Here’s some good news for you and your family! International travellers keen to travel to Australia will no longer be required to declare their Covid-19 vaccination status. According to Health Minister Mark Butler, this recent change to the Biosecurity Act will take in place from 12.01am on Wednesday, July 6, based on advice from Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly.
On the change, Mr. Butler has made the following statement.
‘The Australian government makes decisions on COVID-related issues after considering the latest medical advice, and unvaccinated Australians, as well as certain groups of visa holders, have been able to travel to Australia for some time. We will continue to act on the medical advice as needed.’
However, Covid-19 prerequisites such as wearing facemasks on inbound international flights, and state-based mandates on masks will remain in place for all travellers. However, due to recent negative feedback, Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil confirmed that travellers will revert to using paper-based incoming passenger cards over the newly introduced digital passenger declaration app, in an effort to make the arrival process more user-friendly for passengers.
Australia had shut its boarders due to the Covid-19 pandemic from March 2020 until November 2021, only allowing citizens and permanent residents to return home. In February the following year, the border restrictions were further eased to allow international students as well as certain visa holders (including those with a tourist visa) to enter the country.
Despite this, inbound travellers were required to possess a double vaccination certificate to pass through Australian border control under the Biosecurity Act until now.
In addition, Mr. Butler stated that there has been no advice given to Australia’s health ministers to re-instate mask mandates to deal with rising Covid-19 cases, instead it is encouraged for all Australians to get their booster shots if not already acquired.
International travellers left waiting for years to be able to enter Australia will be overjoyed with this recent development, allowing them to travel to their hearts content for years to come.
Thus, it’s high time to travel back to Australia and book your flights now or contact us on 1300 359 463. We’re here for you 24/7, every step of the way!
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