Australian citizens and permanent residents under 50 years of age who have an approved outwards travel exemption in an eligible category are now able to access COVID-19 vaccinations.
It is the Australian Government’s strong preference that Australians are vaccinated prior to travelling overseas.
To be eligible, travel exemptions must be granted on or after 20 May 2021 for one of the following reasons:
- your travel is as part of the response to the COVID-19 outbreak, including the provision of aid
- your travel is for your business or employer
- you are travelling to receive urgent medical treatment that is not available in Australia
- you are travelling on compassionate or compelling grounds
- you are travelling for urgent or unavoidable personal business
- your travel is in the national interest.
If you have a travel exemption granted for eligible reasons before 20 May 2021, and have not left Australia, you can submit a new travel exemption request. Upload all relevant documents and state that you wish to be eligible for vaccination before travelling.
You will not be eligible for a COVID-19 vaccination if your outward travel exemption is granted for ‘compelling reasons for at least 3 months’.
Temporary visa holders under 50 years of age who are currently in Australia and have an approved inwards travel exemption for return travel to Australia are eligible to access COVID-19 vaccinations.
To be eligible, your inward travel exemption must be granted on or after 8 June 2021. If you have an inwards travel exemption to return to Australia granted before 8 June 2021, and have not left Australia, you can submit a new travel exemption request. Upload all relevant documents and state that you wish to be eligible for vaccination before travelling.
For more information on how to make a vaccination appointment visit the Vaccine Eligibility Checker.
Australians and permanent residents leaving Australia
If you are an Australian citizen or a permanent resident you cannot leave Australia due to COVID-19 restrictions unless you have an exemption.
You can apply online but you must meet at least one of the following:
- your travel is as part of the response to the COVID-19 outbreak, including the provision of aid
- your travel is for your business/employer
- you are travelling to receive urgent medical treatment that is not available in Australia
- you are travelling outside Australia for a compelling reason for three months or longer
- you are travelling on compelling or compassionate grounds
- your travel is in the national interest.
You must provide evidence to support your claims.
Requests may be finalised without further consideration if insufficient evidence is provided. Evidence may include:
- passport/s
- marriage certificate/s
- birth certificate/s
- death certificate/s
- proof of relationship (for example, shared tenancy agreement, joint bank account etc.)*
- proof that you are moving to another country on a long term basis such as leases, job offers and evidence your goods are being transported
- proof of your current valid visa, including in Australia and/or overseas
- letter from a doctor or hospital about any medical treatment/condition with statements on why travel is necessary
- letter from your employer, or other evidence that you are travelling for a business reason
- statement or evidence to show when you wish to return to Australia
- any other proof you may have to support your claims.
*For information about providing proof of your relationship refer to Evidence of relationship.
COVID-19 vaccines: Frequently asked questions
If I have a vaccination overseas, will I still be required to quarantine on return to Australia?
At this time Australian Government advice for international travellers remains unchanged.
Australia’s borders are closed. The only people who can travel to Australia are:
- Australian citizens
- residents
- immediate family members
- travellers who have been in New Zealand for the previous 14 days.
- Passengers travelling to Australia must be tested for COVID-19 72 hours or less prior to the scheduled flight departure, and display evidence of a negative test result at the time of check-in.
At this time, vaccination against COVID-19 does not change the requirement for mandatory quarantine for 14 days at the port of arrival. Travellers might have to comply with other state and territory travel restrictions.
For more coronavirus advice for international travellers, visit the Department of Health’s website.
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Content attributed to
the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Smartraveller website – www.smartraveller.gov.au.
the Department of Home Affairs website – https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/leaving-australia#toc-7