Good to Go App must be used for entry
  • Non-essential travellers now required to pay for mandatory quarantine
  • Residents free to travel around state
  • Border to Victoria closed unless they hold an entry permit exemption
  • WA, QLD, TAS, NT, NSW, ACT can enter SA with a Cross Border Travel Registration
  • Residents free to travel around state
  • Border closed to travellers from Victoria & most of NSW
  • Border open to parts of NSW from 1 October
  • Border open to travellers from WA, SA, Tasmania, NT & ACT
  • Border declaration required for all travellers
     
  • Residents free to travel around state, however number restrictions in homes & public venues apply
  • Borders closed to travellers from Victoria unless they hold an entry permit exemption
  • Borders open to travellers from all other states
  • Face masks strongly encouraged
     
  • Residents free to travel around state and into NSW
  • Mandatory 14-day quarantine for travellers from Victoria
  • Residents strongly urged not to travel to hotspot areas in NSW
  • Face masks strongly encouraged
     
  • Melbourne under Stage 4 restrictions
  • Rest of state under Stage 3 restrictions
  • Face masks are mandatory in public across the state
  • No permit or approval is required to enter Victoria from another state

 

International Travel Restrictions

Last updated - September 1 2020.

  • Australia’s borders are currently closed
  • International travel is currently banned for Australian citizens & permanent residents without an exemption
  • Temporary visa holders & visitors do not require exemption to leave Australia, but will need one to return
  • All arrivals into Australia are required to pay for their own government-directed quarantine

Travel updates

For all the latest traveller updates and information click here.

Cap On Returning Australian Travellers Eased
Posted on: 23 September 2020

PM Scott Morrison has announced an easing of the cap on international arrivals to help Australians stuck overseas. From this Friday, September 25, the cap will be raised from 4,000 to almost 6,000 to support Australians returning home.

The Government wants to see WA, Queensland and NSW each accept an additional 500 travellers a week, while South Australia has already agreed to lift its weekly capacity for international travellers by 360. The ACT, NT and Tasmania have all been asked to assess their capacity for hosting returned travellers.

“Another way we’ll be able to help more Australians get home is that we’re working to ensure that New Zealanders can come to Australia, and Australians can return from New Zealand without the need to go through quarantine if they’re not coming from an area where there is an outbreak of COVID-19,” Morrison said.

United Arab Emirates travel update
Posted on: 30 July 2020

From 1 August 2020, all travellers wishing to transit or enter the United Arab Emirates (UAE), will be required to show a negative COVID-19 PCR test result issued within four days of the traveller’s scheduled travel date. The safety measure was announced on 24 July by the UAE Government to keep all passengers and citizens safe and healthy.

Both Emirates and Etihad Airlines have informed Flight Centre that they will only accept COVID 19 tests from Pure Health testing clinics (or their representatives) in Australia. Each test costs $153 per person and is mandatory for all passengers.

Pure Health clinics will provide the test results in a format that the UAE Government will accept, and will guarantee a test result within 48 -72 hours. Please click the link below and follow the prompts to locate your nearest approved clinic: COVID 19 Screening Registration. 

Passengers who do not have an approved negative test result from a Pure Health Test Clinic, and who attempt to board a flight to the UAE, will be denied boarding.

For more information click here.

Details of quarantine changes for international arrivals
Posted on: 14 July 2020

The New South Wales Government has released the details of it's plan to charge arriving international travellers for their own quarantine accommodation costs from 12:01am Saturday, 18 July.

Customers who purchased their flights before 11:59pm 12 July AEST will be excluded from quarantine fees, however these travellers will still be required to quarantine in government arranged accommodation for 14 days.

For more information on this topic click here. 

Federal Government places limit on international arrivals
Posted on: 14 July 2020

To limit the risk of further Coronavirus outbreaks, to protect the community and reduce strain on the hotel quarantine process in Australia, the Federal Government will limit the number of international arrivals into Australia to 4,000 per day from Monday 13 July 2020.

The Government has also indicated that passengers arriving into Australia will be responsible for the cost of their own hotel quarantine, however this is the decision of the individual State Government and will be communicated once plans are confirmed. 

This is already in place in Queensland, and just announced for NSW to come into effect from 12.01am Saturday 18 July 2020.

We recommend that customers check their State Govt. websites for more details before travelling or returning to Australia.