New Zealanders living in Australia are able to access payments from the Australia Government. If you were employed on the 1st of March 2020, you will need to talk to your employer regarding the below, as it is them who need to apply on your behalf.
Find information on the Australian JobKeeper payment, Employees Eligible for JobSeeker, Employers Eligible for JobSeeker, the payment process, payment timing, how to apply, the Australia Government Coronavirus information and support website for businesses and information from the NZ Hearld Article in this post: https://www.movingtoaustralia.co.nz/covid-19-help-for-new-zealanders-living-in-australia/.
News from 6 April 2021:
All you need to know about the Trans-Tasman travel bubble
New Zealanders and Australians can start crossing the Tasman in droves again after Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced quarantine-free travel will begin from 19 April between the countries.
So whether you are chasing a holiday under the Australian sun or visiting loved ones, here’s what you need to know when planning a trip across the ditch.
When can you leave?
New Zealanders can not only book flights right now but also take off as New Zealanders are already able to travel to Australia without having to quarantine on arrival.
Air New Zealand, Jetstar and Qantas, meanwhile, are planning to ramp up flights from NZ to Australia once the two-way bubble opens (19 April).
Air New Zealand expects to fly between three and five flights per day from Auckland to Sydney after 19 April. Currently it has three flights leaving to Sydney on 19 April, with the cheapest costing $283. It then has two flights per day leaving on 20 and 21 April, four flights leaving on Thursday, 22 April and five on Friday, 23 April.
It also plans to offer one-to-three flights per day from Auckland to Melbourne and one-to-two per day to Brisbane.
Aucklanders will also be able to fly to the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Cairns, Adelaide and Hobart, with plans to include flights to Perth. Air NZ will also offer direct flights from Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown to Australia.
Qantas and Jetstar plan to operate up to 122 return flights per week after 19 April.
That includes two new routes into Queensland, Auckland to Cairns and the Gold Coast, a move that will provide competition to Air New Zealand.
The 122 return flights per week will initially fly 15 routes and offer more than 52,000 seats each week.
Where in Australia can I go?
New Zealanders can enter every Australian state and territory without quarantining including Western Australia. However this does change regularly for short periods so it’s important to check:
That means New Zealanders can plan holidays in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, the Australian Capital Territory, the Northern Territory, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania.
Who will travel?
Families separated by border closures will be the big winners, while New Zealand tourism operators hope visiting Australians will boost their businesses.
Do I need a Covid-19 test to travel?
No, but if you’ve tested positive for Covid in the last 14 days or you are still waiting for a test result to come back, you won’t be allowed to travel.
If there is an outbreak while you are in Australia, you might also need a Covid test to be able to return to NZ.
Will I have to get the vaccine?
No, you will be able to catch your flight without a vaccine.
Keep an eye on individual state restrictions
Individual Australian states and territories may have different entry requirements and you should read up on what these are before you travel (https://www.interstatequarantine.org.au/state-and-territory-border-closures/).
What should I expect at the airport?
Australian and New Zealand airports will be set up to ensure travellers between the two countries do not mix with those returning from other countries. That means you’ll be taken through so-called green zones with Auckland Airport’s international terminal split into two parts.
Travellers will also have to declare that they’ve only been in either NZ or Australia for at least the last 14 days and could be subjected to random temperature checks.
Expect to wear a mask
Yes, masks will be compulsory on all flights crossing the Tasman.
Will I need to quarantine?
The transtasman bubble is designed to allow Kiwis and Aussies to travel quarantine-free between the two countries.
But the exception to that could be if an outbreak occurs in Australia or New Zealand while you are visiting. You may then have to enter a managed isolation facility on your return to NZ or Australia.
How will the Government manage the risk?
The Government has set up a green, orange and red traffic light system to deal with Covid-19 outbreaks in Australia.
You should be able to continue travelling quarantine free if a Covid case occurs where authorities think there is a low risk of further transmission, such as if it is a border worker who tests positive. But if there is a Covid case from an unknown source and that Australian state goes into a short lockdown then flights to New Zealand could be paused for up to 72 hours. Multiple cases from an unknown source could lead to flights to New Zealand being suspended for a longer period.
If you are stranded by the suspension of flights, you will be on your own with the Government not planning to provide any accommodation. This means you should plan to have extra money and emergency contingency options in place.
You should also be prepared in case you need to stay in a managed isolation facility if you are returning from an Australian state that has been in lockdown.
Read article here: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/transtasman-travel-bubble-all-you-need-to-know/TE4JFI3OTXOY4IVJ5XXOINQQ54/.
News from 20 October 2020:
New Zealanders plans to move to Australia have been put on hold due to Covid-19
I’ve personally heard from a lot people who have had to deal with cancelled flights, furniture moved to Australia without the owners, money transferred over and then refunded and a lot of missed family events.
Finally we have good news… the New South Wales and the Northern Territory’s borders have opened to New Zealanders from October 16 2020, provided they have not been in an area designated as a COVID-19 hotspot in New Zealand in the preceding 14 days. This means New Zealanders can finally make the move they have been planning, without having to quarantine upon arrival.
This doesn’t help those who want to move to Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania, but it does give us hope that it won’t be too long before New Zealanders can move there too.
However, a few New Zealanders put the Tram-Tasman Bubble at risk by and have angered Australian’s.
There were a number of New Zealanders who used the NSW open border to their advantage and after flying into NSW they boarded domestic flights into other states.
About 23 Kiwi travellers slipped into Western Australia despite the state having a hard border with overseas arrivals.
In Victoria, the state which has battled Australia’s worst Covid-19 outbreak, 65 New Zealanders entered the Garden State without the State Government’s knowledge, and another five into South Australia.
Let’s hope it doesn’t hinder other borders opening, so those who want to move can.
Read article here: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/covid-19-coronavirus-australian-travel-bubble-in-doubt-as-anger-rises-over-kiwi-travellers/NIL7ZW2F2WICISGGSRQUBXNV2A/.
News from 15 October 2020:
Start of quarantine free travel between NZ and Australia
From the 16th of October New Zealanders will be able to travel to New South Wales and the Northern Territory in Australia without having to quarantine upon arrival. Provided they have not been in a designated Covid-19 hotspot in the 14 days before they fly out. A hotspot is defined as a place with a rolling three-day average of three cases a day.
On return you would have to complete 14 days of managed isolation in New Zealand and pay the $3100 quarantine fee.
These passengers must travel to Australia on a “quarantine-free flight”, which only carries those who meet the requirements.
You do not need to be a New Zealand citizen to travel to Australia 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.
The arrangement is currently limited to travel to New South Wales and the Northern Territory, but other states and territories may be added at a later date.
Before travelling to Australia, passengers must print and compete a Covid-19 declaration form and present it at check-in at the airport: https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/covid-19/Documents/covid-19-declaration-form.pdf.
If passengers don’t present this form, they may not be able to board their flight.
On arrival in Australia, there will be green and red zones at the airport to separate passengers arriving on “quarantine-free” flights and those who must complete 14 days of mandatory quarantine.
If you travel on a quarantine-free flight, you will be guided through the green zone to complete all border clearance processes in the airport of arrival in Australia.
Air New Zealand chief executive officer Greg Foran said in a statement the airline has introduced “quarantine” and “quarantine-free” flights to Australia in line with the safe travel zone requirements.
The quarantine-free flights will be for travellers originating from New Zealand who are flying from Auckland to Sydney and are not required to quarantine on arrival in Australia.
Quarantine flights will be open to passengers who do not meet the safe travel zone criteria and will be required to quarantine on arrival in Australia.
Air New Zealand is currently operating eight return flights between Auckland and Sydney per week and would look to operate two quarantine flights per week, while the remaining flights will be quarantine-free.
Between October 16 and 24, the airline would operate three quarantine flights – on October 17, 22 and 24 – and all other flights would be quarantine-free. On October 22, the airline would operate both a quarantine-free and a quarantine flight.
The airline said it was working through flights from October 25.
Passengers planning to travel interstate beyond New South Wales would need to ensure they have checked state and territory travel restrictions and have the appropriate exemptions and approvals to travel.
Customers would not be able to book onwards domestic flights via Air New Zealand due to Australian state restrictions.
The safe travel zone is currently only one-way, with passengers returning to New Zealand from Australia still having to complete 14 days of managed isolation on their return.
Australians are still not allowed to travel to New Zealand.
Officials from New Zealand and Australia are continuing to discuss all aspects of two-way trans-Tasman travel, which New Zealand remains committed to introducing as soon as it is safe.
The limited Trans-Tasman bubble will generally only benefit New Zealanders wanting to travel to Australia for emergencies and major events, along with those Australia-based Kiwis who have been in NZ during the pandemic and want to return home to Australia.
The extremely limited cap on flights and the exemption process for non-Australian citizens has made it difficult to get customers across the ditch until now.
Read more:
News from 2 September 2020:
Auckland and Melbourne outbreaks have set back Trans-Tasman travel bubble
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters says the “disaster” Covid-19 outbreaks in Melbourne and Auckland have set back plans for the Trans-Tasman travel bubble.
Scott Morrison, Australian Prime Minister, said he was still keen to establish travel arrangements with neighbouring countries and he hoped they could be in place by Christmas one media outlet reported.
But Peters today wasn’t so sure, though he wouldn’t be drawn on whether Christmas was too optimistic.
Peters said “We’ve been set back so hard. We had the Melbourne disaster and then we had our own disaster. If we can fix it up in the way that we’ve got confidence in the Australian system and they’ve got confidence in ours, then yeah we can do that.”
Peters said the travel bubble depended on both countries having tight borders.
“The protocols could be put in place in two days flat, quite frankly, but what you need to have ensured is the maritime and aviation surveillance in both countries is good enough to assure us that we’ve got a safe bubble.”
Peters said a team in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was still working on the arrangements and he continued to think it was a “great idea”.
Read the full NZ Hearld article here: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12361510.
News from 24 August 2020:
New Zealand top of Australian travel wish list, but expect delays
As the global aviation sector battles to claw back its lost billions amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Australians dreaming of a jaunt abroad could be dusting off their passports within the year.
Alan Joyce, Qantas CEO, gave his insights into when we will be heading overseas again. Earlier this week during a trading post in which the airline announced they’d made a $2 billion loss for FY20, Mr Joyce gave a rather optimistic forecast on overseas travel.
Mr Joyce predicts international travel to return by mid-2021, after the Federal Government put a ban on overseas travel in March.
But a small detail in his address points to a sign that longer overseas routes that require larger aircraft, such as A380s and the like, could be a lot further away, shedding some light on where Australians will be able to travel to first.
Read the full article here: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/news/article.cfm?c_id=7&objectid=12358898.
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).
Deon
August 5, 2021 at 11:37 pmHi there,
My fiancé and I have been discussing moving to Australia for around 2 years, COVID made us abandon the thoughts temporarily, I’m now starting to do a little research hence finding your site.
I’m a signwriter and play baseball and my fiancé is a teacher and plays softball we both love the Gold Coast area particularly around Robina/surfers/Burleigh heads is where we have been looking at houses and such. A question we had is when we swap KiwiSaver to the Australian super do we have the ability to use that for a house deposit?
Likelyhood would be planning a move over the next 12-24 months, is there a particular way you recommend planning?
Regards,
Deon
JJ Smith
August 15, 2021 at 11:40 pmHi Deon,
Thanks for your comment. Lovely area you’re looking at moving to.
You are able to use your KiwiSaver as a deposit for a home in Australia. You must have been in KiwiSaver for at least 3 years before you withdraw funds for your first home. You must leave $1,000 in your account. You will need to provide all of the necessary documents (for example, sale and purchase agreement) and ensure your solicitor is New Zealand licensed. You need to get in touch with your KiwiSaver provider as early as possible to discuss their requirements.
You can withdraw from your KiwiSaver: your contributions, your employer’s contributions, the government contribution, interest you have earned and fee subsidies (if you got these). Funds transferred from an Australian Complying Superannuation scheme cannot be withdrawn.
Unfortunately I cannot give you any further advice regarding using your Kiwisaver as a deposit on a house in Australia.
Here is a link to my post Buying a house in Australia: https://www.movingtoaustralia.co.nz/buying-a-house-in-australia/.
Here is my moving to Australia process post: https://www.movingtoaustralia.co.nz/moving-to-australia-process/.
Please feel free to email me back any further questions you have.
Good luck with your move.
Chloe
July 30, 2021 at 2:39 amhi there,
i have checked the Australian government site but it hasnt been updated recently, i dont suppose you know if new Zealanders are still allowed to enter perth without quarantine in the current conditions. we were hoping to book our tickets this week for late September as we are planning on moving to perth.
kind regards
chloe
JJ Smith
July 30, 2021 at 2:40 amHi Chloe,
Thank you for your comment.
New Zealand is part of WA’s controlled border arrangement (https://www.wa.gov.au/organisation/covid-communications/covid-19-coronavirus-controlled-border). Visit the Travelling to WA from New Zealand page for information about how this works (info is from 19 April): https://www.wa.gov.au/organisation/covid-communications/covid-19-coronavirus-travelling-western-australia-new-zealand.
When travelling into WA, ensure you have a face mask, as they are mandatory on aircraft and at airports in WA unless you are under 12 or approved.
You must complete a mandatory G2G PASS registration and declaration prior to travel. You need to scan your G2G PASS to exit Perth Airport, following a health screening: https://www.g2gpass.com.au/apply.
Source: https://www.wa.gov.au/organisation/department-of-the-premier-and-cabinet/covid-19-coronavirus-travel-wa#fromos (updated 20 July 2021)
The below should fill in any gaps from the above: travelling to Australia advise from Air New Zealand – https://www.airnewzealand.co.nz/covid19-international-travel.
Therefore it looks like you can book and travel to Perth Australia quarantine free. However, I advise you call Air NZ to book, as they will be able to confirm the above. You can currently buy flights to Perth on Webjet, but I still recommend calling Air NZ.
Please feel free to email me back any further questions you have.
Good luck with your move.
Thanks
Vagisha
October 14, 2020 at 9:33 amHi,
I have been planning to move to Australia, Queensland, Brisbane as my whole family lives there, and i am finishing my studies in NewZealand and planning to move to Brisbane by the end of year. I am asking related to Trans-Tasman Bubble. Do we need to quarantine at a facility or self quarantine at home for 14 days related to Queensland border. If so what is documentation need before flying out from New Zealand?
Carmen
September 8, 2020 at 1:53 amHi I would like to move to Perth, and am in contact with someone who is keen to employ me from summer (so that’s the end of the year). I will basically just sell up what I have here and move (no furniture, etc.). How do I go about moving to Australia for a new job if the covid travel restrictions are still active?
JJ Smith
October 13, 2020 at 11:24 pmHi Carmen,
Thank you for your comment and sorry for the delay in replying.
Unfortunately Western Australia has a ‘hard border’ restriction in place, which will not lift it until phase 6 of the COVID-19 WA roadmap, they are currently at phase 4: https://www.wa.gov.au/organisation/department-of-the-premier-and-cabinet/covid-19-coronavirus-wa-roadmap.
A tentative date for the removal of WA’s hard border was planned to be included as part of Phase 6, however, this was put on hold due to the rapidly evolving situation in Victoria.
When an indicative date is set in the future, it will be contingent on locally acquired infection rates in the eastern states.
The WA hard border will only be removed when the WA Chief Health Officer is confident the spread of infection is controlled in the eastern states.
The best place to find out when WA’s borders will reopen is the above site.
I will also be keeping my newsletter subscribers up to date with any major changes in travel between NZ and Australia.
Sorry I could not be of more help.
Shawna
June 15, 2020 at 10:43 pmHi there
I wanted your assistance with information regarding moving from Auckland to Sydney, hopefully by end of July, with a dog (whippet staffy cross) and probably about a half container worth of belongings.
What am I able to do during this Covid time?
Many thanks
I’m very stupid when it comes to this so any help would be great
I have accomodation lined up already
Shawna
JJ Smith
June 17, 2020 at 1:08 amHi Shawna,
Thank you for your comment.
Currently Australia’s borders are closed. Only Australian citizens, residents and immediate family members can travel to Australia.
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.
If you are eligible you may need to undergo enhanced health screening on arrival in Australia and then all arrivals will be quarantined for 14 days and state and territory travel restrictions may also apply.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) information for international travellers: https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-information-for-international-travellers.
Hope the above helps. Please feel free to email me back any further questions you have.
Karen
June 3, 2020 at 9:24 amAny news on when we might see the trans tasman bubble happen?
JJ Smith
June 3, 2020 at 9:25 pmHi Karen,
Thanks for your comment.
I’ve heard September from one source and July from another. We won’t know until the Government makes the announcement.
As soon as it is confirmed I will email the newsletter database.
Thanks
John
May 22, 2020 at 5:59 pmWe sold our home in Auckland and were cashed up ready to go on 26th April 2020…then COVID stopped everything. We are ready to fly when trans Tasman bubble allows flights to Queensland.
Question… can you throw any light on the recent RBA meeting / announcement re the $50,000 offer to new immigrants to buy / build new homes, to assist the building industry get going again.
JJ Smith
May 25, 2020 at 2:22 amHi John,
Thank you for your email.
Unfortunately I have heard from a few people in the same boat as you. Let’s hope the Trans-Tasman bubble opens sooner than later.
I’ve read up on the proposed ‘New home boost’, $50k to home builders. At this stage is still under discussion – https://www.news.com.au/finance/economy/australian-economy/plan-to-give-new-homebuyers-50000-to-kickstart-economy/news-story/d310cada98c23f314f9b44e5a7391ea3.
However, you would still be able to apply for a First Home Owners Grant (FHOG) if you brought a new home – https://www.movingtoaustralia.co.nz/are-new-zealand-citizens-eligible-for-australias-first-home-owners-grant/.
Make sure you register with either XE or OFX to transfer your money to Australia, as they will save hundreds to thousands with rates that the banks will never match – https://www.movingtoaustralia.co.nz/foreign-exchange-money-transfer/.
Please feel free to email me back any further questions you have.
Good luck with your move, when you can move.
Marcel
May 22, 2020 at 2:50 amHow can this happens so quickly when some states like WA and SA are still not opening their interstate borders?
JJ Smith
May 22, 2020 at 3:52 amHi Marcel,
Thanks for your comment.
We still don’t know when the Trans-Tasman bubble will happen. It’s more the that they are getting ready for it.
Thanks
Marcel
May 25, 2020 at 12:59 amHi JJ,
Thanks for your quick response. I am hoping for this T-T bubble to happen soonest and get on the plane : – )
Will keep looking out for the latest update.
Stay safe and well,
Marcel