Flying to Australia and Covid Tests...Confusing...

Forums › Travel (planes, train, cruise) › Flying to Australia and Covid Tests...Confusing...

LennonNZ

2449 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

#295733 19-Apr-2022 14:05

Next month I'm flying to Australia (Gold Coast Airport).

A couple of days ago "Australia" removed the need of covid test before going but

------------
https://www.qld.gov.au/internationalarrivalstoqld

Fully vaccinated international arrivals

Fully vaccinated international arrivals are not required to quarantine if they undertake a COVID-19 test within 24 hours of arrival and isolate until they receive a negative result.

Entering Queensland as a fully vaccinated international arrival

https://www.qld.gov.au/health/conditions/health-alerts/coronavirus-covid-19/current-status/public-health-directions/travelling-to-queensland/entering-queensland-from-overseas#vaccinated

If you are a fully vaccinated international arrival entering Queensland, you must get a COVID-19 test within 24 hours of your arrival in Queensland and quarantine at your residence, accommodation or boat (leaving only if necessary to obtain a COVID-19 test at an approved Queensland Government COVID-19 testing centre) until you receive a negative result.

The COVID-19 test must be a PCR test if you are a fully vaccinated international arrival and you:

have recovered from COVID-19 within the past 30 days, or
have COVID-19 symptoms on arrival, or
the country you departed from is exempt from Commonwealth pre-departure testing requirements for entry to Australia.

Otherwise, the COVID-19 test can be a PCR test or a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT).
-----------

So I need to get a test after I arrive and is a self test enough? (as it says approved testing center so probably not). I've not had Covid.

Oblivian

6941 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

#2903900 19-Apr-2022 14:45

Guessing one of the pages is outta date still

Don't forget we have our own pre flight stuff needed now or be turned away again too

https://www.travellerdeclaration.govt.nz/

Mighty Ape

Shop Mighty Ape for electronics, games, computers books and more (affiliate link).

BlueOwl

71 posts

Master Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#2903910 19-Apr-2022 14:57

I traveled to Melbourne and back a few weeks ago, went through all this and more.

When you arrive you'll just need to buy some RAT tests at a pharmacy or supermarket, and do the test. You shouldn't go out and about too much until you've done the test. If it's negative, all good - you're free to go anywhere. If it's positive then you need to let their health dept. know about it and quarantine at home or in a hotel for a week or so. Testing doesn't need to be supervised or anything. Yeah, it's a bit of an honesty thing.

You probably still need to do a Digital Passenger Declaration (DPD) to get into Aus. You might need to do a supervised pre-departure test before travelling - that's the one that is hopefully being removed soon - I had to do it when I went, it was expensive and time consuming.

LennonNZ

2449 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

#2903919 19-Apr-2022 15:08

The Pre-Departure test was removed Yesterday....(To Australia)

https://www.health.gov.au/health-alerts/covid-19/international-travel/inbound

Pre-departure testing

The Australian Government no longer requires people travelling to Australia to have a COVID-19 test before travel.

Of course before I come back I need to get a Covid Test ...

I found the IATA Travel Pass App is pretty good with all their information..

The DPD (To Australia) and the New Zealand Traveller Declaration (To NZ) are both needed still.

I guess the confusion is the line...

"COVID-19 test can be a PCR test or a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT)" . I guess a RAT doesn't have to be a supervised one....

BlueOwl

71 posts

Master Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#2903946 19-Apr-2022 15:53

Ok, good to know we don't need pre-departure tests into Aus now.

For travelling from Aus -> NZ you can book a pre-flight RAT test at https://www.histopath.com.au/ they have clinics in the major Aus airports for testing. Get there with plenty of time though, they can get busy.

KiwiSurfer

1108 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Lifetime subscriber

#2904052 19-Apr-2022 18:56

Just a tip: The IATA app is good for checking requirements but no more than that really. The App markets itself as an app to to capture your passport, vaccination and COVID test results and work out for you whether you can travel and pass this information on to partner airlines (such as Air NZ). For my trip to Melbourne last week I was only able to capture my passport into the app (and I believe my vaccination as well). Even though I went to a IATA accredited COVID testing location in NZ, the IATA app refused to acknowledge the result of my COVID test. Not sure why Air NZ is pushing people to use that app. I was able to self-check in fine at Air NZ without any need for any human intervention despite IATA app telling me I could not fly. That's how bad the IATA app is and thankfully Air NZ actually seems to have nothing to do with the IATA app (despite what their website and emails will tell you). In any case I was never asked at any point during my journey on Air NZ all the way from Auckland to Melbourne about my COVID vaccination nor my COVID test results (despite this not being provided to Air NZ beforehand)--however I did submit my DPD the night before with all required documentations so I wonder if the Australian government provides this information to the airlines ahead of time (making the IATA app redundant).

My assumption at this point is that a Digital Passenger Declaration (DPD) is still required. This can be easily done (even though it can be laborious process) via either mobile or web browser. I suggest doing it between 1-3 days before travel so you can submit all your documentation at the same time (there are certain documents it will only accept within x hours/days of travel). It will also tell you what you need. Another tip--when you get to the question where it asks if you have a vaccination certificate, you may need to press No. If you press Yes it will bring you to a QR scanner screen that only seems to be able to scan Australian QR certificates. Better to press No, and then the app will (IMHO confusingly) allow you to manually attach your non-Australian certificate instead.

Overall I found the process of traveling a lot smoother than I thought. I arrived at Auckland airport with plenty of time only to find I just had to self check in, scan my baggage at security and it was all over and done with in less than 15 minutes (actually may have been less than 10 even!) from check in to past security. The only snag in the process was at Melbourne where my Air NZ flight arrived at the same time as Thai and Singapore Airlines flights so security was a Zoo. The Australian self-passport machines wouldn't accept my passport (not sure if this is an issue for all NZ passports--I did notice a lot of people off my Air NZ flight joined the queue for manual passport checks--or if there was something particular about mine) but the officer took one look at my passport, tapped some keys on his computer and I was let through without question.

I return to NZ on Tuesday from Melbourne. Happy to report back on the process.

clinty

1129 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#2904058 19-Apr-2022 19:06

LennonNZ: Next month I'm flying to Australia (Gold Coast Airport).

A couple of days ago "Australia" removed the need of covid test before going but

------------
https://www.qld.gov.au/internationalarrivalstoqld

Fully vaccinated international arrivals

Fully vaccinated international arrivals are not required to quarantine if they undertake a COVID-19 test within 24 hours of arrival and isolate until they receive a negative result.

Entering Queensland as a fully vaccinated international arrival

https://www.qld.gov.au/health/conditions/health-alerts/coronavirus-covid-19/current-status/public-health-directions/travelling-to-queensland/entering-queensland-from-overseas#vaccinated

If you are a fully vaccinated international arrival entering Queensland, you must get a COVID-19 test within 24 hours of your arrival in Queensland and quarantine at your residence, accommodation or boat (leaving only if necessary to obtain a COVID-19 test at an approved Queensland Government COVID-19 testing centre) until you receive a negative result.

The COVID-19 test must be a PCR test if you are a fully vaccinated international arrival and you:

have recovered from COVID-19 within the past 30 days, or
have COVID-19 symptoms on arrival, or
the country you departed from is exempt from Commonwealth pre-departure testing requirements for entry to Australia.

Otherwise, the COVID-19 test can be a PCR test or a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT).
-----------

So I need to get a test after I arrive and is a self test enough? (as it says approved testing center so probably not). I've not had Covid.

So my reading of the line

"... quarantine at your residence, accommodation or boat (leaving only if necessary to obtain a COVID-19 test at an approved Queensland Government COVID-19 testing centre) until you receive a negative result."

is that you only need a PCR if you meet one of the three conditions - the last of which has now been removed by the Federal Government - and that will be at an approved centre. If you don't meet the three criteria, you stay until you get a negative result, which I guess could be on a store bought RAT - as long as you don't leave the premises to get it ie take it with you :)

It's a badly worded sentence tho

Clint

Kiwifruta

1422 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

#2904148 19-Apr-2022 23:18

Hey @LennonNZ, I live in Queensland. Unlike NZ, each state has its own set of rules.
So make sure you follow the Australian Federal Government and Queensland State Government rules when you enter Queensland.

Once you've returned a negative RAT, life is pretty much pre-COVID.

Masks, proof of being fully vaccinated (two doses plus booster) and checking in with the QLD government 'Check In' app are required for visits to hospitals, rest homes, prisons etc.

But I guess since you will arrive at the Gold Coast you have come for a holiday, so for you, life will just feel like pre-COVID. The odd person wears a mask, I assume they do so out of their own precautions and not as a requirement. There's no need to check in with the app, even if you see the app sign at a shop, you can safely ignore it, the shop keepers haven't gotten around to removing it.

Here is the link for the latest requirements.

https://www.qld.gov.au/health/conditions/health-alerts/coronavirus-covid-19

Nice time of year to arrive, the humidity has dropped off and it's cool enough to sleep at night without the aircon on.

cleggy2

155 posts

Master Geek

#2933559 23-Jun-2022 15:08

An update on flying from NZ (CHCH) to Brisbane. Appears no covid test is needed and the digital passenger declaration wasn't even asked for or checked. Neither was a vaccine pass.

Very confusing as the Queensland government website says vaccine pass required and covid test required within 48 hours of arrival. Weird.

As a side note, no one is wearing masks at the Brisbane domestic terminal.

Kiwifruta

1422 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

#2933562 23-Jun-2022 15:12

That's interesting to note that no one checked the vaccination pass. None of my family in NZ have been vaccinated and won't visit us until the vaccination requirement is dropped. But if no checking is happening maybe my mum can visit her grandkids after all.

P.S. the DPD requires a declaration of vaccine status. I'm not encouraging declaring a false declaration, so my mum will need to wait until the rule is relaxed.

larknz

965 posts

Ultimate Geek

ID Verified

Lifetime subscriber

#2933641 23-Jun-2022 17:05

I have just returned from Sydney. The DPD was checked at check-in but no follow up in Sydney. You also need th NZ travel pass to get back in. Again it was checked at check-in.

KiwiSurfer

1108 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Lifetime subscriber

#2933648 23-Jun-2022 17:32

I flew AKL-MEL and MEL-AKL about 2 months ago. I got the impression that while there were few in-person checking (I was not checked at all departing AKL nor arriving in MEL, checked on departure from MEL only briefly to confirm I had a pass for entry into NZ but nothing for arrival into AKL) However I think it is important to add that I got the impression there were back office checks happening following of electronic declarations etc. I am pretty sure had I not electronically submitted my details I would not have been able to to commence my journey at all. I suspect there is a lot more going on behind the scenes to ensure people who fail to submit the necessary electronic documentation are prevented from starting their journey. I wouldn't try and game the system assuming the lack of in-person checks means that there's no checking happening.