This was actually announced by Australian Federal government in late-March, but it has finally come into effect today 18 April. As of today, pre-departure testing is no longer required to enter Australia. This applies to both fully vaccinated or unvaccinated, although of course foreign visitors are only allowed entry if they are fully vaccinated per Australia’s definition or hold a medical/ individual travel exemption. This is certainly great news for anyone heading to Australia. In fact I’m heading down at the end of this week, so this couldn’t have come at a more convenient time for me.
What about arrival testing?
While the pre-departure testing requirement was set by the Federal government, arrival testing and quarantine rules are set by the individual states. This is where it gets a bit tricky, so I’ve summarised the current requirements for fully vaccinated arrivals here:
| State | Test Requirement | Remarks |
| Australian Capital Territory (ACT) | Rapid test within 24h (if not done in state/territory of arrival) | Test may be taken in state/ territory of arrival or in ACT if travelling directly to ACT. No direct international flights to ACT currently. |
| New South Wales (NSW) | Rapid test within 24h | |
| Northern Territory (NT) | Not required | |
| Queensland (QLD) | Rapid test within 24h | |
| South Australia (SA) | Rapid test on arrival (timeline not specified) | |
| Tasmania (TAS) | Not required | No direct international flights to Tasmania currently. Follow rules for state/ territory of arrival |
| Victoria (VIC) | Rapid test within 24h | |
| Western Australia (WA) | Not required |
As above, the testing requirements for states is not quite equal, with most requiring an arrival test except for NT and WA (not counting TAS which doesn’t have international flights). For states that do require testing on arrival, the best option is to pack your own kit and perform the test once you reach your accommodation. This ensures you don’t have to hunt around for a kit in pharmacies (when you’re supposed to be isolating!)
Summary
Travelling to Australia has gotten easier as of today, and I’m personally looking forward to this for my upcoming trip. Australia was my second home for many years in the first of the 2010s, and I can’t wait to be back.
It’s great to see travel requirements being relaxed, especially for a country that was closed off to visitors for so long. Hopefully we’ll see even more countries remove pre-departure testing requirements soon (I’m looking at you Singapore and USA).
Anyone else planning to head down under soon?