Australia Ready to Release COVID Vaccine Passport

As Australia gears up to allow international travel for its citizens and permanent residents, the federal government is ready to release its international vaccine passport.

Individuals wanting to go overseas or return home will have access to an international proof-of-vaccination certificate starting 19 October, bringing overseas travel a step closer as the country nears the first major vaccination milestone in the recovery plan.

Australians and Australian visa holders who have their COVID-19 vaccinations recorded on the Australian Immunisation Register will be able to download and print out a vaccination certificate and add a ‘digital vaccination passport' to their smartphone wallet and compatible apps such as the Travel Pass used by Qantas and many other airlines.

The launch of the international proof of vaccination is a key step towards safely reopening international borders and supporting Australia's COVID-19 economic recovery.
Federal Minister for Employment, Workforce and Skills, Stuart Robert

How to Access Australia’s Vaccine Passport

The international certificate will be available by accessing your Medicare account through the myGov website, or from directly within the Medicare Express smartphone app.

The cornerstone of the paper and digital systems will be a secure QR code which contains information on the type of vaccine used and the dates it was administered, and which conforms to the new global standard specified by the International Civil Aviation Organisation to be used by airlines, airports and border authorities around the world.

Government officials said the Visible Digital Seal technology within the international proof of vaccination is world-leading and as secure as an Australian passport.

Reopening of Australia’s NSW International Travel

International flights from Sydney are set to resume from 1 November as New South Wales (NSW) removes the need for fully-vaccinated travellers to enter mandatory quarantine, with proof of vaccination being a condition of travel on most airlines as well as to enter many countries as borders reopen.

The removal of the international travel ban means citizens, permanent residents and their families will be able to leave the country without obtaining special government approval.

There will be no caps on overseas arrivals of people who have received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine recognised by the federal government.

Currently, Australia recognises Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, Sinovac, and Covishield for international travellers.

The New South Wales government said in a media release that overseas arrivals who are not fully vaccinated will be capped at 210 people per week, and will be required to undergo mandatory 14-days hotel quarantine.

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