Brits welcomed back down under as Australia reopens its borders to vaccinated tourists
Brits will once again be welcome down under after the Australian Government announced today its decision to reopen the borders to fully-jabbed tourists from 21 February.
Travellers will no longer be required to quarantine upon arrival, but they will still need to present a Covid test – either PCR or lateral flow – taken within 24 hours before departure.
“The announcement today enabling fully vaccinated travellers from Britain to Australia quarantine-free from 21 February is a significant step in rebuilding international visitation from Australia’s international tourism markets across the globe,” said Phillippa Harrison, Tourism Australia’s managing director.
“Australia has long been a popular outbound destination for British travellers, with more than 700,000 visitors travelling to our country annually pre-Covid, and we are really excited that we will have the opportunity to welcome back visitors from the UK, one of our key international markets, as travel resumes.”
Australia has maintained one of the world’s strictest border controls throughout the whole pandemic, barring foreign nationals from entering the country to stop the spread of Covid.
After not allowing its citizens to leave the country for more than 18 months, on 1 November the government announced vaccinated nationals could travel without the need for an exemption. Unvaccinated people are still under tight rules, as they are required to apply for an exemption.