Australian borders will be open to fully vaccinated Australian citizens and permanent residents without the need for travel exemptions starting 1 November 2021, according to Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
Quarantine rules for arriving Australians will however depend on the states and territories. The general rule allows fully vaccinated Australians to complete a 7-day home quarantine. New South Wales, however, announced that no quarantine will be required for fully vaccinated Australian travellers from 1 November 2021.
Australians who are not fully vaccinated must still complete a 14-day hotel quarantine. In NSW, they are also subject to the arrival cap of 210 people per week.
So far, the vaccines approved by the Australian TGA are: Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna and Janssen (Johnson & Johnson). In addition, TGA has also advised that Sinovac and Covishield (AstraZeneca/Serum Institute of India) will be considered recognised vaccines for incoming international travellers.
Temporary visa holders still need to obtain travel exemptions to enter Australia. This rule is expected to remain until Australia reaches Phase D of its National Plan when Australia opens its borders to all international travellers.