Visas & Immigration is a popular topic at the Australian Frequent Flyer. When travelling overseas, you certainly need to have a good understanding of immigration procedures, including getting the required visas to the countries you are planning on visiting.
The days of travel bans and restrictions in Australia are largely over, with the government officially ending the Biosecurity Emergency Period yesterday. The Australian government initially invoked this emergency period on 15 March 2020, as the coronavirus pandemic was in its infancy. The federal government then continuously extended this period for a total of 25 … Continued
Australian passport application and renewal processing times have increased dramatically in recent weeks as more Aussies prepare to travel overseas again. In the months before Australia removed its international travel ban in late 2021, many people reported that their passport applications were processed in just a few days. But demand has since picked up considerably, … Continued
People arriving in Australia will no longer be required to get a pre-departure COVID-19 test, effective from 17 April 2022. This is the date that the federal government’s current Biosecurity Emergency Determination period will lapse. Health Minister Greg Hunt confirmed yesterday that, “following medical advice”, the government will not renew this when it expires next month. … Continued
Singapore will scrap its Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) scheme, with quarantine-free travel to Singapore available to anyone who is vaccinated from 1 April 2022. There will still be some basic entry requirements to travel to Singapore under the new “Vaccinated Travel Framework” (VTF), which will replace the VTL scheme from next month. But arriving passengers … Continued
As far as international borders go, Asia has been one of the last parts of the world to relax COVID-19 restrictions and reopen their countries to tourists. But the tide is now starting to turn, with many Southeast Asian nations now welcoming back visitors from overseas. Singapore and Thailand already reopened late last year, albeit … Continued
Australians will finally be allowed to travel quarantine-free to New Zealand once again on 13 April 2022, with the New Zealand government yesterday announcing the much-anticipated reopening of the country’s border. From 11.59pm on 12 April, Australians will be allowed to enter New Zealand without needing to quarantine. Travellers will just need to be fully … Continued
The first Jetstar flight from Melbourne to Bali in almost two years will take off this morning, taking almost 300 Australians to the Indonesian holiday destination. Flight JQ43 will take off from Melbourne at 9.55am this morning, with the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner arriving at 12.45pm local time. Many of the passengers on board would have … Continued
A Qantas passenger is $79 out of pocket after staff refused to let her check-in without a COVID test certificate that she didn’t actually need. The passenger, who is the wife of AFF member gidxg03, was travelling with Qantas from Melbourne to London via Darwin, with an onward connection to Ireland. At the time of … Continued
Today, Australia’s international border reopens to tourists for the first time since it was slammed shut on 20 March 2020. This is great news for people who’ve been trying to get to Australia and haven’t been allowed in for the past 23 months. It’s also cause for optimism among Australia’s tourism operators. There will no … Continued
Western Australia will reopen its border on 3 March 2022, Premier Mark McGowan has announced. From this date, Australians will be allowed to enter WA from interstate if they are triple vaccinated (if eligible), have a registered G2G Pass and take a rapid antigen test within 12 hours of arrival. Passengers will also be allowed … Continued
Passengers travelling via Singapore in international transit will no longer need a pre-flight COVID-19 test from 22 February 2022. Singapore has also relaxed its requirements for passengers entering the country quarantine-free on a Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) flight. Changes to Singapore transit rules Currently, anyone flying through Singapore in international transit is required to get … Continued
The Australian government’s new Digital Passenger Declaration (DPD) will replace the current Australia Travel Declaration (ATD) form from Friday, 18 February 2022. The DPD will also eventually replace the paper incoming passenger cards that currently need to be filled out on the plane when flying into Australia. Everyone arriving in Australia on or after 18 … Continued
