Australia borders reopening

After a long year, Australia has hit a major COVID milestone with interstate travel now possible. Here’s everything you need to know including the latest rules and forms to fill. Australia has hit a major milestone with state border restrictions being almost completely eliminated by this weekend, marking the first time the country has been open for months. 25 February 2021 Quarantine free travel from New Zealand to Australia has resumed All of New Zealand is now at alert level 1. Face coverings are mandatory for all public transport and domestic flights in New Zealand. The Safe Travel Zone allowing quarantine free flights from New Zealand to Australia resumed on 21 February 2021. If you're travelling on a green zone flight and have been in Auckland in the last 14 days, you’ll need a negative COVID-19 test in the 72 hours prior to departure. These conditions will apply until 1 March 2021. More info: https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/pacific/new-zealand. But there are rules, forms, catches and exemptions to be aware of, along with warnings and promises that any outbreak will immediately see new closures and rules put back in place. South Australians face the toughest restrictions with Western Australia, Tasmania, Queensland, the ACT and the Northern Territory closing their borders, but hope is finally here. Before you travel within Australia or from New Zealand It is important you find out about the restrictions and conditions for the place you are travelling to. You should do this before booking or leaving your home. The Australian aviation industry has developed Domestic Passenger Journey Protocols. These protocols provide clear and consistent guidance to reduce the risk of COVID-19 in domestic airports and on aircraft. Mandatory quarantine applies to travellers entering Australia from overseas, except if arriving from a green zone country (New Zealand). Read more about international travel restrictions and quarantine exemptions for travellers arriving in Australia. State of Australian borders Western Australia Travellers from NSW, VIC, NT, QLD, ACT, and TAS can enter without quarantine having completed a G2G PASS declaration (find more info below). The border was closed to SA until December 11 (yesterday), when it moved to “low risk” status. Travellers will then be able to enter with some controls, including quarantine (https://www.wa.gov.au/organisation/covid-communications/covid-19-coronavirus-controlled-interstate-border). Travellers from ACT, NT, QLD, TAS, NSW and VIC will not be required to quarantine while those from SA will need to self-quarantine for 14 days in a “suitable premise”. “When the risk from SA is considered ‘very low’ by the chief health officer or when they have not had community cases of COVID-19 in the past 28 days, easing of the restrictions on these states will be considered,” the WA government has stated. G2G NOW If you are entering WA and required to self-quarantine, you can download the G2G NOW app which enables WA Police to conduct quarantine compliance checks using facial recognition and mobile location data. Police can send remote check-in requests through the app. Police will conduct in-person visits for people who do not download and use the G2G NOW app. Find out more about G2G NOW. Northern Territory The border is open to all Australian states and territories as there are no COVID hotspot declarations in place. All travellers must complete a border entry form. You will have to quarantine if you have been in a declared COVID-19 hotspot in the 14 days before you arrive in the Territory. NT Border Entry Application You must fill in this application if you are travelling to the NT from another location within Australia or overseas. Anyone seeking to enter the NT must declare: if they have been in a COVID-19 hotspot where they have been in the last 28 days their personal contact details Complete this application no more than 7 days prior to arriving in the Northern Territory. You should be aware of the Chief Health Officer directions regarding entry to the Northern Territory. This application will take around 5 mins to complete: https://forms.nt.gov.au/Produce/Form/COVID19/Northern%20Territory%20Border%20Entry%20Application/. South Australia SA is open to travellers from all other states and territories, having completed a Cross Border Travel Registration. Some states have imposed restrictions on travellers from SA. Cross Border Travel Registration https://forms.police.sa.gov.au/Runtime/Runtime/Form/CrossBorderTravel Queensland Queensland borders are open to all of Australia and the New Zealand safe travel zone. You do not need a border pass to enter Queensland. Arriving from overseas? If you are arriving from overseas, please visit the Australian Government's Department of Home Affairs website. New South Wales The border is open to all Australian states and territories and New Zealand, but anyone who has been in SA in the previous 14 days must complete an entry declaration form. Some specific locations in SA are deemed “areas of concern” for particular time frames, and travel will be restricted for non-NSW residents. Complete a NSW entry declaration form https://apply.service.nsw.gov.au/nsw-entry-declaration You can do this: within the 24 hour period before entering NSW, or when you enter NSW. You'll need to complete an entry declaration form each time you enter NSW, but not more than one per calendar day. Keep a copy of your declaration with you at all times while you're travelling as you'll need to produce it if requested by an enforcement officer. You also need to carry any supporting evidence associated with your travel, at all times. ACT The border is open to all states and territories, including South Australia. However, if you have been in a geographical area of risk you are not able to visit or work in high-risk settings (like aged care and health care facilities) for 14 days after leaving the designated area. Please visit the Chief Health Officers alerts page for more information. Victoria Everyone who arrives in Victoria from South Australia requires a Victorian Border Crossing Permit, which is issued based on locations visited in SA. Victoria is open to travellers from other states, including New Zealand. Victorian Border Crossing Permit Information for people travelling to Victoria from South Australia: https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/south-australian-border-permit. You can apply for a permit at the Services Victoria website. Tasmania Travellers from low-risk areas – VIC, NSW, QLD, ACT, WA, NT and NZ – can register with Tas e-Travel and need not quarantine. SA is generally classified as low risk, but specific locations may be deemed high risk, restricting travel. Current travel alerts are listed on the Tasmanian Government website: https://www.coronavirus.tas.gov.au/travellers-and-visitors. Register your travel Travellers to Tasmania, including returning residents, need to provide their contact and travel details before entering the state, to help manage the risk of COVID-19 at Tasmania’s borders. Register through the Tas e-Travel system, no more than three (3) days before arriving. Further information You can read the full news article here on News.com.au: https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/health-safety/australia-borders-reopening-can-i-travel-to-another-state-all-the-latest-rules-and-forms-to-fill/news-story/80263a7a6fc942a364cddb3f77fe078f. You can find more information on the Australian Government Department of Health website, including remote area access: https://www.health.gov.au/news/health-alerts/novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov-health-alert/coronavirus-covid-19-restrictions/coronavirus-covid-19-domestic-travel-restrictions-and-remote-area-access. Can I help you find something else? I’ve created a helpful little questionnaire to point you in the right direction. It takes less than 30 seconds, so give it a go!