Travel and COVID-19

Travellers

Call the information line

Call the coronavirus health information line on 1800 020 080.

Current travel restrictions

Check current advice:

• Changes to immigration and border rules in Australia (Department of Home Affairs). This includes advice for visa holders, such as working holiday visas.
• Australians travelling overseas (Smartraveller — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade)

Airlines

Current advice

Find advice for airlines and flight crew:

• Coronavirus (COVID-19) resources (Department of Health).

Reporting ill travellers

All aircraft entering Australian territory must report sick passengers and crew on the pre-arrival report. A biosecurity officer will then meet the aircraft to:

• screen for coronavirus (COVID-19) and other listed human diseases
• administer the Traveller with Illness Checklist (TIC) to the ill passenger or crew member
• issue directions to manage a suspected case of COVID-19.

Airlines must meet all legal requirements to report and follow directions.

Health screenings for passengers and airline crew

On arrival, all passengers and crew may be directed to the health screening area. They must go there before collecting their bags and leaving the international airport.

Airline crew must continue to follow their company’s existing infection prevention guidelines. This includes using Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Airline crew are exempt from the isolation requirements if PPE was properly worn.

Passenger announcement and factsheet

You must read or play a Coronavirus passenger announcement on all international flights. Make this announcement as well as the in-flight passenger announcement.

You must also hand out:

• a coronavirus factsheet
• Isolation Declaration Card (IDC)

Give these to all passengers flying into Australia. You can hand these out with the Incoming Passenger Card or before boarding.

Download the Coronavirus (COVID-19) information for international travellers.

Maritime vessels

Current advice

See Coronavirus (COVID-19) resources (Department of Health) for advice for:

• the marine industry
• marine pilots
• the cruise industry.

You can also find more information about coronavirus (COVID-19) (Australian Maritime Safety Authority).

Passenger announcement (cruise vessels)

You must read or play a Coronavirus passenger announcement before arrival on all international cruise ships. Make this announcement along with the cruise vessel passenger or onshore excursion announcements.

Crew leaving a vessel

Crew and passengers on board vessels may need to:

• attend extra health screenings
• self-isolate when they disembark in Australia.

Extra assessment questions have been added into the Maritime Arrivals Reporting System (MARS).
See Coronavirus (COVID-19) information for the marine industry (Department of Health) to find out more.

Reporting ill travellers

Follow standard procedures for reporting ill and deceased travellers in MARS. Extra assessment questions have been added to reflect the added risk.

Notifying ports of heightened concern of infection

You must report all passengers and crew who have been ill in the previous 14 days. Use the pre-arrival report in MARS. This is a legal requirement.

A biosecurity officer will then meet the vessel to screen for COVID-19 and other serious infectious diseases. They will either:

• administer the Traveller with Illness Checklist (TIC) to the ill passenger or crew member
• discuss case diagnoses with the vessel’s doctor.

Vessels that have indicated an ill person on board must display the yellow ‘Q-signal’ until assessed by a biosecurity officer.

Airports and seaports

Coronavirus in-terminal announcement

Terminals must play a coronavirus announcement. This announcement must not be edited.

 

Downloads

• Coronavirus in-terminal airport announcement English [PDF 670KB]
• Coronavirus in-terminal seaport announcement English [PDF 670KB]

We will make the new in-terminal announcement audio files available shortly.