Quarantine free travel between New Zealand and Australia

Tuesday, 13 April 2021

Travel to Australia

To travel to Australia on a quarantine-free flight, you still must meet some criteria and it is your responsibility to check the eligibility criteria for entering Australia before you travel. This means if you usually need a visa, then you will need one to fly quarantine-free to Australia. If you do not already have a visa for Australia, you will need to apply for one.

Travel back to New Zealand

If you are not a New Zealand citizen or a permanent resident visa holder, you must be sure that you will be able to return to New Zealand hassle-free as the New Zealand border restrictions and normal immigration rules will still apply. You will need to make sure you have a valid New Zealand visa, valid travel conditions, or NZeTA to return to New Zealand.

If you’re a temporary visa holder in New Zealand, you should be aware that you need to meet New Zealand immigration requirements in order to return to New Zealand. This means, among other things, you need to have a “multiple entry” visa that gives permission to leave New Zealand and return, provided all entry requirements are met.

Any visa granted for travel from within a quarantine-free travel area will only be valid for travel from within the quarantine-free travel area. If you travel outside of New Zealand or a quarantine-free travel area you will not be able to use this visa to re-enter New Zealand. For example, if you are granted a visa in Australia and then subsequently travel to Fiji, your visa will not allow you to re-enter New Zealand from Fiji.

Other things to note

Although you do not need a negative COVID-19 pre-departure test to travel to Australia on a quarantine-free flight, there are still health rules you will need to follow.

Australia’s states and territories may have their own restrictions and requirements, for example for pre-departure testing. Check what you need to do and what you need to know before you travel. Check the restrictions of your destination.

You should also check what you need to do if you are travelling between states in Australia, as you may need to meet some requirements. Travellers are also encouraged to register at SafeTravel to get the latest travel advice for Australia. Registering means the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT), embassies and consulates can:

Contact you in an emergency situation

Provide consular assistance if needed

Check on your well-being, or

Send you important information.

If there is a change in Alert Level in New Zealand or the situation changes in Australia, Covid19.govt.nz websites will announce it.

If community cases occur in New Zealand or Australia, the Government could pause quarantine-free travel for a time to assess the risk or it could suspend travel for a longer period of time. Travellers should have a plan and be prepared for travel plans to be disrupted. Keep yourself informed before you book a flight.

Contact GO Immigration if you have any questions.

Source: Immigration.govt.nz – The official website of the New Zealand Government

Source: Covid19.govt.nz