Travelling to Australia – September 25 Update
Wow, what a whirlwind it’s been since our last update! While the UK has reopened, much of Australia has been subject to either prolonged or snap lockdowns due to a surge in Covid-19 cases. While it is a terrible and stressful situation for citizens and expats living in Australia, there may be some good news on the horizon.
Let’s look at what’s being said by the government and in the media.
The vaccine rollout
While countries such as the UK and USA rolled out their vaccination program with a sense of urgency, Australia struggled with various issues such as available supplies and negative media surrounding AstraZeneca.
After the surge in cases, we saw a massive push to get the vaccination program truly underway. At the time of publishing, the National percentage of Australians that are vully vaccinated over 16yrs old is 51.5%.
See most up-to-date vaccination stats here.
The best part about the increased vaccination rate – the government have previously stated that there will be relaxed borders for international travel for Australian citizens/permanent residents at 70%. 80% could mean a reopening of borders for temporary visa holders! Roll on the roll out!
Vaccine Passports
As we know in the UK and EU, vaccine passports have been made available to those with a double dose of the eligible vaccines.
Australia is currently weeks away from establishing their own QR code system, which will also be linked to Aussies hard copy passports.
For incoming international passengers, it’s said that this technology will determine the quarantine required upon arrival. We are hoping this means our handy QR codes from the UK & EU will work within Australia too.
Hotel Quarantine
Currently Australia requires all incoming international passengers to undergo a mandatory two-week hotel quarantine, paid for by the traveller.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced that Sydney will trial a “home quarantine” system for fully vaccinated Australian citizens and permanent residents. Authorities will be using face recognition technology and a phone app to monitor compliance.
While foreign arrivals will still be required to pay for hotel quarantine, home quarantine for returning Aussies will be a step in the right direction.
So what now?
All-in-all things seem a lot more positive regarding borders reopening, all thanks to Australian citizens and permanent residents coming together and getting the jab.
Here at anzuk we will be watching the vaccination rate like a hawk and have fingers crossed that we will see borders start to edge open by the end of 2021! Keep an eye on your inbox and our Educators Moving to Australia Facebook page for updates!
Need visa advice? Our affiliate experts on Australian visas – Visa Go Australia – can help. Complete a free visa assessment here.
