Australia to reopen its borders to vaxxed travellers from Feb. 21

Here’s the latest Australia travel update: the country will reopen its borders to vaccinated travellers from Feb. 21, 2022, announced Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Monday. This would mean tourists, business travellers and other visitors will be able to travel to Australia soon. 

In a joint media statement, Morrison, Minister for Health and Aged Care Greg Hunt, Minister for Home Affairs Karen Andrews and Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Dan Tehan said: “Australia’s health system has demonstrated its resilience throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, including through the recent Omicron wave. 

“With improving health conditions, including a recent 23% decline in hospitalisations due to COVID, the National Security Committee of Cabinet today agreed Australia is ready to further progress the staged reopening of our international border.”

Morrison’s Australia travel update notes that non-vaccinated visa holders will still require a valid travel exemption to enter Australia and will be subject to state and territory quarantine requirements.

Since the commencement of Australia’s staged international border reopening on Nov.1, 2021, the country has seen almost 580,000 arrivals come to Australia, including to reunite with loved ones, work or study. 

“The Commonwealth continues to work with states and territories on the safe resumption of the cruise industry and looks forward to further announcements on this in due course,” read the release.

For the first time in almost two years, this announcement would mean family members of international students can now travel to Australia. Source: Saeed Khan

Australia travel update: Implications for students

Morrison’s Australia travel update would allow fully vaccinated travellers to travel to Australia from anywhere in the world. This would mean family members of international students, along with prospective international students who would like to visit Australia, will be able to travel to the country soon, so long as they are vaccinated.

Accepted vaccines in Australia by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) include the Coronavac (Sinovac), Covishield (AstraZeneca – Serum Institute of India), BBIBP-CorV for people under 60 years of age on arrival in Australia (Sinopharm China), Covaxin (Bharat Biotech), and Sputnik V (Gamaleya Research Institute).  

Australia shut its borders in March 2020 to protect itself from COVID-19.