These changes will take place on Monday November 1.
Today is a great day for Victoria, as the state emerges from the longest lockdown in the world. Adding to the good news, Australians overseas will be able to return home and reunite with their families in Victoria sooner. Fully vaccinated international arrivals will be able to enter the state without spending two weeks in hotel quarantine. The cap on fully vaccinated returning Australians will also be removed.
“Today’s welcome news was made possible because of the hard work Victorians did to get vaccinated,” said Premier Dan Andrews. “With our first-dose vaccination rate at 90 per cent, we’ll open Victoria’s vaccinated economy – and we can’t wait to welcome the rest of the world.”
Hard to know what to say on a day like today, but #Thankyou seems not enough, but the most appropriate, by far. Through the toughest of times, we've here now. And I hope it means we can start to enjoy many things we've missed out on for so long – especially seeing loved ones…
— Chief Health Officer, Victoria (@VictorianCHO) October 22, 2021
Vaccinated international arrivals will no longer need to quarantine
International arrivals will need to demonstrate their vaccination status in order to return without quarantining. These vaccines must be approved or recognised by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). These vaccines are:
- Pfizer
- AstraZeneca
- Moderna
- COVID-19 Vaccine Janssen (Johnson and Johnson)
- Coronavac (Sinovac)
- Covishield (AstraZeneca/Serum Institute of India)
International arrivals will also need to test negative to COVID within 72 hours of their departure. Then, within 24 hours of arrival in Victoria, they will need to take another test.
Children under 12 with fully vaccinated parents and travellers with a valid medical exemption will be considered vaccinated for the purposes of travel.
Anyone who tests positive for COVID in Victoria will need to isolate at home. Meanwhile, unvaccinated international travellers will have to stay in hotel quarantine for 14 days, unless they can prove their vaccination status during their quarantine period.
A quarantine facility is also being constructed in Mickleham, and is expected to be fully operational in January. This facility will be used to house unvaccinated international arrivals in the future.
From November 1, the number of unvaccinated or unverified international travellers to Victoria will be capped at 250 a week. This date coincides with the day that Victorians will finally be able to travel overseas without needing an exemption from the Commonwealth Government.
For more information, read the Premier’s statement.