Covid-19 and the Trans-Tasman Bubble

Yes, the Australian borders are open! You still need to be vaccinated to enter Australia.

From 21 February 2022 Australia is open for quarantine-free travel

From 21 February 2022, all visa holders who are fully vaccinated for international travel purposes can travel to Australia without a travel exemption. Unvaccinated visa holders will still need to be in an exempt category or hold an individual travel exemption to enter Australia..
Source: https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/travel-restrictions.

Travel to New Zealand
The New Zealand borders are open.
You do not need proof of a negative COVID-19 test to enter New Zealand.
Most travellers need to be vaccinated and take 2 rapid antigen tests (RATs) after arriving in New Zealand.
If you transit through New Zealand, you no longer need to be vaccinated or complete the New Zealand Traveller Declaration.
Source: https://covid19.govt.nz/international-travel/travel-to-new-zealand/.

• Traveling to Australia
• Preparing to travel to Australia from overseas
• Find a RAT (Rapid Antigen Tests)
• Check current border status for NZ and Australia
• New Zealand safe travel zone
• Travel to NZ from Australia (as at 17 January 2022)
• Travelling to Australia advice from Air New Zealand
• Current Vaccination levels in NZ and Australia
• Updated information on Trans-Tasman Bubble  

Traveling to Australia

Australian citizens, permanent residents, New Zealand citizens usually resident in Australia, and visa holders who are fully vaccinated for international travel purposes can travel to Australia without needing to apply for a travel exemption.

If you do not meet Australia’s vaccination requirements for international travel you are not eligible to travel to Australia without a travel exemption unless you are automatically exempt.

You can only leave self-isolation once you receive a negative result from your rapid antigen test taken within 24 hours of arrival.

Travel restrictions are subject to change in response to the circumstances surrounding COVID-19. You can stay informed with the latest updates by checking the below page regularly.

If you are transiting through Australia further information can be found at Transiting Australia.

Read more: https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/travel-restrictions. 

Preparing to travel to Australia from overseas

Follow the steps below when you are preparing to travel to Australia.

Check if you are exempt from Australia’s travel restrictions

Australian citizens, permanent residents and visa holders who are fully vaccinated for international travel purposes can travel to and from Australia without needing to apply for a travel exemption.

Check if you can access reduced quarantine requirements

Your vaccination status will impact the options available for travel to Australia. If you are fully vaccinated for international travel purposes, you may be eligible for reduced quarantine requirements when coming to Australia. However, this can vary depending on quarantine arrangements in the state or territory to which you are travelling.

In general, you can only leave self-isolation once you receive a negative result from your rapid antigen test taken within 24 hours of arrival

Before you book your flight, check the quarantine and other arrangements for the state or territory to which you are travelling. Make sure that you are prepared to comply with any requirements, including by providing any required information to the relevant state or territory, and complying with post-arrival testing requirements. This also includes complying with arrangements for unvaccinated or partially vaccinated children aged 12-17 years old.

Obtain your foreign vaccination certificate

If you were vaccinated overseas and you do not have an International COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate you must obtain a certificate from the country in which you received your vaccination.

For more information see guidance on foreign vaccination certificates. Keep a hard copy or an electronic copy of your vaccination certificate. Airlines will check this when you check-in to your flight.

If you cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons you must provide acceptable proof.

Complete a Digital Passenger Declaration within 72 hours before your flight

All passengers arriving by air into Australia should complete the Digital Passenger Declaration (DPD), unless they are flight crew.

You can start your DPD seven days before your flight and submit it within 72 hours prior to your departure for Australia. This is because you must provide your health information and declaration (vaccination status and COVID-19 test result) within 72 hours before your flight. The DPD requests details that are considered critical health information.

Undertake a pre-departure COVID-19 test

A negative COVID-19 test result is required for travelling to Australia. When you check-in to your flight you need to provide:

• evidence of a negative COVID-19 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test or other Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT) taken within 3 days of your flight’s scheduled departure, or
• a medical certificate as evidence of a negative Rapid Antigen Test taken under medical supervision within 24 hours before your flight’s scheduled departure to Australia.

You can find information about the evidence you need to provide at the Department of Health. Where you can also find information about exemptions from pre-departure testing.

If your flight is delayed, you will still be considered to have met the pre-departure testing requirements. You will not need a new test.

However, if your flight is re-scheduled or cancelled, you will need to provide evidence of a negative COVID-19 PCR or other NAAT test taken no more than 3 days before the re-scheduled flight, or a Rapid Antigen Test taken under medical supervision within 24 hours before the re-scheduled flight.

At the airport

Travellers need to be prepared to present the below documentation to your airline:

• proof that you meet Australia’s definition of fully vaccinated for international travel purposes, or proof that you cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons. For information on proof, see Vaccinated Travellers
• evidence of the negative pre-departure Covid-19 PCR test as outlined above
• evidence of an approved Commissioner’s exemption to travel to Australia (where relevant)
• evidence that you hold a visa, where not an Australian citizen (or NZ Citizen)
• the usual travel documentation including passport, immigration and customs declarations etc.
• evidence that you have provided critical health information, which includes your contact details for Australia, a declaration as to your vaccination status and travel history for the previous 14 days. This is via the Digital Passenger Declaration, submitted prior to departure as outlined above
• evidence of your approved modified quarantine arrangements (where relevant)

Read more on the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs website.

What you need to do once you arrive in Australia

You will need to check that the below is correct for the state or territory you are travelling to, but for most destinations you will need to follow the below steps.

Check current border status for NZ and Australia

With the constantly changing states of both the New Zealand and Australia borders you need to make sure you are eligible to travel before you book everything in.

Here are the links to check if you are wanting to travel between Australia and New Zealand:

• Travel restrictions and exemptions to Australia (Australia Government) – https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/travel-restrictions
• Travel with Australia (NZ Government) – https://covid19.govt.nz/travel/international-travel-and-transit/quarantine-free-travel/travel-with-australia/
• International travel and COVID-19 (Department of Health) – https://www.health.gov.au/health-alerts/covid-19/international-travel
• State and Territory Information – https://www.australia.gov.au/states
  • Travel into New South Wales – https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/travel-restrictions
  • Travel into Queensland – https://www.qld.gov.au/health/conditions/health-alerts/coronavirus-covid-19/current-status/public-health-directions/travelling-to-queensland/entering-queensland-from-overseas
  • Travel into South Australia – https://www.covid-19.sa.gov.au/travel/international-travel
  • Travel into Tasmania – https://www.coronavirus.tas.gov.au/travellers-and-visitors/coming-to-tasmania
  • Travel into Victoria – https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/information-overseas-travellers
  • Travel into Western Australia – https://www.wa.gov.au/government/covid-19-coronavirus/covid-19-coronavirus-travel-wa 

New Zealand safe travel zone

One-way quarantine-free travel is available to New Zealand passport holders and eligible travellers from New Zealand travelling to participating Australian states and territories.

To be eligible, you must meet the requirements for Travelling from New Zealand to Australia quarantine-free.

If you meet the eligibility requirements you do not need to apply for a travel exemption.

You must meet all other entry requirements for Australia, including immigration, customs and biosecurity clearance.

Quarantine arrangements are managed by individual states and territories. All travellers are advised to check the arrangements in both their place of arrival and final destination before they travel.

To find out about quarantine arrangements check State and Territory Information for travellers.

Further travel advice is available at Smartraveller.

For more information, see the Australian Government’s Department of Health: Coronavirus (COVID-19) advice for international travellers

Note: Any change in the COVID-19 situation in Australia and New Zealand could lead to pausing or suspending quarantine-free travel arrangements without notice. You are responsible for managing any disruption to your travel plans, including if your return to Australia is delayed.

Travelling from New Zealand to Australia quarantine-free

You can participate in quarantine-free travel from New Zealand to Australia if you meet the eligibility requirements.

To be eligible, you must:

• be fully vaccinated with a completed dosage of a vaccine approved or recognised by Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA)
  • children under 12 and people who are medically exempt from COVID-19 vaccination can access the same arrangements as fully vaccinated travellers
  • arrangements are also in place to allow unvaccinated or partially vaccinated children aged 12-17 years to travel with a fully-vaccinated adult. Travellers should check the specific requirements with the state or territory to which they are travelling
• present a negative Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test taken within 3 days of the departing flight to Australia (unless a medical exemption applies)
• provide a declaration that you have spent at least 14 days before travel in either Australia or New Zealand if you are not an Australian or New Zealand passport holder, or an eligible visa holder.

You must also meet the health, immigration and other standard border clearance requirements in each country.

States and territories are responsible for determining and managing quarantine arrangements. Before you travel, check quarantine arrangements with the relevant state or territory.

You do not need to be a New Zealand citizen to travel to Australia from New Zealand quarantine-free if you meet the above criteria, but you will need a valid visa to enter Australia. New Zealand citizens do not need to apply for a visa before coming to Australia. If eligible, they will be granted a Special Category visa (subclass 444) (SCV) on arrival.

Before you travel to Australia, you should complete the Australia Travel Declaration (ATD) at least 72 hours before departure. The ATD collects your contact details in Australia, flight details, quarantine requirements and your health status.

This information helps the Australian Government determine your quarantine arrangements (if required) and allows the relevant health departments to contact you if someone you travelled with tests positive for COVID-19.

Penalties will apply for giving false and misleading information, including potential criminal prosecution for providing false or misleading information. This is set out in s137.1 of the Criminal Code Act 1995.

Travel exemption requirements

You will only need to apply for a travel exemption before you travel to Australia if:

• you are not an Australian or New Zealand passport holder; and
• you have been in Australia or New Zealand for less than 14 days before your planned departure (including travellers who are transiting New Zealand)
• or you intend to travel to Australia by sea.

COVID-19 outbreak locations

A list of New Zealand’s COVID-19 outbreak locations are available at Ministry of Health NZ. If you have been to any of these locations during the times specified, you will need to identify this on your Australia Travel Declaration (ATD).

Arrival in Australia

If you arrive in Australia on a quarantine-free flight, you may be guided through a separate pathway for quarantine-free travellers. These arrangements are determined by the state/territory in which you arrive.

For further information for travellers arriving on quarantine-free flights is available at Department of Health.

Source: https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/new-zealand. 

Travel to NZ from Australia (as at 7 January 2022, still current at 17 January 2022):

• For the latest information on quarantine-free travel between Australia and New Zealand, see our New Zealand Travel Zone page and New Zealand’s Travel With Australia page. Check the latest requirements before you book your travel.
• Managed Isolation and Quarantine (MIQ) has been extended from 7 to 10 days. See NZ COVID-19 for information about MIQ and whether you’ll need to contribute to the cost of your stay.
• Most travellers will need a negative COVID-19 (PCR or RT-PCR) test taken within 48 hours of the scheduled departure of their first international flight (previously 72 hours). Other types of COVID-19 test will no longer meet requirements for entering New Zealand. If travelling from some jurisdictions, including Australia, you can provide results from a supervised negative rapid antigen test (RAT), or a supervised loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) test, taken within 24 hours of your departure. See the NZ COVID-19 website.
• If you’re not a New Zealand citizen, you need to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to enter or transit New Zealand. You’ll need proof of vaccination with your last dose of an approved vaccine at least 14 days before you travel. See NZ COVID-19 for details.
• To be recognised as fully vaccinated in New Zealand and get a My Vaccine Pass, apply to have all your overseas vaccinations added to New Zealand’s COVID Immunisation Register (CIR). This process takes up to 10 working days. Once your overseas vaccinations have been processed, and you’ve received any additional doses you may need, will you be able to request a My Vaccine Pass.
• Be prepared for the possibility of an extended stay or disruption to your travel if authorities implement measures in response to COVID-19 outbreaks.
• Travel into New Zealand from some countries is restricted. Additional measures apply if you meet the conditions to be permitted to enter New Zealand from a country considered very high risk.
• If you’re transiting a country for more than 96 hours that is not on New Zealand’s exempt list, you’ll need to be tested before leaving that country. If you arrive without evidence of a negative COVID-19 test or medical certificate you may incur an infringement offence fee or a fine of up to NZD1,000 (except those arriving from an exempt country).

Source: https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/pacific/new-zealand.

You can see if you are eligible to enter Australia on the Australia Government Department of Home Affairs website: https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/coming-australia.   

Travelling to Australia advice from Air New Zealand (17 January 2022)

International travel has changed. There are extra steps to take before you fly to your destination and before your return journey. You can get prepared and find the updated requirements for your trip here: https://www.airnewzealand.co.nz/covid19-international-travel.

Soruce: https://www.airnewzealand.co.nz/covid19-international-travel.  

Updated information on the Trans-Tasman Bubble

I will continue to search Australia and New Zealand news websites and keep the information on this page up to date.

As soon as there are an major announcements on when the Trans-Tasman Bubble will happen I will email the newsletter database, so make sure you subscribe to our monthly newsletter (right side or bottom of screen).