COVID-19: Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to some frequently asked COVID-19 questions below.
Updated November 2021
Travelling to NSW (Sydney), Victoria (Melbourne) or the ACT (Canberra)?
There are new rules from 1 November 2021. Learn more.
Keeping updated
For up-to-date advice on entering Australia, please visit the website of the Department of Home Affairs: https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/.
We recommend Australian travellers review advice on Smartraveller. For advice specific to Germany, see the Smartraveller Germany page. We recommend you also follow us on Facebook, join our ‘Australians in Germany’ Consular Facebook group and follow us on Twitter where we will post regular updates.
Returning to Australia
Australia continues to have strictly controlled entry requirements. If you are not an Australian citizen or permanent resident, you should check to see if you are exempt from the travel restrictions: Travel restrictions | COVID-19 and the border (homeaffairs.gov.au)*
If you are travelling to NSW (Sydney), Victoria (Melbourne) or the ACT (Canberra), you may have access to reduced quarantine arrangements. Please see an update here.
You can travel to Australia if you are an Australian citizen, a permanent resident or a New Zealand citizen usually resident in Australia. You cannot currently travel to Australia unless you are in an exempt category or you have been granted an individual exemption to the current travel restrictions. Please see information on the different categories on the website of the Department of Home Affairs: https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/travel-restrictions-0
If you are currently seeking to return home and looking for further advise, we recommend visiting the Smartraveller website: COVID-19: Trying to get home | Smartraveller
Leaving Australia: Ordinarily resident outside Australia
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)
COVID-19: Overseas financial assistance
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.
International travel restrictions
Please visit the Smartraveller website for most up to date information on international travel restrictions.
If you are travelling to NSW (Sydney), Victoria (Melbourne) or the ACT (Canberra), you may have access to reduced quarantine arrangements. Please see an update here.
Other Australian states have not yet announced quarantine-free travel for fully vaccinated Australians.
You can check the specific restrictions for all States and Territories of Australia, including for restrictions when travelling nationally, here: COVID-19 Restriction Checker | healthdirect
Other FAQs
Australian citizens
Australians in Germany who are unable to return to Australia are encouraged to register their contact details with us: http://covid19.dfat.gov.au
If you wish to return to Australia you should contact your preferred airline or travel agent and make immediate arrangements to fly back to Australia by commercial means.
Unfortunately we cannot assist with the flight bookings as the availability, costs and to whom the seats will be offered remains a matter for the airlines to decide. If you are unable to secure a flight at this time, we ask that you be patient, ensure you have a safe place to stay, follow the advice of local authorities and minimise your risk of exposure to COVID-19. If you are able to secure a flight, you should be prepared for delays and disruptions to your plans and that you may have to confirm your onward travel plans with your airline.
Should you require emergency consular support, please call us on +49 30 88 00 88 0 or contact our 24/7 Consular Emergency Centre.
You can find further information here:
- Australian Government Department of Health website (including vaccination information: Getting vaccinated for COVID-19 | Australian Government Department of Health)
- Australian Government Department of Home Affairs
- Australian Foreign Minister’s Announcement regarding Australians abroad during COVID-19
- New South Wales: www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19
- Queensland: www.qld.gov.au/about/newsroom/queensland-border-restrictions
- Victoria: www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus
- Australian Capital Territory: www.covid19.act.gov.au/home
- South Australia: www.sa.gov.au/covid-19
- Northern Territory: https://coronavirus.nt.gov.au/travel
- Western Australia: www.wa.gov.au/government/covid-19-coronavirus
Visa information
Contact the Department of Home Affairs.
Please visit the ‘Visa Holders’ page on the Australian Department of Home Affairs’ website https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/all-visa-holders for more information.
Contact the Department of Home Affairs.
Please visit the ‘Visa Holders’ page on the Australian Department of Home Affairs’ website https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/all-visa-holders for more information.
Staying in Germany
Should you be unable or not wish to leave Germany, we advise all Australians to follow the advice of local health authorities (please see below). It is your responsibility to ensure that your visa eligibility will last for the foreseeable future and will allow you stay in Germany for an extended period of time. Contact your local Foreigners' Office for advice on visas and residency permits. The Australian Embassy cannot issue or extend visas to Germany.
- Overview of German health ministry COVID-19 information -https://www.bundesgesundheitsministerium.de/coronavirus.html
- COVID-19 FAQs by Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community - https://www.bmi.bund.de/SharedDocs/faqs/EN/topics/civil-protection/coronavirus/coronavirus-faqs.html
You should also read the Smartraveller information linked below:
We know how stressful this time has been for Australians in Germany. Should you wish to renew your visa in Germany or apply for an alternative visa, please contact your local Ausländerbehörde (e.g. if you are in Berlin: https://www.berlin.de/labo/willkommen-in-berlin/) or the Federal Foreign Office (Visa regulations - Federal Foreign Office (auswaertiges-amt.de) for information.