COVID-19 – MUST READ INFORMATION AND INSTRUCTIONS FOR AUSTRALIA AND FRENCH POLYNESIA

Since 18 April 2022, travellers to Australia are no longer required to undertake a COVID-19 pre-departure test before boarding their flight. However, transit destinations  and airlines may have additional requirements in place and travellers should contact their airline about the requirements for their specific flight.

Travellers to Australia must declare their vaccination status to enter Australia and must be able to provide appropriate supporting evidence. Travellers will need to present this at check-in for their flight to Australia.

Masks are mandatory on all international flights, including within airports.

Travel to Australia remains subject to the quarantine arrangements of each state and territory, which are subject to change. Certain arrivals into Australia, even with a negative COVID-19 test result, may still need to complete the mandatory 14-day quarantine on a user-pay basis for quarantine fees at a designated facility at their port of arrival. Unvaccinated travellers require an exemption to enter Australia.

More favourable entry rules may apply to certain arriving travellers who can prove they are fully vaccinated. To benefit from these arrangements, travellers vaccinated in Australia will need to present an Australian International COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate. Travellers vaccinated in other countries will be able to present certificates in formats that meet the certain criteria. See the Australian Passports Office website for guidance on foreign vaccination certificates.

Please note the Australian Department of Home Affairs manages entry and travel restrictions to and from Australia, including visas and travel exemptions. The Health Departments of each Australian State and Territory manage health regulations, including quarantine exemptions and fees. All Australian States and Territories have travel restrictions relevant to their jurisdiction that must be adhered to.

Travellers needing assistance with Home Affairs (e.g. visa or travel exemption) or health (e.g. quarantine advice and exemptions) enquiries must contact the relevant competent authorities in Australia directly. Non-Australian travellers (e.g. dual nationals or third country nationals seeking to transit Australia) should contact the relevant Australian authorities directly, seek consular assistance from their own country's nearest diplomatic or consular mission in Australia or contact their airline, cruise line, port agent, travel provider or employer as appropriate.

Australian authorities recommend submitting applications as early as possible. The earliest applications can be submitted is 3 months prior to the intended departure date, and no later than two weeks prior to departure. The Australian Consulate-General is unable to escalate Home Affairs or State and Territory related enquiries or applications, including those relating to exemptions.

All travellers should regularly check all the website links provided for the most up-to-date information regarding their situation and contact relevant authorities in Australia and overseas for assistance applicable to their circumstances. Travellers should also keep up to date with all travel restrictions and regulations both in Australia and overseas and should follow the advice of local authorities, including in French Polynesia, as measures and regulations can be subject to change at short notice.

Travelling to/from Australia

Please refer to:

Smartraveller information on Coronavirus (COVID-19) for Australian citizens and permanent residents of Australia, including on the ban on overseas travel from Australia which requires an Australian Border Force exemption if you do not meet the criteria for automatic exemptions. Supporting documentation may be required, including a statement from foreign authorities confirming you are also a citizen of or a resident in the foreign country you intend travelling to.

Department of Home Affairs updates on immigration and entry requirements for those coming to Australia, including for the immediate family of Australian citizens or permanent residents of Australia and foreign nationals needing to come to Australia or transit Australia.  Please also refer to COVID-19 – Your visa and travel questions answered to understand the visa and travel options available to you.

All travellers should check the website of the Australian Department of Health for COVID-19 advice for international travellers and COVID-19 FAQs for international travellers, as well as information on getting ready for quarantine, including on recommendations before you depart and what to expect on arrival as well as recommendations for when you’re in quarantine and how to look after your health and wellbeing.

Masks are mandatory for all international flights, including within airports. All travellers should read the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) statement on safe air travel – enhancing end-to-end mitigations – international.

All travellers arriving in Australia need to complete a Digital Passenger Declaration (DPD) from the Department of Home Affairs website and will have to show their DPD when they check in for your flight. The DPD can be started up to 7 days before a flight to Australia, but can only be submitted it within 72 hours. See the Smartraveller website for more information.

Foreign nationals currently in French Polynesia and who are seeking to travel to or transit through Australia must also check the website of the Department of Home Affairs for the most up-to-date information regarding their situation and apply for a visa where required and an exemption to come to Australia or transit Australia. All travellers arriving in or transiting through Australia also need to check the website of the relevant State or Territory government as Australian States and territories can apply their own travel restrictions and quarantine requirements.

Travelling to/from French Polynesia

Stay up to date with and follow the advice of local authorities. Stay also up to date with the Australian travel advice for French Polynesia on Smartraveller and the Canadian travel advice for French Polynesia and monitor news on our Facebook page at L'Australie en Polynesie Francaise.

Travellers over 12 years old are required to perform a COVID-19 antigen test within 24 hours of flight departure or a RT-PCR test within 72 hours of flight departure. The results of all tests must be negative and the medical certificate confirming this, issued by a Healthcare Professional (i.e. Doctor, Hospital, Medical Clinic, or Pharmacy) must be presented to airline staff at flight check-in.  Please consult Tahiti Tourisme and the State Services in French Polynesia for more information on the type of test accepted.

Unvaccinated travellers or travellers who are not fully vaccinated and over 12 years old will need to show a proof of a travel exemption and complete a statement of travel exemption (available on the website of the French High Commission in French Polynesia). Travellers subject to a travel exemption to French Polynesia are advised to undergo a 7-day self-isolation upon arrival.

Please note that additional requirements may apply in other transit destinations, and we recommend you check the local requirements with each transit destination’s local authorities, your airline company, cruise operator or travel agent.

A proof of vaccination status, a negative COVID-19 test performed within 24 hours or a certificate of recovery from COVID-19 within the last 4 months are still required when visiting hospital and clinic facilities. Wearing a face mask is mandatory on public transport (airplanes, boats, and buses) and health care facilities. Fines may apply for non-compliance to these regulations.

Sailboats and other vessels seeking to come to French Polynesia must contact the Joint Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in French Polynesia (JRCC PF) (email: [email protected] – phone: +689 40 54 16 16) and the Maritime Affairs Directorate of French Polynesia (email: [email protected] – phone: +689 40 54 45 00) for advice on entry conditions to French Polynesia by sea, noting additional health measures may apply.

Measures may be subject to change at short notice. For further information on requirements to enter French Polynesia, please check the websites of the French High Commission in French Polynesia, the Department of Health of French Polynesia and of the French Ministry for the Interior. Please also 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. Please also contact your airline, cruise line, port agent, travel provider or employer as appropriate.

COVID-19 pre-departure tests can be undertaken in French Polynesia at the Institut Louis Malarde – Fare COVID (location: corner of Rue des Poilus Tahitiens and Rue du 5 Mars 1797, email: [email protected], phone: +689 40 41 64 72 / +689 40 41 64 16 / +689 40 41 64 69). Local authorities advise tests do not require an appointment, although pre-registration is possible by email. Test results will be made available to travellers through internet with login details provided by Institut Louis Malarde personnel. Further information is available on the website of the Institut Louis Malarde. For other COVID-19 PCR testing centres in French Polynesia, including prices and processes, please check the COVID-19 testing information for travellers returning from the Islands of Tahiti on the website of Tahiti Tourisme.

Travellers should check with their airline and the authorities of the other countries they are travelling to which type of test they require. Travellers transiting the United States should also check with their airline or US authorities about the pre-departure test window for flying to the United States.

Information on COVID-19 vaccinations in Australia and French Polynesia

Australia – Up-to-date information about Australia’s national roll-out of COVID-19 Vaccination Program is available on the website of the Australian Department of Health. The COVID-19 vaccine will be voluntary and free and, if you choose not to have a COVID-19 vaccine, your eligibility for Government payments won’t be affected. Information on vaccines approved for use in Australia is available on the website of the Therapeutic Goods Administration. Australia’s COVID-19 Vaccination Program will prioritise the rollout of vaccines in Australia and will 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 has been launched with details of Australia’s approach to COVID-19 vaccination, including FAQs on COVID-19 vaccines for Australians overseas. Information is also available on Smartraveller. Australian authorities advise that, irrespective of receiving a COVID-19 vaccine, international travellers will still be required to meet other travel restrictions and measures such as pre-departure COVID-19 testing. 

French Polynesia – Information on COVID-19 vaccination programs in French Polynesia is available on the website of the Health Department of French Polynesia at Vaccination COVID-19. Local authorities advise COVID-19 vaccinations are currently free and not mandatory. Please check with local authorities on the availability of vaccines should you wish to be vaccinated.