Australia Is Loosening Travel Restrictions for Some Visitors

This reopening was pushed back from December 1 due to Omicron.

pptara/Shutterstock
pptara/Shutterstock

Amid the pandemic, the Land Down Under had some of the most strict border rules in the world. Now, it is preparing to welcome back visitors—some of them anyway.

Starting Wednesday, Australia will allow certain eligible international visa holders into the country, according to Health Minister Greg Hunt, per the Daily Mail.

The country initially planned to do so on December 1 but pushed back the opening amid the emergence of the Omicron strain of COVID-19. Eligible visas include "skilled and student cohorts, as well as humanitarian, working holiday maker, and provisional family visa holders," per a statement by the Prime Minister. A travel bubble with South Korea and Japan will also go into effect on Wednesday.

There is, however, one stipulation. All those considering travel to Australia must be fully vaccinated in addition to holding the appropriate visa status.

Travel hasn't just been restricted from outside Australia. The nation shut down domestic borders as well, preventing people from traveling from one territory to the next. Per the BBC, Queensland just opened its domestic borders on Tuesday, allowing vaccinated people to travel from other parts of the country without the need to quarantine, though they do have to provide a negative test result. The move comes after the territory reached an adult vaccination rate of 80%.

Australia has been slowly, but surely, reopening to travelers. Beginning November 1, Australians living abroad were permitted to re-enter the country for the first time in almost two years. Prior to that, Aussies abroad had to have an essential reason to re-enter. The country also began allowing fully vaccinated travelers from New Zealand and Singapore to enter. Australians were also permitted to travel outside of the country for the first time in 18 months.

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Caitlyn Hitt is Daria IRL. Don't take our word for it—find her on Twitter @nyltiaccc.