International arrivals to Australia must now declare Covid vaccination

The new Australia Travel Declaration form shows how post-pandemic travel is taking shape.

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Travellers entering Australia from overseas will now find a set of Covid-related questions on the Australia Travel Declaration form.

The online questionnaire, which should be completed at least 72 hours before departure to Australia, is another sign of how the 'new normal' of post-pandemic travel will look, along with vaccination passport apps and pre-departure or on-arrival Covid tests.

As arrivals to Australia remain under strict limits and conditions to prevent the further spread of Covid-19, including worrying new variants, the Australia Travel Declaration currently outlines the need for travellers to undergo a Covid-19 test before boarding their flight.

Additional questions include details of any previous Covid-19 diagnoses and, for those who have already been vaccinated, the brand used and the dates of your jabs – although proof of vaccination is also required.

At a later date, this could be used to determine if a passenger arriving from a low-risk country is permitted to spend seven days in home isolation rather than 14 days in hotel quarantine.

The federal government plans to trial home isolation for fully-vaccinated Australians returning to the country in the second half of this year.

The Home Affairs Department advises that after completing the Australia Travel Declaration, "you will receive an email confirmation with details you can show (either electronically or printed) before you board your flight and on arrival in Australia."

This email will include colour-coded indicators:

• a green response (with a tick) means you don't need to quarantine on arrival, "based on your declaration that you are travelling to Australia from a country in Australia’s safe travel zone"
• a blue response (with an hourglass) means you need to quarantine on arrival
• a red response (with a cross) means "your airline will decide if you can travel. If you are allowed to travel to Australia, you will need to quarantine on arrival."

David Flynn

David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.