Pack your bags! First country to be allowed to fly to Australia for holidays is revealed as hard border finally starts to come down – but they’ll all need to be vaccinated
Fully vaccinated travellers from Singapore will be able to fly to Australia for holidays without having to undergo dreaded hotel quarantine from November 21.
The southeast Asian nation is the first country aside from New Zealand, permitted to travel Down Under without the harsh restrictions since border closures were imposed due to the Covid crisis in March, 2020.
‘From 21 November, quarantine-free travel arrangements will be available for fully vaccinated Singaporeans travelling from Singapore who present a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of departure,’ the Australian government posted on Twitter.
Fully vaccinated travellers from Singapore will be able to fly to Australia for holidays without having to undergo dreaded hotel quarantine from November 21. Pictured: Family members embrace at Sydney Airport on November 1, 2021
Scott Morrison announced the agreement in Rome at the G20 Leaders’ Summit, following talks with his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong.
‘Australia is slinging its doors open to fully vaccinated Singaporean travellers in November,’ the prime minister said.
‘This is another significant milestone in our step by step approach to safely reopening to the world that we outlined in the National Plan.’
The announcement comes after double-dosed Kiwi travellers were welcomed back to Australia last month after the Trans-Tasman travel bubble was suspended following outbreaks of the Delta strain on either side of the ditch.
‘This means within weeks Australia will be welcoming tourists from two of our top ten travel destinations,’ Mr Morrison said.
‘This is the billion dollar boost that Australia’s tourism industry has been waiting for.
‘Step by step, everything that we know and love about Australia is inching back to normal.’
As part of the arrangement any Singaporean citizen who is double-jabbed and can present a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of departure will be allowed to entry Australia without the mandatory 14 isolation period.
But travellers must fly into New South Wales or Victoria.
Scott Morrison announced the agreement in Rome at the G20 Leaders’ Summit, following talks with his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong (pictured together in 2019)
From 21 November, quarantine-free travel arrangements will be available for fully vaccinated Singaporeans travelling from Singapore who present a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of departure
Fully vaccinated Australians can also travel to Singapore under the same arrangement with international travel finally reinstated on Monday, meaning it is no longer necessary to to apply for an exemption to leave the country.
‘Many Australians live and work in Singapore and vice versa. The strong exchanges over many decades have been to the benefit of both our nations,’ Minister for Foreign Affairs Senator Marise Payne said.
‘It attests to the strength of our friendship and the effective management of Covid in each of our countries that we have been able to agree this early step in the reopening of normal travel.
‘As we continue with our shared regional recovery from the pandemic, the resumption of travel between Singapore and Australia will provide great opportunities to move forward.’
‘Step by step, everything that we know and love about Australia is inching back to normal,’ Scott Morison said. Pictured: Sydney Airport on November 1, 2021
Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Dan Tehan said described the reopening to Singapore as Australia’s ‘tourism comeback’.
‘Australia remains a popular, world-leading destination and this is just the start of our international tourism comeback,’ Minister Tehan said.
‘Australia’s tourism operators and the sector’s 660,000 workers will welcome back with open arms visitors from Singapore.
‘Quarantine-free arrivals demonstrate the success of our National Plan and the strength of our recovery.’
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