AUSTRALIAN CONSULATE-GENERAL OPERATIONS – IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Following confirmation of COVID-19 cases in New Caledonia, local authorities are enforcing strict confinement and social distancing measures from midday Tuesday 7 September 2021. Further information and instructions are available on the websites of the Government of New Caledonia at https://gouv.nc/coronavirus and the French High Commission at https://www.nouvelle-caledonie.gouv.fr/Actualites/Covid-19.

Consequently, the Australian Consulate-General will be operating under remote work arrangements from Tuesday 7 September 2021. Our public telephone line (+687 27 24 14) will remain open and our consular inbox ([email protected]) will be regularly monitored during business hours (Monday to Friday, 9am - 4pm).  We will endeavour to respond to enquiries as soon as possible.

Should you need urgent consular assistance outside business hours, please call +687 27 24 14 and follow the prompts to be connected to the 24/7 Consular Emergency Centre in Canberra.

We thank you for your understanding and request that you carefully follow the instructions of local authorities in the French Pacific.

We will put any further updates on our Facebook page at L’AustralieEnNouvelleCaledonie.

COVID-19 – MUST READ INFORMATION AND INSTRUCTIONS FOR AUSTRALIA AND NEW CALEDONIA

The information and links provided below have been collected from official websites in Australia and in New Caledonia to assist you in managing your travel. Please read these carefully and regularly check the official websites for the most up-to-date information and instructions applicable to your circumstances. Regulations can be subject to change at short notice.

The Australian Consulate-General in Noumea is unable to escalate applications or issues with the authorities concerned in Australia or in New Caledonia.

Travellers needing information or assistance with their applications, including exemptions, must contact the relevant competent authorities in Australia and in New Caledonia directly. Travellers (e.g. dual nationals or third country nationals seeking to transit Australia) can also seek consular assistance from their nearest diplomatic or consular mission in Australia or contact their airline, cruise line, port agent, travel provider or employer as appropriate, including on requirements for their specific travel as well as for regulations applicable in the country they are transiting through or travelling to.

 

Travelling to/from Australia - Refer to the links below to authorities and their instructions

The Australian Department of Home Affairs manages entry and travel restrictions to and from Australia, including visas and travel exemptions for travellers to and from Australia. Supporting documentation is required for all applications, including for travel exemptions. Australian authorities recommend submitting applications and exemptions as early as possible and at least two weeks, but not more than 3 months, prior to the intended departure. Please read all the information below as applicable to your circumstances:

• From 11 August 2021, Australian citizens and permanent residents of Australia ordinarily resident in a country outside of Australia will not be automatically exempt from Australia’s outward travel restrictions. From this date, you must apply for a travel exemption through the Home Affairs Travel Exemption Portal. If you are outside Australia and want to travel to Australia then return to your country of residence, you can apply for an outwards exemption with Home Affairs before you arrive in Australia.

• Some Australian and permanent residents of Australia may be eligible to an automatic travel exemptions to leave Australia.

• Department of Home Affairs updates on immigration and entry requirements for those coming to Australia, including for the immediate family of Australian citizens or permanent residents of Australia and foreign nationals needing to come to Australia or transit Australia.  Please also refer to COVID-19 – Your visa and travel questions answered to understand the visa and travel options available to you. 

• All travellers must also check the information on the Australian Travel Declaration (ATD) requirement and fill out, if not in an exempted category, their online Australian Travel Declaration no later than 72 hours prior to departure and no earlier than one week before departure. The ATD is free of charge and is aimed at helping stop the spread of COVID-19 in Australia and assisting Australian authorities in their contact tracing and quarantine planning. The ATD collects your contact details in Australia, flight details, vaccination information, quarantine requirements and your health status. Anyone who is 15 years old and over should complete their own declaration and parents should complete a declaration for any child under 15 years of age. The successful submission of an ATD does not guarantee entry into Australia and failure to complete the ATD may cause delays at check-in and on arrival in Australia. Once you’ve submitted your ATD, you will receive an email confirmation with details you can show (either electronically or printed) before you board your flight and on arrival in Australia. Airlines will prompt you to complete your ATD declaration prior to boarding. Please also see the advice for international travellers on travel zones available on the website of the Australian Department of Health.

• Foreign nationals who are seeking to travel to or transit through Sydney must also check the website of the Department of Home Affairs for the most up-to-date information regarding their situation and apply for a visa where required and an exemption to come to Australia or transit Australia. All travellers arriving or transiting in Sydney also need to check the website of the New South Wales Department of Health and apply for an exemption to the 14-day mandatory quarantine to facilitate their onward travel.

The Health Departments of each Australian State and Territory manage health regulations, including mandatory quarantine and related exemptions and fees. All Australian States and Territories have travel restrictions relevant to their jurisdiction that must be adhered to. You should check the latest information on the websites of relevant State and Territory health authorities before travelling. Australian authorities recommend submitting applications and exemptions as early as possible and at least two weeks, but not more than 3 months, prior to the intended departure. Please read all the information below as applicable to your circumstances:

• All travellers aged 5 years or older, including transit passengers, must provide  evidence of a negative COVID-19 (PCR) test to airlines at the departure point prior to boarding a flight to Australia. Most international travellers to Australia must be tested 72 hours or less prior to departure. Travellers from New Caledonia and Wallis and Futuna can be tested up to 96 hours prior to departure. If flights to Australia are delayed by more than 72 hours passed the scheduled departure time, passengers will require new tests results. Local foreign authorities may also have additional requirements in place for international departures from their country. Please also check the FAQs for International Passengers.

• Anyone who has a negative test result and enters Australia, will still need to complete the mandatory 14-day quarantine on a user-pay basis for quarantine fees at designated facilities in the port of arrival. Even if you have received a COVID-19 vaccine you must undergo 14 days of mandatory quarantine on arrival. This is to minimise the risk to the community from the introduction and spread of COVID-19.

• International transit passengers arriving into Australia can leave on another international flight that leaves from the city they arrived in. To do so, you must either stay at the airport if you must wait for your next flight for up to 8 hours or go to mandatory quarantine at a state designated facility if the wait for your next flight is from 8 to 72 hours. You will be charged for your quarantine at the pro-rata of your stay. You won’t be permitted to travel domestically (including to your home) or continue on any domestic connections, or even meet a departing international flight in another city, until you will have completed the 14-day mandatory quarantine period. Unaccompanied minors may be allowed to travel within Australia after arrival to quarantine with a parent or guardian, unless otherwise specified by the relevant state or territory. Further details and information are available on Quarantine for incoming travellers.

• All travellers must check the website of the Australian Department of Health for COVID-19 advice for international travellers and COVID-19 FAQs for international travellers, as well as information on getting ready for quarantine, including on recommendations before you depart and what to expect on arrival as well as recommendations for when you’re in quarantine and how to look after your health and wellbeing. These materials provide general advice and guidance. You should use it together with location-specific information from State and Territory governments and further information provided to you once in quarantine.

• Masks are mandatory for all international and domestic flights, including within airports. All travellers must read the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) statement on safe air travel – enhancing end-to-end mitigations – international.

• Please also know the facts about COVID-19.

Please also read Smartraveller information on:

• International arrival caps on the daily number of passengers coming into Australian airports from overseas which may affect your flight into Australia. These measures, aimed at easing the pressure on Australian State and Territory quarantine facilities, are temporary and regularly reviewed by Australian authorities and can change at short notice. Airlines manage the sale of tickets. Travellers should confirm their itinerary and travel plans directly with their airline or travel agent, including through their employer as applicable.

• COVID-19: Overseas financial assistance for Australians and permanent residents of Australia who are unable to return to Australia due to COVID-19 restrictions and who are experiencing financial distress, including eligibility criteria and online application process.

 

Travelling to/from New Caledonia - Refer to the links below to authorities and their instructions

• Australian citizens and permanent residents of Australia, as well as Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada still in New Caledonia, seeking to return to Australia or Canada are encouraged to register their details with us at [email protected]. Stay up to date with and follow the advice of local authorities. Stay also up to date with the Australian travel advice for New Caledonia on Smartraveller and the Canadian travel advice for New Caledonia and monitor news on our Facebook page at L’AustralieEnNouvelleCaledonie.
   
• New Caledonian borders remain closed to all non-residents and all commercial flights, cruises and private yacht arrivals remain suspended. Aircalin is the only airline currently authorised to travel to and from New Caledonia, with flights currently operating to Australia (Sydney) and Japan (Tokyo). Entry to New Caledonia requires the joint approval of the French High Commission in New Caledonia and of the Government of New Caledonia.

• All travellers aged over the age of 12 must be vaccinated with a vaccine approved by the European Medicines Agency prior to their travel being approved (limited exceptions apply for 12-17 year olds and persons with medical conditions). On arrival in New Caledonia, all travellers are also subject to a mandatory 14-day isolation at home (location must be specified in advance and checks are conducted) or for seven days if vaccination schemes have been pre-approved by local authorities.  Proof of a negative PCR test conducted within 72 hours of departure must also be presented prior to travel. Travellers must also present both a certificate of vaccination (including the name of the vaccine, batch number and dates of vaccination) and positive blood (serological) test as proof of vaccination. Travellers must also present a statement agreeing to having PCR and serological tests undertaken on arrival and at the end of their quarantine. Please visit the websites of the Government of New Caledonia and of the French High Commission in New Caledonia for the latest information and entry conditions available. Please check with local authorities on the conditions and regulations applicable to your circumstances. 

• People needing to travel to or return to New Caledonia must register their details with the New Caledonian Government through its online formulaire de recensement (registration counting form), including for quarantine and vaccination and test registration. Travellers should also fill out the relevant forms, as applicable to their circumstances, available on the website of the Government of New Caledonia and of Aircalin airline (travel formalities during COVID-19). Travellers should also email Aircalin airline ([email protected] and [email protected]) and the Government of New Caledonia ([email protected]) for advice on required authorisations to board Aircalin planes. People needing to travel for business or work purposes should also email the Government of New Caledonia at [email protected] for advice. Medical treatment and evacuation related enquiries need to be sent to CAFAT-Evasans (email: [email protected] - phone: +687 25 58 08). Sailboats and other private vessels needing further information or assistance must contact the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in New Caledonia (MRCC NC) (email: [email protected] – phone: +687 29 21 21). 

• COVID-19 (PCR) pre-departure tests required for travel to Australia can be undertaken in New Caledonia at the COVID-19 Testing Centre (Centre de dépistage COVID-19) located at the Gaston Bourret Hospital at the Koutio Medipole in Dumbea (address: 110 Boulevard Joseph-Wamytan – email:   [email protected] – phone: +687 20 99 76). The Centre is open Monday to Friday from 8am to 12noon. The Centre advises to email the COVID-19 Testing Centre with a copy of passports and itineraries (e-tickets) so that an appointment can be made. The Centre advises fees apply to PCR tests and other tests. Further information, including fees and other testing centres, is available under Instructions for Air Travellers leaving New Caledonia on the website of the Government of New Caledonia. Travellers should check with their airline and the authorities of the other countries they are travelling to which type of test they require. Travellers to Australia from New Caledonia can be tested up to 96 hours prior to departure.

For further information on, and assistance with, entry and quarantine conditions to New Caledonia, please check the websites of the French High Commission in New Caledonia and of the Government of New Caledonia (including main facts in English). Please also contact the nearest French diplomatic or consular mission in Australia or the French diplomatic or consular mission in your country of residence for further advice where required. Please also contact your airline, cruise line, port agent, travel provider or employer as appropriate. 

 

Information on COVID-19 vaccinations in Australia, New Caledonia and in Wallis and Futuna

Australia – Up-to-date information about Australia’s national roll-out of COVID-19 Vaccination Program is available on the website of the Australian Department of Health. The COVID-19 vaccine will be voluntary and free and, if you choose not to have a COVID-19 vaccine, your eligibility for Government payments won’t be affected. Information on vaccines approved for use in Australia is available on the website of the Therapeutic Goods Administration. Australia’s COVID-19 Vaccination Program will prioritise the rollout of vaccines in Australia and will not extend to Australian citizens while overseas. The Australian Government cannot provide advice on vaccines that have been approved for use outside of Australia’s regulatory process. Australians overseas should consult their local health professional or local health authorities for advice on vaccine options that may be available locally. The Government’s Australia.gov.au website has been launched with details of Australia’s approach to COVID-19 vaccination, including FAQs on COVID-19 vaccines for Australians overseas. Information is also available on Smartraveller. Australian authorities advise that, irrespective of receiving a COVID-19 vaccine, international travellers will still be required to quarantine upon arrival to Australia and meet other travel restrictions sur as pre-departure COVID-19 testing. 

New Caledonia – Information on COVID-19 vaccination programs in New Caledonia, including FAQs, is available on the website of the Government of New Caledonia at Info-Vaccination. Local authorities advise COVID-19 vaccination is currently free and not mandatory. Please check with local authorities on the availability of vaccines should you wish to be vaccinated. 

Wallis and Futuna – COVID-19 information is available on the website of the French Administration in Wallis and Futuna at https://www.wallis-et-futuna.gouv.fr/Actualites/COVID-19. Information on COVID-19 vaccination programs in Wallis and Futuna is available from the Health Agency of Wallis and Futuna (email: [email protected] – phone: +681 72 07 00). Local authorities advise COVID-19 vaccination is currently free and not mandatory. Please check with local authorities on the availability of vaccines should you wish to be vaccinated.