Travel Restrictions: Will It Be Possible to Travel to Australia in 2022?
- Written by The Southern Cross
Travel restrictions have been put in place due to the COVID-19, and efforts directed to avert it. Vaccination of the population has also been employed.
The Australian authorities acknowledged for the first time that it would be impossible to entirely eradicate the coronavirus. At the same time, the vaccination program for the country is in full swing.
After a sluggish start, the immunization campaign has gained momentum. The Prime Minister indicated that Australia was on course to fulfill the vaccine target of 80 percent of the people aged 16 and over, which would allow the country to begin opening up to the rest of the world.
Inbound and outbound travel to and from Australia has been banned as of March 2020. Strong travel restrictions since World War II have kept most Australians at home and most foreigners out of Australia, resulting in the lowest immigration rate in its history.
The travel restrictions in place in Australia have kept life relatively regular; nevertheless, the country's largest cities, Sydney and Melbourne, as well as the country's capital, Canberra, have all been affected by this closure.
Travel exemptions are not required for Australian citizens and permanent residents aged 12 and above who have been fully vaccinated.
If you're an Australian citizen or permanent resident, you must apply for an exemption to leave the country if you aren't considered fully vaccinated (except for children under 12 and those who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons).
Children under the age of 12 are not needed to have a vaccination certificate in order to enter or leave the country. Travelers who are not Australian citizens, residents, or members of the immediate family of an Australian citizen or resident are not allowed to enter the country.
A traveler from a country with a quarantine-free travel agreement with Australia, on the other hand, may enter the country if they have a personal exemption, i.e, visitors from countries who have received all of their vaccinations will be allowed to visit Australia without quarantine.
The Covid test must, however, be negative three days ahead to the scheduled arrival. The quarantine of arriving passengers who have not been vaccinated must still be enforced in hotels.
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During a press conference held in Canberra on Friday, October 1, 2021, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison addressed the issue of travel restrictions. Following the easing of limitations on Australian citizens, Morrison stated that skilled migrants and overseas students will be the next top priorities after tourists.
The pandemic has been devastating for Australian universities, which rely significantly on international student fees to fund their operations. The education sector is concerned that students would choose to study in other nations if Australia does not open its borders soon.
“The next priorities are professional migrants who are highly vital for the country and who are double vaccinated," Morrison added, referring to skilled migrants and overseas students returning to Australia. He did not, however, provide a timeline for when these groups will be permitted to enter.
Only a small number of persons are exempt from Australia's travel ban, and tourists are not permitted to enter the nation at this time. For a period of two weeks, those who have secured entry into the country must remain quarantined in a hotel room.
Morrison stated that his administration will work towards a solution as soon as it is safe to do so. He didn't go into any more information about the circumstances of the situation. According to the Australian Government, the vaccination rate in New South Wales is greater than in any other state, and Sydney's airport will likely be the first to reopen to tourists who have been immunized.
The reopening of Australia's borders which was meant to take place on December 1, 2021 didn’t happen as initially planned. The prime minister declared that the country would not be able to completely reopen its borders until 2022. Passport holders from all over the world will be able to visit the country once its borders are re-opened. The Australian Tourism Export Council however urges that visitors return to Australia by March, 2022.