Travel to other countries
A travel ban was put in place for all Australians effective 25 March 2020. You will not be able to depart Australia to travel overseas unless vaccinated.
See the Smartraveller and Department of Home Affairs websites for more information.
Travel for vaccinated Australians and permanent residents
From 1 November 2021, Australian citizens and permanent residents aged 12 and over who have received two doses of an approved or recognised vaccine will be able to leave Australia without needing an outwards travel exemption.
Children under 12 and those who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons will also be able to travel overseas without an exemption.
Australian citizens and permanent residents who do not meet the eligibility requirements must continue to follow the current border processes when leaving Australia or coming to Australia.
See the Department of Home Affairs website for more information.
Travel to New Zealand
The New Zealand Government has confirmed that quarantine-free travel with Australia remains suspended.
For the latest updates, go to the New Zealand Government website.
Read about travel from New Zealand to Tasmania on the Coming to Tasmania page.
Concern for family overseas
Australians concerned about family overseas should call the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Consular emergency line.
Testing for travel
Negative pre-departure COVID-19 tests may be required by some destination countries and airlines when leaving Australia. Travelling to Australia also has specific entry requirements as detailed on the Australian Government Health website.
Pre-departure COVID-19 tests are provided by private pathology clinics. Be sure to check the timing requirements for your destination prior to travel to ensure you comply with current requirements.
In Tasmania, Hobart Pathology, Launceston Pathology, North West Pathology and TML Pathology (Hobart and Launceston) provide a fee-based COVID-19 testing service for travel.
International arrivals to Tasmania
***Any traveller who has been spent time in any overseas location (not including the South Island of New Zealand) on or since Sunday 28 November will not be permitted to enter Tasmania at this time. Any traveller intending to travel to Tasmania and who has spent time overseas in the 14 days prior to Sunday 28 November, will not be permitted to enter Tasmania unless approved as an Essential Traveller. To be assessed for Essential Traveller status, travellers must provide evidence of having returned a negative COVID-19 test result in the 72 hours before they are due to arrive in Tasmania. If approved, quarantine is required, other conditions also apply.
This measure is in addition to national restrictions and requirements in relation to travellers who have been overseas. See travel restrictions and exemptions for more information on Australian arrival information.***
International arrivals in Tasmania (other than from New Zealand) include international workers who are in Australia to work within the agricultural sector, Antarctic expeditioners who are transiting to Antarctica and people who return via repatriation flights.
Between 1 November and 14 December 2021, travellers who are approved to arrive in Tasmania within 14 days of being overseas (other than direct flights to Australia from low-risk areas of New Zealand, or approved Australian Antarctic Division travellers), will be required to meet the same requirements as domestic arrivals from high-risk areas.
Read more about Travel to Tasmania under Tasmania’s plan to transition our COVID-19 response.
Every precaution is being taken to make sure that international arrivals can be managed safely in Tasmania and our community can remain protected.
Arrivals and quarantine processes
All international arrivals undertake 14 days of mandatory quarantine in a government-managed quarantine facility. Tasmania’s quarantine program is based on Public Health advice and has been refined by our experiences in conducting the program to date and lessons learned interstate and overseas.
There are a number of hotels designated for international quarantine and one medi-hotel is used for any COVID-positive cases. If a case is more serious, the patient will be managed at the Royal Hobart Hospital following strict infection control measures.
Testing and cases
A robust program is in place to identify and manage COVID-19 cases, which are expected in quarantine because of the higher risk posed by international travellers.
Individuals are tested twice while in quarantine: on or before the third day after arrival in Tasmania, and again on or after the 12th day. They must return a negative test result before being released from hotel quarantine.
Protecting staff and the broader community
All staff working in the Tasmanian Government’s hotel quarantine program, including government and non-government staff, are required to undertake COVID-19 testing as part of their conditions of employment.
Staff must undergo saliva screening every shift they work in addition to a throat and nasal swab test every five to eight days until 14 days after they complete their last shift at quarantine sites. See testing for workers at government-managed quarantine facilities for more information.
In addition to regular testing, quarantine hotel employees are asked to disclose any secondary places of employment with a view to supporting hotel staff to work only in a quarantine hotel.
All non-government staff employed at the quarantine hotels are eligible to receive a full-time salary (based on a 38-hour work week) whilst employed at the quarantine hotel facility. This is for casual and part-time employees regardless of the number of hours they work. This arrangement will remain in place whilst the employee remains part of the quarantine workforce.
All staff must also adopt COVID-safe practices outside of work. These include immediately changing and washing clothes after each shift, limiting contact with the elderly or people with poor health, and avoiding larger social gatherings. Employees are required to follow robust infection prevention and control measures during all phases of the quarantine process.
Other COVID-safe behaviours that are encouraged include keeping 1.5 m from other people, washing hands frequently, staying home if sick, getting tested if you have symptoms, using Check in TAS, wearing a mask as required and getting vaccinated.