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

 

Outside of consular, passport and notarial services, which are provided by the Australian Consulate-General, we are unable to provide further information than is outlined below. Please also note the Australian Consulate-General does not manage enquiries relating to visas or entry-exit requirements to Australia, New Caledonia or Wallis and Futuna and we are unable to escalate applications or issues with the authorities in Australia, New Caledonia or Wallis and Futuna.

The information and links provided below have been collected from official websites in Australia, New Caledonia and Wallis and Futuna to assist you in managing your travel.

Airline and maritime operator responsibility to ensure travellers comply with all regulations - The air and maritime sectors have additional responsibilities to protect their passengers, crew, and destinations from COVID-19. Flight captains and crew must review and enforce traveller and passenger requirements and regulations applicable to inbound international travel to Australia and outbound international travel from Australia. This includes passengers transiting through an Australian airport. Air and maritime sectors can also require passengers to abide by their own boarding protocols, including temperature taking and other tests, and wearing of masks.

Before you book your travel, check regulations as applicable to your circumstances - It is your responsibility to ensure you meet the requirements of the airline or vessel operator you are travelling with and of countries you are travelling to or transiting through. You are responsible for checking requirements applicable to your circumstances regarding visas, entry permits and exemptions, quarantine (possibly at your own expense), mandatory health and other declarations, COVID-19 testing and vaccination, use of face masks, as well as insurance to cover your specific travel, condition and circumstances. Also check the safety and COVID-19 plans applied by the airline or cruise company you intend travelling with and ensure you meet their requirements. If you need information or assistance, please contact your airline or travel provider and the relevant competent authorities in Australia, New Caledonia and in Wallis and Futuna directly.

Comprehensive travel insurance - ensure your travel insurance covers you for the places you’ll visit, the things you’ll do and any pre-existing medical conditions you have. Some destinations may also require travellers to hold travel insurance as a condition of entry. No matter who you are, where you're going and what you're doing, get insurance as the Australian Government will not pay your medical costs or your medical evacuation costs.

Follow the advice of your country of nationality for the countries you are travelling to or transiting through:

• Australian travel recommendations and advisories are available in English on Smartraveller including the Global COVID-19 health advisory and the travel advice for New Caledonia;
• Canadian travel recommendations and advisories are available in English and French on Travel Advice and Advisories - Travel.gc.ca including the COVID-19 International Travel and Cruise Ship Travel Notices, and the travel advisories for New Caledonia and Australia;
• French travel recommendations and advisories are available on Conseils par pays/destination - Ministère de l’Europe et des Affaires étrangères (diplomatie.gouv.fr) including the travel advice for Australia;
• Travel recommendations and advisories for travellers of other nationalities may be available from their foreign diplomatic or consular mission in Australia.

Regulations and procedures can be subject to change at short notice. Please read instructions carefully and regularly check all official websites provided for the most up-to-date information and instructions applicable to your circumstances.

 

1. TRAVELLING TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA - Refer to the information and instructions from relevant authorities through the links provided below

Despite the removal of quarantine restrictions and caps in the majority of states and territories in Australia, it is important to note that there has been no change to Australian Commonwealth Government entry requirements for unvaccinated passengers travelling to Australia.

It is your responsibility to ensure you meet entry, quarantine and post-arrival testing arrangements on arrival in Australia and for each Australian State or Territory you intend to travel to. People travelling to and from Australia must wear a mask at airports and for the duration of their flight.

Below are the links to Australia’s immigration, border and health arrangements during the COVID-19 pandemic, managed by the Departments of Home Affairs and Health as well as links to domestic regulations managed by Australian States and Territories.

Vaccination requirements and status

International travellers into and out of Australia are still required to provide proof of their vaccination status against COVID-19 prior to travel. Unvaccinated Australian citizens and permanent residents can now leave Australia without an individual travel exemption, but may still be asked for proof of vaccination status on departure. If you cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons, you may be asked to provide evidence of your vaccination status when leaving Australia.

All inbound travellers must declare their vaccination status to enter Australia. Please see Vaccination and testing (homeaffairs.gov.au), including for fully vaccinated international travellers, arrangements for children and if you cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons.

Check with the authorities issuing you with an international vaccination certificate that this document meets the requirements of the countries you are travelling to or transiting through. Australians with a valid Australian passport and their COVID-19 vaccinations recorded on the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) can request an international COVID-19 vaccination certificate now available in digital wallet format. Paper and digital certificates are equally acceptable.

Please also check regulations applicable to your circumstances, including step-by-step guides for fully vaccinated travellers and unvaccinated travellers:

• COVID-19 and the border (homeaffairs.gov.au)
• Vaccinated travellers (homeaffairs.gov.au) - All visa holders who are fully vaccinated in accordance with Australia’s international border entry requirements are allowed to fly to Australia without needing an individual travel exemption.
• If you cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons - If you provide acceptable evidence of a medical contraindication, you will be able to travel under the same travel arrangements as vaccinated travellers. You will need to show airline or vessel staff your evidence before you travel. Proof that you cannot be vaccinated because of a medical contraindication is separate to a travel exemption.
• Unvaccinated travellers (homeaffairs.gov.au) - Travellers who are not fully vaccinated, or who are unable to provide appropriate proof of vaccination status, should review the Home Affairs advice on Travel exemption process to enter Australia, noting individual travel exemptions are only approved in very limited circumstances. Where required, travel exemptions should be requested at least 2 weeks, but not more than 2 months, before boarding through the Travel Exemption Portal.
• Arrangements for children – Passports will be used as proof of age for children.
• COVID-19: Leaving Australia | Smartraveller
• Crossing the border – things you need to know and things you need to do when you arrive or depart Australia - Overview – Australian Border Force – Home Affairs (abf.gov.au)
• Biosecurity – A guide of what you can and can’t bring in to Australia (abf.gov.au)
• Re-entry and quarantine | Smartraveller

Visa information

Foreign citizens must enter Australia on a visa appropriate to their circumstances. Home Affairs advises you should not book flights or make travel commitments until you have an appropriate visa to travel to Australia. Home Affairs further advises it will not be liable for any financial loss incurred by clients whose visa application was finalised later than expected or where an application is unsuccessful. If you are having issues with your visa application, wish to withdraw your visa application, need to amend your passport details or need to contact Home Affairs, please refer to the information available under Home Affairs - Immigration Citizenship and Border Protection (consulate.gov.au).

• Visa Finder and Visa List and Global visa processing times and COVID-19 - Your visa and travel questions answered (homeaffairs.gov.au)
• eVisitor (subclass 651) visa for European (including French) passport holders and list of countries eligible to the eVisitor subclass 651 – this visa is free and allows you to visit Australia for up to three months at a time.
• eVisitor (subclass 600) visa for other passport holders
• ETA (Electronic Travel Authority) (subclass 601) - there is no Visa Application Charge (VAC), however, there may be an application service charge of AUD20. Your airline or travel agent can assist you with ETA visas.
• International student visa (subclass 500) and graduate visa (subclass 485) (homeaffairs.gov.au)
• Visa for medical treatment and appointments (subclass 602)
• Working Holiday Maker (WHM) program (homeaffairs.gov.au)
• Biometric data collection

Digital Passenger Declaration (DPD)

All passengers arriving by air into Australia must fill out and present a DPD, unless they are flight crew. You can start a DPD seven days before your flight but you must submit it you depart for Australia.​ Further information and FAQs are available at Digital Passenger Declaration (homeaffairs.gov.au).​ The DPD is free.

Prior to uplift, airlines must continue to confirm that passengers are ‘Ok to Board’ for Australia and sight all documents including proof of vaccination, proof that passengers cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons, visas, travel exemptions as well as the completion of the Digital Passenger Declaration (DPD). Airlines must contact Australian Border Services prior to boarding any passengers who are not an Australian citizen or permanent resident, who cannot demonstrate they are ‘fully vaccinated’, to confirm their travel exemption status.

Pre-departure testing and domestic health regulations

Australia does not require you to undertake any pre-departure COVID-19 testing to enter, leave or transit Australia. However, most states and territories require you to take a COVID-19 test soon after arrival.

International passengers arriving in Australia are not automatically permitted to transit to another state or territory. Domestic travel restrictions may apply. Check Australian State and Territory regulations, including for children, entry registration forms, quarantine, domestic vaccination requirements and domestic transit travel in Australia. Check these links regularly as regulations and procedures can be subject to change at short notice. 

• Inbound international travel | Australian Government Department of Health – find out what you need to do to be able to travel to Australia and States (australia.gov.au)
• International air travel to and from NSW (including Sydney) | NSW Government
• Entering Queensland (including Brisbane) from overseas | Health and wellbeing | Queensland Government (www.qld.gov.au)
• Outbound international travel | Australian Government Department of Health

 

2. TRAVELLING TO AND FROM NEW CALEDONIA - Refer to the information and instructions from relevant authorities through the links below 

Please 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 including on Visas for France and the French Pacific. Please also contact your airline, travel agent or employer for assistance as appropriate to your circumstances.

Conditions apply to enter and leave New Caledonia and can change at very short notice. Travel to and from New Caledonia is managed by the French High Commission in New Caledonia and the Government of New Caledonia, please visit their websites for the latest information available and check with local authorities on the conditions and regulations applicable to your circumstances. International passenger flights to New Caledonia can be suspended with little or no warning. Stay up to date with and follow the advice of local authorities in New Caledonia. 

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 wishing to come to New Caledonia must follow the instructions of local authorities available in English on the website of the Government of  New Caledonia under “Sea traveler”. Cruise ship arrivals are currently suspended.

If you have any concerns around your planned arrival in or departure from New Caledonia by air, contact your airline (Aircalin and Qantas for advice on requirements to board Aircalin or Qantas planes), travel provider or employer for assistance.

Entry requirements to New Caledonia depend on your vaccination status and the country you are arriving from:

• All travellers aged 12 and over must complete, prior to travel, a written undertaking (sworn statement) to take a COVID-19 (PCR or antigenic) test conducted by a medical professional two days after arrival.
• Other requirements (including pre-departure tests, mandatory quarantine and proof of compelling travel reasons), may apply depending on whether you are travelling from a foreign country classified as green, orange or red.
• Fully vaccinated travellers aged 12 and over, arriving from a country classified as green or orange (including Australia), must show proof on departure of their vaccination status. A pre-departure negative COVID-19 test is no longer required.
• Pre-departure tests, quarantine on arrival and proof of compelling travel reasons remain in place for fully vaccinated travellers aged 12 and over arriving from a foreign country classified as red. These strict health protocols also apply if you’re not fully vaccinated, have a medical contra-indication or hold a COVID-19 recovery certificate.
• Full arrival conditions in New Caledonia, including in-coming country classifications, written undertaking forms, COVID-19 testing and timeframes in New Caledonia are available in English on the website of the Government of New Caledonia under Arrival information: getting to New Caledonia | Gouvernement de la Nouvelle-Calédonie. The location of testing centres in New Caledonia are available in French on the website of the Government of New Caledonia under Où se faire dépister | Gouvernement de la Nouvelle-Calédonie. Airlines will check all your pre-departure documents, including your vaccination status, declarations and undertakings, and supporting documentation as applicable to your circumstances to travel to New Caledonia.

If you are currently in New Caledonia, the latest health measures applicable in New Caledonia are available on the website of the Government of New Caledonia under Info Covid-19 | Gouvernement de la Nouvelle-Calédonie and Infos santé : prévention | Gouvernement de la Nouvelle-Calédonie (COVID-19 prevention). Lockdowns and curfews can take place at short notice. Follow the advice of local authorities.

If you plan to leave New Caledonia, local authorities advise you should contact your airline or travel provider in the first instance for conditions applicable in the countries you are travelling to or transiting through. Information on departures from New Caledonia, including COVID-19 pre-departure test information (fees and location of testing centres), is available on the website of the Government of New Caledonia under Infos départs : quitter la Nouvelle-Calédonie | Gouvernement de la Nouvelle-Calédonie (leaving 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. Airlines will check all your pre-departure documents, including your vaccination status and travel exemptions as applicable to your circumstances and travel destination to leave New Caledonia.

 

3. TRAVELLING TO AND FROM WALLIS AND FUTUNA - Refer to the information and instructions from relevant authorities through the links below

Please 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 including on Visas for France and the French Pacific. Please also contact your airline, travel agent or employer for assistance as appropriate to your circumstances.

Travel to and from Wallis and Futuna is managed by the French Administration in Wallis and Futuna, please visit their website for the latest information available and check with local authorities on the conditions and regulations applicable to your circumstances. Stay up to date with and follow the advice of local authorities in Wallis and Futuna. 

Travellers wishing to travel to and from Wallis and Futuna should also contact Aircalin airline for advice on requirements to board Aircalin planes as well as relevant services in Wallis and Futuna (Cellule d’organisation (COV) - email: [email protected] - phone: +681 72 11 20) and in New Caledonia (Cellule PAX WF Nouvelle-Calédonie – email: [email protected] - phone: + 681 94 58 79). Travellers must comply with regulations applicable to travel to and from New Caledonia and Wallis and Futuna available in French on the website of the Government of New Caledonia as applicable to their circumstances. Aircalin will check all your pre-departure documents, including your vaccination status, declarations and undertakings, and supporting documentation as applicable to your circumstances to travel to Wallis and Futuna.

 

4. INFORMATION ON COVID-19 VACCINATIONS IN AUSTRALIA, NEW CALEDONIA AND IN WALLIS AND FUTUNA

Australian authorities recommend a booster dose before travel as COVID-19 is still a health risk when travelling overseas.

Australia – Up-to-date information about Australia’s national roll-out of COVID-19 Vaccination Program, including on approved vaccines, getting vaccinated (including for booster doses), finding resources for vaccine providers and health professionals, is available on the website of the Australian Department of Health. Information is also available in foreign languages, including French. The COVID-19 vaccine is voluntary and free and, if you choose not to have a COVID-19 vaccine, your eligibility for Government payments won’t be affected. Australia’s COVID-19 Vaccination Program prioritises the rollout of vaccines in Australia and does 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 provides details of Australia’s approach to COVID-19 vaccination, including Information on international travel (australia.gov.au), Proof of vaccination | Australian Government Department of Health and Guidance on foreign vaccination certificates | Australian Passport Office (passports.gov.au). Information is also available on COVID-19 vaccinations | Smartraveller Depending on the state or territory of arrival, fully vaccinated Australian citizens and permanent residents, as well as their immediate family members, may be eligible to reduced quarantine requirements when they enter Australia. Australian authorities advise that, irrespective of receiving a COVID-19 vaccine, international travellers may still be required to quarantine upon arrival to Australia and meet other travel restrictions such as pre-departure COVID-19 testing.

New Caledonia – Information on COVID-19 vaccination programs in New Caledonia, including FAQs and obtaining a Health Pass with QR code (Pass sanitaire avec QR code), is available on the website of the Government of New Caledonia under Vaccination. Local authorities advise COVID-19 vaccination is currently free and not mandatory. Vaccination certification documents are delivered in New Caledonia in both French and English. Please check with local authorities on the availability of vaccines and certificates 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. 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 and certificates should you wish to be vaccinated.