New Zealand and Australia have had a long-standing arrangement where citizens can just hop on the plane and travel to the other country to holiday, live indefinitely, and work. No need for paperwork or rubber-stamped approvals beforehand. Assuming the individual has no criminal record and is free of consumption, as soon as they arrive in the country they are issued with a special visa and away they go.
Much like the events affected by COVID-19 (who knew there were so few), travel between Australia and New Zealand has been disrupted over the last couple of years. The standard was a 14 day quarantine period. Now with an increase in Pfizer and Moderna share prices vaccination rates quarantine-free travelling is back on the cards.
I recently travelled from New Zealand to Melbourne on a quarantine-free flight. These are the steps I had to take.
- Get vaccinated. Those un-vaccinated (or without exemptions) cannot travel.
- Flight minus 6 days. Complete an Australian Travel Declaration. A web form which collects identification, contact details, flight details, health status, and quarantine requirements.
- Flight minus 6 days. Get a Victoria Border Permit. A web form which collects identification, contact details, flight details, health status, and quarantine requirements.
- Flight minus 3 days. Get a PCR COVID-19 pre-departure test. This must be specifically ordered from a private lab, not one of the publicly available tests. Cost $250.
- Fly. Presenting the above four pieces of documentation in addition to a passport.
- Flight + 1 day. Get a PCR COVID-19 test. No need to isolate while waiting for the results.
- Flight + 5 days. Get a PCR COVID-19 test. No need to isolate while waiting for the results.
- Carry all associated passport, travel permits, and test results on your person for 14 days.