When and Where can Australians Travel This Winter?

Around the globe, Covid-19-related travel restrictions are easing. In Australia, where a low infection rate has been recorded in comparison to countries such as the United States and the UK, protocols remain in place to prevent new spikes in cases.

The government outlines that travel restrictions, including the status of borders and quarantine measures, are up to individual states and territories to enforce. However, travel is restricted to remote communities, such as Amata and Aurukun, to help protect community elders and the vulnerable.

New South Wales – which is home to Sydney and Byron Bay – has relaxed its rules, and freedom of movement is allowed in the state. However, from 8 July, NSW set up border restrictions with Victoria, meaning only valid permit holders can enter NSW and must self-isolate for 14 days on arrival. On 22 July, NSW tightened restrictions further, invalidating previous permits and requesting those wishing to enter to reapply on the Service NSW website.

Travellers entering NSW from states and territories other than Victoria are not obliged to self-quarantine.

People who do not reside in the ACT may not enter from Victoria unless they hold an exemption, The Guardian reports.

As of 8 July, the NSW-Victoria border is closed due to a spike in Covid-19 cases in Victoria. Elsewhere, there is no limit on the distance you can travel, unless you live in Greater Melbourne. This also goes for leaving or entering the state, but Victoria residents are asked to keep themselves informed on restrictions at destinations.

No visitors are allowed to enter Western Australia unless they are granted an exemption upon application via the local government website. However, travel for residents is permitted throughout all of Western Australia, except for remote Aboriginal communities. The WA Government writes that: “Western Australians are encouraged to ‘Wander out Yonder’ and take a different kind of holiday, enjoy a staycation in Perth or travel to new places, and seek out new experiences across the State.”

Any traveller who has been in a declared Covid-19 hotspot during the past fortnight, including Victoria and the greater Sydney region, cannot enter Queensland and will be turned away at the border.

From 10 July, people visiting from WA, SA, Tasmania, the ACT, the NT and non-hotspot areas of NSW may enter Queensland if they complete a border declaration, The Guardian reports.

There are no restrictions on those travelling from Queensland to NSW, SA, the ACT or the NT.

From 7 August, visitors to Tasmania from SA, the NT and WA may enter without going into self-quarantine, but they must declare that they have not been in NSW, Victoria, Queensland or the ACT in the preceding 14 days.

Travel is permitted from Tasmania to NSW, Victoria, Queensland, SA, the NT and the ACT.

Travellers from ACT and NSW are required to self-isolate for 14 days. Visitors from Queensland, WA, the NT and Tasmania can enter SA without having to self-quarantine for 14 days.

Travel is permitted from SA to NSW, Victoria, Queensland, the NT and the ACT.

Anyone arriving in the Northern Territory from a declared hotspot in the last fortnight must undergo a two-week mandatory supervised quarantine at a cost of AUS$2,500 per person, The Guardian reports.

Travel is permitted from NT to NSW, Victoria, Queensland, SA and the ACT.

There is a blanket ban on overseas travel, except in unique circumstances. This includes diplomats, who under the Vienna Convention are granted the freedom of movement and travel.

Although Australia’s borders are closed, its citizens, residents and immediate family members can travel from the continent. On arrival, travellers will undergo a health screening before a mandatory 14-day quarantine. Territory travel restrictions may also be enforced.