Alterations to Australian Border Situation

Due to the new Omicron variation of the COVID Virus the planned reopening of the Australian borders has been changed.

The intention was to re-open the border in a series of phases. The early phases, such as allowing Australian citizens back in after November the 1st, have been retained. But newer phases, such as allowing travellers from Japan and South Korean, have been delayed. Japanese and South Korean visitors were to be granted travel access from the 1st of December 2021. This has been pushed back to the 15th of December.

This delay in implementing a border policy change gives the government and medical authorities some time to understand the new Omicron COVID variant. It helps to prevent the spread of the disease if we know if the vaccine is effective, what the symptoms tend to be, and how contagious the new strain is.

At the present only fully vaccinated individuals form the following list can enter Australia.

• Australian citizens
• Permanent residents
• The immediate family of citizens and permanent residents
• Green lane travellers from New Zealand
• Green lane travellers from Singapore
• Some individual exceptions

There will be no general travel from the following African Countries: South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, Malawi and Mozambique. This includes anybody who has been in any of these countries within the last 14 days.

Australian citizens and permanent Residents travelling from these countries may enter Australia, but must be quarantined for 14 day. Anybody who was in these 8 African countries 14 days prior to these new restrictions must be isolated and COVID tested. They may be put into quarantine subject to their test.

Disclaimer: The information in this article is provided for informational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice and should not be relied upon as such. No individual should take, or refrain from taking, any action solely based on the material contained in this article. While we aim to offer accurate and timely information, we cannot guarantee its accuracy on the date of receipt or in the future. If you require more information or seek relevant legal advice specific to your circumstances, please contact our office.