Australia continues to take further steps to safely reopen to the world, with additional changes to our international border arrangements coming into effect on 1 December

Consistent with the National Plan to safely reopen Australia, these changes will ensure we continue to protect the health of Australians, while reuniting families and securing our economic recovery by opening our border to skilled and student visa holders.

From 1 December 2021, fully vaccinated eligible visa holders can come to Australia without needing to apply for a travel exemption.

Eligible visa holders include skilled and student cohorts, as well as humanitarian, working holiday maker and provisional family visa holders.

Under these recently announced arrangements, travellers must:

Be fully vaccinated with a completed dosage of a vaccine approved or recognised by Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA)

Hold a valid visa for one of the eligible visa subclasses

Provide proof of their vaccination status

Present a negative COVID-19 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test taken within three days of departure.

Travellers to Australia must comply with the quarantine requirements in the state or territory of their arrival, as well as comply with any other state or territory to which they plan to travel.

The return of skilled workers and international students to Australia will further cement our economic recovery, providing the valuable workers our economy needs and supporting our important education sector.  

From 1 December 2021, Australia will also welcome back fully vaccinated citizens from Japan and the Republic of Korea

Under these arrangements, citizens of Japan and the Republic of Korea who hold a valid Australian visa will be able to travel from their home country quarantine-free to participating states and territories, without needing to seek a travel exemption.

Under these arrangements, travellers must:

Depart from their home country

Be fully vaccinated with a completed dosage of a vaccine approved or recognised by the TGA

Hold a valid Australian visa

Provide proof of their vaccination status

Present a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken within three days of departure.

“Today’s announcement follows earlier changes which have seen us welcome home fully vaccinated Australians, permanent residents and their immediate family members since 1 November, and follows the commencement of the Singapore safe travel zone yesterday” the government said in a statement.

The changes demonstrate the success of Australia’s National Plan, as the Government continues to get Australia back to normal and reopen to the world safely.