International travel to resume from November

International travel to resume from November

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has confirmed that international travel for Australians will resume from next month. Mr Scott Morrison revealed the reopening plan this morning, bringing forward the plan to scrap the international border bans to November in states that hit vaccination targets.

"It's time to give Australians their lives back," Mr Morrison said. 

NSW would be the first state to open the international borders and travellers will be able to trial a 7-day home quarantine option. Victoria is also in talks to reopen international travel.

The new rules for international travellers will allow travel for double-vaccinated Australians and require pre-flight Covid tests. It will also require the lifting of current international arrival caps that were put in place to manage home quarantine.

The Prime Minister first announced the border closure on March 20, 2020 to all non-citizens and non-residents. Even Australian citizens, permanent residents and their immediate family needed to apply for an exemption to travel and to quarantine at a hotel for 14 days on arrival at a cost of more than $3000.

Finance Minister Simon Birmigham said there would be a “cautious and staged” reopening of international borders that would be linked to states hitting 80 per cent of adults double vaccination.

NSW and Victoria now on track to hit 80 per cent double doses within weeks, Australia can open up much faster and talks are underway between the Prime Minister and premiers on how to achieve that as soon as possible.

“What we want to see in relation to international borders is that we ultimately get to the stage where people can move once again freely with confidence around the world,’’ he told Sky News.

“Particularly for people who are fully vaccinated. As you are aware there have been trials of home quarantine in some parts of the country.

“There will be a cautious and staged approach. Obviously different states are going to hit vaccination targets at different times.”

The international border ban is currently in place until December 17 but that will now be lifted a month earlier than previously planned.