From 11 August 2021, Australian citizens and permanent residents who are ordinarily resident overseas will no longer be automatically exempt from Australia’s outward travel restrictions. Instead, you must apply for a travel exemption through the Travel Exemption Portal at COVID19.homeaffairs.gov.au. If you are outside Australia and want to travel to Australia and then return to your country of residence, you can apply for an outwards exemption before you depart for Australia. You can find a list of the evidence you should use to support your travel exemption on the website from Home Affairs: Leaving Australia | COVID-19 and the border (homeaffairs.gov.au)

If you’ve been unable to return to Australia due to COVID-19 restrictions and are experiencing financial distress, you may be eligible to access financial support from the government. There are two types of interest-free loans available: Living costs: a one-off loan to cover emergency living costs until a commercial flight becomes available Flight back to Australia: a one-off loan to help cover the costs of a flight to return to Australia The loans are only available as a last resort. You’ll need to meet strict eligibility criteria. Only those in genuine need will be provided financial support. You’ll need to demonstrate that you’re planning to return to Australia as soon as flights become available. All loans must be repaid.

For more information, please visit: https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/COVID-19/covid-19-overseas-financial-assistance.

COVID-19 Updates from Smartraveller:

There are caps on the numbers of passengers coming into Australian airports from overseas. These are in place to ease pressure on state and territory quarantine facilities. These measures will remain in place until further notice. Please find more information here.

Following the decision by National Cabinet (8 January 2021) and announcement from the Prime Minister, if you’re travelling to Australia you must provide evidence of a negative COVID-19 (PCR) test to your airline when checking in for your flight at the departure point.

• This applies to all travellers five years of age or older departing on flights on or after 22 January 2021.
• You must be tested 72 hours or less prior to departure and present a negative result when checking in prior to boarding your flight.
• If you transit through a third country on your return journey to Australia, you should check on any local requirements at your transit destination and follow the advice of local authorities on social distancing and mask wearing while in transit.

Anyone who has a negative test result and enters Australia, must still complete mandatory 14-day quarantine at designated facilities in your port of arrival.

Masks must be worn on all international flights, including at airports. 

Frequently asked questions on these new measures can be found here:

FAQs for International Passengers (PDF 131.78 KB)

You can find information on interstate travel and quarantine restrictions here: