Throwing back the Covid curtains that have kept us contained in Fortress Oz is something many Australians have been dreaming of for 18 months or so. Now that you can literally smell the avgas, it’s time for an update on how this will all roll. Pretty sure visiting family or taking a well-deserved holiday overseas won’t be as easy as just booking a plane ticket. Every country will have different Covid-19 entry requirements and getting out of and into Australia will require some commitment to navigate.

Let’s start with exiting Oz. All travellers over the age of 12 will need to have two doses of a recognized vaccine, including Pfizer, AstraZeneca (AZ), Moderna and more recently, Covaxin and BBIBP-CorV, manufactured in India and China respectively (and there will most certainly be other vaccines added to this list over time.) And just a word on the AZ vaccine and the rare occurrence of blood clots. There have been some who are touting that airlines are concerned about the travelling public who have been vaccinated with AZ and the link to DVT’s (deep vein thrombosis). According to my sources (yep, Dr Google), the above has been thoroughly debunked as misinformation and fake news by CoronaCheck, a fact check unit based at RMIT university campus and endorsed by the ABC (how could you go wrong with those creds?)

Fast forward to the airport check-in counter where you will need to show airline staff your International Covid-19 Vaccination Certificate. Having this available, as say, your phone screen saver, or having a printed copy tucked into your passport will help you to avoid hearing the exasperated sighs of queued fellow travellers, snarky remarks about being more organised and stink eye. Just a note: Not all airlines require a Covid-19 vaccination, however passengers may be required to have received a negative Covid-19 test within 48 or 72 hours of their flight – looking for consistency? – yeah nah.

So where do you get the vaccination certificate? If you head to the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade (DFAT) website  page on passports there’s a slightly convoluted process on how to get a vaccination certificate to travel overseas (where would the fun be if it was a one-step process?)

If you are contemplating travelling to Outer-Eastern Mongolia, you may need to rethink. At the moment, there are limited routes available for international travel from Australia, including but not limited to the following:

New Zealand, London, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dubai, Singapore, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Tokyo, Fiji and Port Moresby

And just because there’s a plane going there, doesn’t mean that you will be allowed into the country, or even able to board said plane. Each country has their own rules for incoming travellers and the information is fluid, changing on a regular basis. Even for Australians returning from overseas, depending on which website you read, they need to home quarantine for 7 days or 14 days (this is so exhausting!) Again, keep across Australian Government websites (rather than the coronavirus infodemic websites) for information.

So, if you’ve made it this far, you’re probably on the plane. Now you can let loose with your industrialised sized packet of sanitary wipes, your 100ml of hand sanitiser and please ensure your mouth and nose are entirely covered with your mandatory mask to avoid air marshals in full PPE, descending on you with a roll of duct tape! (I made that bit up, but funny huh?)

While it may all sound daunting, that’s what we are here for! Having a travel agent to keep you abreast of the ever-changing regulations and updated on the important stuff in this Covid world is vital. We’ve got you covered.

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For the smart traveller (that’s you right), keep in mind the health and safety of local communities and in the current climate, try to avoid travelling to countries with low vaccination rates, high infection rates and those who have overwhelmed medical infrastructure.

There’s a plethora of information out there regarding overseas travel for vaccinated Australians, and to stop you from falling down the rabbit hole of misinformation, keep your sources down and their cred up – The Australian Government Department of Home Affairs is a reliable source. Start there.

For up-to-date information, check Coronavirus advice for international travellers on the Australian Government Department of Health website and Smart Traveller.

Most importantly – keep calm and carry on travelling!

For more insights on how to get out and back with everything intact, email us at info@travelwithviva.com or call us on 1300 84 82 82.