Covid-19 – Traveling to Australia by JJ Smith May 22, 2020 written by JJ Smith May 22, 2020 1 Yes, the Australian borders are open! And you don’t need to be vaccinated to enter Australia. From 6 July 2022 Australia is open for quarantine-free travel to everyone! You don’t even need pre-departure tests. All travellers should be aware that: People entering Australia do not need to provide evidence of vaccination status People entering Australia do not need to complete the Digital Passenger Declaration or Maritime Travel Declaration People leaving Australia will not be asked to provide evidence of their vaccination status Unvaccinated visa holders do not need a travel exemption to travel to Australia Masks are still required on flights travelling to Australia. Source: https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/travel-restrictions. Information in this post: Traveling to Australia Preparing to travel to Australia from overseas Find a RAT (Rapid Antigen Tests) Check current border status for NZ and Australia New Zealand safe travel zone Travel to NZ from Australia (as at 17 January 2022) Travelling to Australia advice from Air New Zealand Current Vaccination levels in NZ and Australia Updated information on Trans-Tasman Bubble Traveling to Australia Traveling to Australia has almost gone back to normal. All the Covid precautions, apart from mask wearing, have gone. Even unvaccinated travelers are allowed to travel to Australia. You will not be asked about your vaccination status. Please note, that this may change at any stage, so check the below websites to check if there are any travel restrictions: Australian Government Entering and leaving Australia Air New Zealand Travelling or returning to Australia Old News (before June 28, 2022) Preparing to travel to Australia from overseas Follow the steps below when you are preparing to travel to Australia. Check if you are exempt from Australia’s travel restrictions Australian citizens, permanent residents and visa holders who are fully vaccinated for international travel purposes can travel to and from Australia without needing to apply for a travel exemption. Check if you can access reduced quarantine requirements Your vaccination status will impact the options available for travel to Australia. If you are fully vaccinated for international travel purposes, you may be eligible for reduced quarantine requirements when coming to Australia. However, this can vary depending on quarantine arrangements in the state or territory to which you are travelling. In general, you can only leave self-isolation once you receive a negative result from your rapid antigen test taken within 24 hours of arrival Before you book your flight, check the quarantine and other arrangements for the state or territory to which you are travelling. Make sure that you are prepared to comply with any requirements, including by providing any required information to the relevant state or territory, and complying with post-arrival testing requirements. This also includes complying with arrangements for unvaccinated or partially vaccinated children aged 12-17 years old. Obtain your foreign vaccination certificate If you were vaccinated overseas and you do not have an International COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate you must obtain a certificate from the country in which you received your vaccination. For more information see guidance on foreign vaccination certificates. Keep a hard copy or an electronic copy of your vaccination certificate. Airlines will check this when you check-in to your flight. If you cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons you must provide acceptable proof. Complete a Digital Passenger Declaration within 72 hours before your flight All passengers arriving by air into Australia should complete the Digital Passenger Declaration (DPD), unless they are flight crew. You can start your DPD seven days before your flight and submit it within 72 hours prior to your departure for Australia. This is because you must provide your health information and declaration (vaccination status and COVID-19 test result) within 72 hours before your flight. The DPD requests details that are considered critical health information. Undertake a pre-departure COVID-19 test A negative COVID-19 test result is required for travelling to Australia. When you check-in to your flight you need to provide: evidence of a negative COVID-19 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test or other Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT) taken within 3 days of your flight’s scheduled departure, or a medical certificate as evidence of a negative Rapid Antigen Test taken under medical supervision within 24 hours before your flight’s scheduled departure to Australia. You can find information about the evidence you need to provide at the Department of Health. Where you can also find information about exemptions from pre-departure testing. If your flight is delayed, you will still be considered to have met the pre-departure testing requirements. You will not need a new test. However, if your flight is re-scheduled or cancelled, you will need to provide evidence of a negative COVID-19 PCR or other NAAT test taken no more than 3 days before the re-scheduled flight, or a Rapid Antigen Test taken under medical supervision within 24 hours before the re-scheduled flight. At the airport Travellers need to be prepared to present the below documentation to your airline: proof that you meet Australia’s definition of fully vaccinated for international travel purposes, or proof that you cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons. For information on proof, see Vaccinated Travellers evidence of the negative pre-departure Covid-19 PCR test as outlined above evidence of an approved Commissioner’s exemption to travel to Australia (where relevant) evidence that you hold a visa, where not an Australian citizen (or NZ Citizen) the usual travel documentation including passport, immigration and customs declarations etc. evidence that you have provided critical health information, which includes your contact details for Australia, a declaration as to your vaccination status and travel history for the previous 14 days. This is via the Digital Passenger Declaration, submitted prior to departure as outlined above evidence of your approved modified quarantine arrangements (where relevant) Read more on the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs website. What you need to do once you arrive in Australia You will need to check that the below is correct for the state or territory you are travelling to, but for most destinations you will need to follow the below steps. Fully vaccinated passengers arriving from overseas All international passengers travelling to Australia must comply with Australian Government entry requirements. Upon arrival into most states, passengers who are fully vaccinated must: Go straight to your home or accommodation. Take a COVID-19 rapid antigen test (see below). Self-isolate until you get a negative test result (if your 24 hour result is negative you may leave self-isolation). Take another rapid antigen test on or after day 6. Don’t visit high risk places for at least 7 days after arrival, and only if you have had a negative test on or after day 6. Find out your requirements state by state – https://www.australia.gov.au/states. People who are not fully vaccinated arriving from overseas If you are not fully vaccinated and are arriving in NSW from an overseas location, you will need to go into 7-day mandatory hotel quarantine. To check if you are fully vaccinated, please visit the Australian Government website as other countries may have different definitions of what it is to be fully vaccinated. Find a RAT (Rapid Antigen Tests) One of the main problems facing New Zealanders traveling to Australia is getting hold of a RAT (Rapid Antigen Tests), so they can complete their 24 hour Covid-19 test and get out of quarantine. However, there have been major problems getting a hold of one. Therefore I highly recommend you plan for this before you leave NZ and get it delivered to your quarantine location. A new website is helping desperate people get their hands on rapid antigen tests (RATs) as demand for the DIY kits soars during the Omicron surge. The website ‘Find a RAT’ launched on Monday the 3rd January and acts as a testing kit locator, helping people across the country find testing kits in their area. You can purchase a RAT online through Finder.com.au. Check current border status for NZ and Australia With the constantly changing states of both the New Zealand and Australia borders you need to make sure you are eligible to travel before you book everything in. Here are the links to check if you are wanting to travel between Australia and New Zealand: Travel restrictions and exemptions to Australia (Australia Government) – https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/travel-restrictions Travel with Australia (NZ Government) – https://covid19.govt.nz/travel/international-travel-and-transit/quarantine-free-travel/travel-with-australia/ International travel and COVID-19 (Department of Health) – https://www.health.gov.au/health-alerts/covid-19/international-travel State and Territory Information – https://www.australia.gov.au/states Travel into New South Wales – https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/travel-restrictions Travel into Queensland – https://www.qld.gov.au/health/conditions/health-alerts/coronavirus-covid-19/current-status/public-health-directions/travelling-to-queensland/entering-queensland-from-overseas Travel into South Australia – https://www.covid-19.sa.gov.au/travel/international-travel Travel into Tasmania – https://www.coronavirus.tas.gov.au/travellers-and-visitors/coming-to-tasmania Travel into Victoria – https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/information-overseas-travellers Travel into Western Australia – https://www.wa.gov.au/government/covid-19-coronavirus/covid-19-coronavirus-travel-wa New Zealand safe travel zone One-way quarantine-free travel is available to New Zealand passport holders and eligible travellers from New Zealand travelling to participating Australian states and territories. To be eligible, you must meet the requirements for Travelling from New Zealand to Australia quarantine-free. If you meet the eligibility requirements you do not need to apply for a travel exemption. You must meet all other entry requirements for Australia, including immigration, customs and biosecurity clearance. Quarantine arrangements are managed by individual states and territories. All travellers are advised to check the arrangements in both their place of arrival and final destination before they travel. To find out about quarantine arrangements check State and Territory Information for travellers. Further travel advice is available at Smartraveller. For more information, see the Australian Government’s Department of Health: Coronavirus (COVID-19) advice for international travellers Note: Any change in the COVID-19 situation in Australia and New Zealand could lead to pausing or suspending quarantine-free travel arrangements without notice. You are responsible for managing any disruption to your travel plans, including if your return to Australia is delayed. Travelling from New Zealand to Australia quarantine-free You can participate in quarantine-free travel from New Zealand to Australia if you meet the eligibility requirements. To be eligible, you must: be fully vaccinated with a completed dosage of a vaccine approved or recognised by Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) children under 12 and people who are medically exempt from COVID-19 vaccination can access the same arrangements as fully vaccinated travellers arrangements are also in place to allow unvaccinated or partially vaccinated children aged 12-17 years to travel with a fully-vaccinated adult. Travellers should check the specific requirements with the state or territory to which they are travelling present a negative Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test taken within 3 days of the departing flight to Australia (unless a medical exemption applies) provide a declaration that you have spent at least 14 days before travel in either Australia or New Zealand if you are not an Australian or New Zealand passport holder, or an eligible visa holder. You must also meet the health, immigration and other standard border clearance requirements in each country. States and territories are responsible for determining and managing quarantine arrangements. Before you travel, check quarantine arrangements with the relevant state or territory. You do not need to be a New Zealand citizen to travel to Australia from New Zealand quarantine-free if you meet the above criteria, but you will need a valid visa to enter Australia. New Zealand citizens do not need to apply for a visa before coming to Australia. If eligible, they will be granted a Special Category visa (subclass 444) (SCV) on arrival. Before you travel to Australia, you should complete the Australia Travel Declaration (ATD) at least 72 hours before departure. The ATD collects your contact details in Australia, flight details, quarantine requirements and your health status. This information helps the Australian Government determine your quarantine arrangements (if required) and allows the relevant health departments to contact you if someone you travelled with tests positive for COVID-19. Penalties will apply for giving false and misleading information, including potential criminal prosecution for providing false or misleading information. This is set out in s137.1 of the Criminal Code Act 1995. Travel exemption requirements You will only need to apply for a travel exemption before you travel to Australia if: you are not an Australian or New Zealand passport holder; and you have been in Australia or New Zealand for less than 14 days before your planned departure (including travellers who are transiting New Zealand) or you intend to travel to Australia by sea. COVID-19 outbreak locations A list of New Zealand’s COVID-19 outbreak locations are available at Ministry of Health NZ. If you have been to any of these locations during the times specified, you will need to identify this on your Australia Travel Declaration (ATD). Arrival in Australia If you arrive in Australia on a quarantine-free flight, you may be guided through a separate pathway for quarantine-free travellers. These arrangements are determined by the state/territory in which you arrive. For further information for travellers arriving on quarantine-free flights is available at Department of Health. Source: https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/new-zealand. Travel to NZ from Australia (as at 7 January 2022, still current at 17 January 2022): For the latest information on quarantine-free travel between Australia and New Zealand, see our New Zealand Travel Zone page and New Zealand’s Travel With Australia page. Check the latest requirements before you book your travel. Managed Isolation and Quarantine (MIQ) has been extended from 7 to 10 days. See NZ COVID-19 for information about MIQ and whether you’ll need to contribute to the cost of your stay. Most travellers will need a negative COVID-19 (PCR or RT-PCR) test taken within 48 hours of the scheduled departure of their first international flight (previously 72 hours). Other types of COVID-19 test will no longer meet requirements for entering New Zealand. If travelling from some jurisdictions, including Australia, you can provide results from a supervised negative rapid antigen test (RAT), or a supervised loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) test, taken within 24 hours of your departure. See the NZ COVID-19 website. If you’re not a New Zealand citizen, you need to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to enter or transit New Zealand. You’ll need proof of vaccination with your last dose of an approved vaccine at least 14 days before you travel. See NZ COVID-19 for details. To be recognised as fully vaccinated in New Zealand and get a My Vaccine Pass, apply to have all your overseas vaccinations added to New Zealand’s COVID Immunisation Register (CIR). This process takes up to 10 working days. Once your overseas vaccinations have been processed, and you’ve received any additional doses you may need, will you be able to request a My Vaccine Pass. Be prepared for the possibility of an extended stay or disruption to your travel if authorities implement measures in response to COVID-19 outbreaks. Travel into New Zealand from some countries is restricted. Additional measures apply if you meet the conditions to be permitted to enter New Zealand from a country considered very high risk. If you’re transiting a country for more than 96 hours that is not on New Zealand’s exempt list, you’ll need to be tested before leaving that country. If you arrive without evidence of a negative COVID-19 test or medical certificate you may incur an infringement offence fee or a fine of up to NZD1,000 (except those arriving from an exempt country). Source: https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/pacific/new-zealand. You can see if you are eligible to enter Australia on the Australia Government Department of Home Affairs website: https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/coming-australia. Travelling to Australia advice from Air New Zealand (17 January 2022) International travel has changed. There are extra steps to take before you fly to your destination and before your return journey. You can get prepared and find the updated requirements for your trip here: https://www.airnewzealand.co.nz/covid19-international-travel. Key things to do for international travel during COVID-19 Find out the travel & health requirements for your destination & transit points Arrange any pre-travel testing you may need before you fly Check you have the correct declaration forms for all directions of travel Check isolation requirements. Make arrangements for isolation or somewhere to stay if your plans change Ensure you’re fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and your vaccine certificate is intended for international travel Check you have obtained any visas you require and that your passport is valid Securely add your passport and contact details to your booking Research current travel requirements Air New Zealand has created a very useful tool for checking the travel requirements for your destination, transit points and return journey. Please check the travel regulations carefully before you travel to understand the visa, entry, testing and quarantine requirements for each person you are booking to fly. The information reflects current requirements which may change at short notice and therefore the information contained is guidance only. You should independently check all relevant travel, health and entry requirements before you travel. Visit their Travel Alerts page for travel updates and news about travel restrictions. I completed the form using NZ as my depart point, Australia as my destination, nationality as NZ and residency as NZ and this is the information supplied: Border Restrictions Passengers are not allowed to enter. This does not apply to the immediate family members of nationals of Australia. This does not apply to passengers who have only been in Australia or New Zealand in the past 14 days. This does not apply to passengers with a COVID-19 vaccination certificate showing that they were fully vaccinated at least 7 days before departure and a visa issued by Australia listed at https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/vaccinated-travellers , and their accompanying minors younger than 12 years. Vaccines accepted are AstraZeneca (Vaxzevria), AstraZeneca (Covishield), Covaxin, Janssen, Moderna (Spikevax), Pfizer-BioNTec (Comirnaty), Sinopharm (BIBP) (for passengers younger than 60 years only) and Sinovac. This does not apply to passengers with a visa issued by Australia listed at https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/vaccinated-travellers and a medical certificate of contraindication showing that they can’t be vaccinated. The certificate must be in English. More information can be found at https://tinyurl.com/yckfk3fy This does not apply to passengers with a Special Purpose Visa. Covid-19 test and vaccination requirements Most travellers require a Covid-19 test or vaccination. Passengers entering or transiting through Australia must have a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken at most 3 days before departure from the first embarkation point. Details can be found at https://tinyurl.com/y398dxv4 . This does not apply to passengers younger than 5 years. Passengers traveling above the passenger caps, must have a COVID-19 vaccination certificate showing that they were fully vaccinated at least 7 days before departure. Vaccines accepted are AstraZeneca (Vaxzevria), AstraZeneca (Covishield), Covaxin, Janssen, Moderna (Spikevax), Pfizer-BioNTec (Comirnaty), Sinopharm (BIBP) (for passengers younger than 60 years only) and Sinovac. This does not apply to passengers younger than 12 years. Health Form/App Requirements There are no health form requirements for most travelers. Quarantine Requirements Some travelers will need to go under a quarantine. Passengers could be subject to quarantine for 14 days at the first point of entry; details can be found at https://www.australia.gov.au/states. Other Please check further requirements as they may apply. Passengers must have a “Travel Declaration” form and present it at time of check-in. The form can be found at https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/australia-travel-declaration Passengers with an APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) must travel with a passport. The passport number and nationality must match those stated on the card. Soruce: https://www.airnewzealand.co.nz/covid19-international-travel. Current Vaccination levels in NZ and Australia (16 January 2022) The biggest vaccination campaign in history is well under way. Delivering billions of doses is one of the greatest logistical challenges ever undertaken. Vaccinations administered in NZ Last updated 16 January 2022 (https://covid19.govt.nz/alert-levels-and-updates/covid-19-data-and-statistics/) 3,988,847 First dose administered 3,895,725 Second dose administered 35,481 Third dose administered 95% Eligible population with 1 dose 93% Eligible population with 2 doses 742,123 Booster doses administered Vaccinations administered in Australia Last updated 14 January 2022 (https://www.smh.com.au/interactive/2021/coronavirus/vaccine-tracker/) 20,891,525 First dose administered 20,006,998 Second dose administered 4,864,238 Third dose administered as booster 94% Eligible population with 1 dose 92% Eligible population with 2 doses Updated information on the Trans-Tasman Bubble I will continue to search Australia and New Zealand news websites and keep the information on this page up to date. As soon as there are major announcements on when the Trans-Tasman Bubble will happen I will email the newsletter database, so make sure you subscribe to our monthly newsletter (right side or bottom of screen). Can I help you find something else? If you need advice on moving to Australia from New Zealand, I’ve created a helpful little questionnaire to point you in the right direction. It takes less than 30 seconds, so give it a go! Australian VisaForeign Exchange/Money TransferMoving Company to AustraliaOpen an Australian Bank Account 22 comments FacebookPinterest JJ Smith previous post COVID-19 Help for New Zealanders living in Australia next post Coronavirus Australia – Victoria back into lockdown You may also like A better life across the ditch (updated 2025) February 28, 2010 Have you found this information helpful? October 26, 2023 Do you have to pay tax on money... November 6, 2019 Subscribe to moving to Australia’s newsletter August 8, 2022 Australia opens to international tourists after Covid Pandemic February 23, 2022 Global Shipping Crisis Caused by COVID-19 May 31, 2021 Pfizer vaccine approved for use in Australia January 25, 2021 Sydneysiders ‘on track’ to be allowed into SA... January 25, 2021 Australia suspends travel bubble with NZ for at... January 25, 2021 Australia borders reopening December 11, 2020 22 comments Tim April 15, 2022 - 8:10 am Hi JJ, First of all, I really admire all your efforts in managing this page, just solely for the purpose of helping others!! This website is very organised, informative, and your responses to our queries were also professional !! Keep it up 🙂 I’m from Auckland, and had been planning a short-term stay in Sydney & Melbourne for 4 months, starting from end of August this year. So, firstly I’d like to know, if there’s any essential phone apps I’d need to set up before landing, say for registering QR code for Covid tracing, and showing Vaccine pass? I’ve also registered myGov today, but it seems like passport with approved visa is first required, before I can register an IHI, upload my NZ Vaccine record, and to proceed on other Member services. Please also advise if there’s any tasks I need to complete online, prior to landing. Many thanks, Tim Reply JJ Smith May 5, 2022 - 2:27 am Hi Tim, Thanks for your comment and kind words. Sorry for the delay in replying, I was on a family holiday and are slowly catching up. Regarding traveling to Australia and Covid-19, I recommend waiting until the start of August to see what the requirements there are then. A lot of the Covid requirements, testing and QR scanning, are being dropped and could be nothing by August. Yes you will need to wait until you have passed through border control in Australia and been granted an SCV before you can register for a lot of services in Australia. Please feel free to email me back closer when you leave and I can update you on any requirements. My Australian Tax – what you need to know post should be of interest to you: https://www.staging.movingtoaustralia.co.nz/australian-tax-what-you-need-to-know/. Thanks Reply Andrei March 10, 2022 - 1:31 pm Hi there! Thanks for the email, just wondering if unvaccinated restrictions will come down moving from NZ to Australia? Thanks for advice Andrei Reply JJ Smith March 10, 2022 - 11:56 pm Hi Andrei, Thanks for your email. Unfortunately I can not find anything positive on the restrictions for unvaccinated travelers changing. Unless of course you cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons. From everything I’ve read you will need to get an exemption to travel to Australia: You can request an individual exemption if you are unvaccinated or not able to prove you meet Australia’s definition of fully vaccinated for international travel purposes. An individual travel exemption will not be approved solely on the basis of a claim that you do not meet the Australia’s definition of fully vaccinated for international travel purposes. Clear and specific evidence is required to demonstrate that you meet one of the travel exemption categories listed below. If you do not meet Australia’s definition of fully vaccinated for international travel purposes, you may be considered for an individual travel exemption by the Commissioner of the Australian Border Force or decision makers if you are: – a foreign national – student (that meets one of the exemption requirements) – travelling for compassionate and compelling reasons. You can read the full requirements here: https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/travel-restrictions. However, at some stage they will change and return to normal. Covid won’t rule the borders forever. But I have no idea how long that will be. Sorry I couldn’t be of more help. Thanks Reply Jason October 20, 2021 - 11:55 am Hey there! I’ve come across your website while reading a recent Stuff article – just thought I’d get in touch as I am wondering if you have any up-to-date info re: moving to Aus from NZ presently? Are they still taking kiwis? I know we will still have to do/pay for the 2 week hotel miq. But if we are okay with that – is it still possible to move? I have applied and interviewed for a job based in Sydney – and I’m in Auckland. So just wanting to check I could actually get into Sydney if I’m successful. Any response/help very greatly appreciated 🙂 Cheers Jason Reply JJ Smith October 20, 2021 - 2:14 pm Hi Jason, Yes you can travel to Sydney if you get the job. However, because you are in Auckland you will have to quarantine: Arriving into NSW All travellers arriving from New Zealand are required to complete an Australian Traveller Declaration form (ADT) providing their name and contact details. Quarantine requirements Provided there are no risks and there are no New Zealand hotspots, travellers from New Zealand do not need to quarantine if: – They and people on their flight have only been in Australia or New Zealand in the 14 days prior to arrival – They do not have COVID-19 symptoms – They have completed the ATD – They have not been to a New Zealand COVID-19 hotspot in the previous 14 days New Zealand COVID-19 hotspots are declared by the NSW Chief Health Officer and published on the NSW Health website as a Notice and a Determination. If a person arriving into NSW has been to a New Zealand COVID-19 hotspot, they must either immediately leave Australia or go into quarantine. Information regarding the rules about travelling into NSW from Zealand is available on the NSW Government website. All persons on a flight will need to quarantine if one person on board has been to a country other than Australia or New Zealand in the previous 14 days. Should there have been a traveller on the flight who has been in the Cook Islands in the previous 14 days, this requirement is waived. In this case, however, the person(s) who has been to the Cook Islands in the previous 14 days is required to quarantine. If you arrive in NSW form overseas and are instructed to quarantine in a hotel, you will be charged a fixed fee. Soruce: https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/factsheets/Pages/travellers-nz.aspx. Please feel free to email me back any further questions you have. Good luck with the job. Reply Deon August 5, 2021 - 11:37 pm Hi there, My fiancé and I have been discussing moving to Australia for around 2 years, COVID made us abandon the thoughts temporarily, I’m now starting to do a little research hence finding your site. I’m a signwriter and play baseball and my fiancé is a teacher and plays softball we both love the Gold Coast area particularly around Robina/surfers/Burleigh heads is where we have been looking at houses and such. A question we had is when we swap KiwiSaver to the Australian super do we have the ability to use that for a house deposit? Likelyhood would be planning a move over the next 12-24 months, is there a particular way you recommend planning? Regards, Deon Reply JJ Smith August 15, 2021 - 11:40 pm Hi Deon, Thanks for your comment. Lovely area you’re looking at moving to. You are able to use your KiwiSaver as a deposit for a home in Australia. You must have been in KiwiSaver for at least 3 years before you withdraw funds for your first home. You must leave $1,000 in your account. You will need to provide all of the necessary documents (for example, sale and purchase agreement) and ensure your solicitor is New Zealand licensed. You need to get in touch with your KiwiSaver provider as early as possible to discuss their requirements. You can withdraw from your KiwiSaver: your contributions, your employer’s contributions, the government contribution, interest you have earned and fee subsidies (if you got these). Funds transferred from an Australian Complying Superannuation scheme cannot be withdrawn. Unfortunately I cannot give you any further advice regarding using your Kiwisaver as a deposit on a house in Australia. Here is a link to my post Buying a house in Australia: https://www.staging.movingtoaustralia.co.nz/buying-a-house-in-australia/. Here is my moving to Australia process post: https://www.staging.movingtoaustralia.co.nz/moving-to-australia-process/. Please feel free to email me back any further questions you have. Good luck with your move. Reply Chloe July 30, 2021 - 2:39 am hi there, i have checked the Australian government site but it hasnt been updated recently, i dont suppose you know if new Zealanders are still allowed to enter perth without quarantine in the current conditions. we were hoping to book our tickets this week for late September as we are planning on moving to perth. kind regards chloe Reply JJ Smith July 30, 2021 - 2:40 am Hi Chloe, Thank you for your comment. New Zealand is part of WA’s controlled border arrangement (https://www.wa.gov.au/organisation/covid-communications/covid-19-coronavirus-controlled-border). Visit the Travelling to WA from New Zealand page for information about how this works (info is from 19 April): https://www.wa.gov.au/organisation/covid-communications/covid-19-coronavirus-travelling-western-australia-new-zealand. When travelling into WA, ensure you have a face mask, as they are mandatory on aircraft and at airports in WA unless you are under 12 or approved. You must complete a mandatory G2G PASS registration and declaration prior to travel. You need to scan your G2G PASS to exit Perth Airport, following a health screening: https://www.g2gpass.com.au/apply. Source: https://www.wa.gov.au/organisation/department-of-the-premier-and-cabinet/covid-19-coronavirus-travel-wa#fromos (updated 20 July 2021) The below should fill in any gaps from the above: travelling to Australia advise from Air New Zealand – https://www.airnewzealand.co.nz/covid19-international-travel. Therefore it looks like you can book and travel to Perth Australia quarantine free. However, I advise you call Air NZ to book, as they will be able to confirm the above. You can currently buy flights to Perth on Webjet, but I still recommend calling Air NZ. Please feel free to email me back any further questions you have. Good luck with your move. Thanks Reply Vagisha October 14, 2020 - 9:33 am Hi, I have been planning to move to Australia, Queensland, Brisbane as my whole family lives there, and i am finishing my studies in NewZealand and planning to move to Brisbane by the end of year. I am asking related to Trans-Tasman Bubble. Do we need to quarantine at a facility or self quarantine at home for 14 days related to Queensland border. If so what is documentation need before flying out from New Zealand? Reply Carmen September 8, 2020 - 1:53 am Hi I would like to move to Perth, and am in contact with someone who is keen to employ me from summer (so that’s the end of the year). I will basically just sell up what I have here and move (no furniture, etc.). How do I go about moving to Australia for a new job if the covid travel restrictions are still active? Reply JJ Smith October 13, 2020 - 11:24 pm Hi Carmen, Thank you for your comment and sorry for the delay in replying. Unfortunately Western Australia has a ‘hard border’ restriction in place, which will not lift it until phase 6 of the COVID-19 WA roadmap, they are currently at phase 4: https://www.wa.gov.au/organisation/department-of-the-premier-and-cabinet/covid-19-coronavirus-wa-roadmap. A tentative date for the removal of WA’s hard border was planned to be included as part of Phase 6, however, this was put on hold due to the rapidly evolving situation in Victoria. When an indicative date is set in the future, it will be contingent on locally acquired infection rates in the eastern states. The WA hard border will only be removed when the WA Chief Health Officer is confident the spread of infection is controlled in the eastern states. The best place to find out when WA’s borders will reopen is the above site. I will also be keeping my newsletter subscribers up to date with any major changes in travel between NZ and Australia. Sorry I could not be of more help. Reply Shawna June 15, 2020 - 10:43 pm Hi there I wanted your assistance with information regarding moving from Auckland to Sydney, hopefully by end of July, with a dog (whippet staffy cross) and probably about a half container worth of belongings. What am I able to do during this Covid time? Many thanks I’m very stupid when it comes to this so any help would be great I have accomodation lined up already Shawna Reply JJ Smith June 17, 2020 - 1:08 am Hi Shawna, Thank you for your comment. Currently Australia’s borders are closed. Only Australian citizens, residents and immediate family members can travel to Australia. You can see if you are eligible to enter Australia on the Australia Government Department of Home Affairs website: https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/coming-australia. If you are eligible you may need to undergo enhanced health screening on arrival in Australia and then all arrivals will be quarantined for 14 days and state and territory travel restrictions may also apply. Coronavirus (COVID-19) information for international travellers: https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-information-for-international-travellers. Hope the above helps. Please feel free to email me back any further questions you have. Reply Karen June 3, 2020 - 9:24 am Any news on when we might see the trans tasman bubble happen? Reply JJ Smith June 3, 2020 - 9:25 pm Hi Karen, Thanks for your comment. I’ve heard September from one source and July from another. We won’t know until the Government makes the announcement. As soon as it is confirmed I will email the newsletter database. Thanks Reply John May 22, 2020 - 5:59 pm We sold our home in Auckland and were cashed up ready to go on 26th April 2020…then COVID stopped everything. We are ready to fly when trans Tasman bubble allows flights to Queensland. Question… can you throw any light on the recent RBA meeting / announcement re the $50,000 offer to new immigrants to buy / build new homes, to assist the building industry get going again. Reply JJ Smith May 25, 2020 - 2:22 am Hi John, Thank you for your email. Unfortunately I have heard from a few people in the same boat as you. Let’s hope the Trans-Tasman bubble opens sooner than later. I’ve read up on the proposed ‘New home boost’, $50k to home builders. At this stage is still under discussion – https://www.news.com.au/finance/economy/australian-economy/plan-to-give-new-homebuyers-50000-to-kickstart-economy/news-story/d310cada98c23f314f9b44e5a7391ea3. However, you would still be able to apply for a First Home Owners Grant (FHOG) if you brought a new home – https://www.staging.movingtoaustralia.co.nz/are-new-zealand-citizens-eligible-for-australias-first-home-owners-grant/. Make sure you register with either XE or OFX to transfer your money to Australia, as they will save hundreds to thousands with rates that the banks will never match – https://www.staging.movingtoaustralia.co.nz/foreign-exchange-money-transfer/. Please feel free to email me back any further questions you have. Good luck with your move, when you can move. Reply Marcel May 22, 2020 - 2:50 am How can this happens so quickly when some states like WA and SA are still not opening their interstate borders? Reply JJ Smith May 22, 2020 - 3:52 am Hi Marcel, Thanks for your comment. We still don’t know when the Trans-Tasman bubble will happen. It’s more the that they are getting ready for it. Thanks Reply Marcel May 25, 2020 - 12:59 am Hi JJ, Thanks for your quick response. I am hoping for this T-T bubble to happen soonest and get on the plane : – ) Will keep looking out for the latest update. Stay safe and well, Marcel Reply Leave a Comment Cancel Reply Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
