Official announcement: Australia to reopen its borders in November, recognising Chinese vaccines

Australia plans to reopen its international borders in November, allowing citizens and permanent residents who have received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine to return home. This signals the end of a border closure that has lasted as long as 19 months.

At a press conference this morning, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced that the international travel ban is expected to be formally lifted in November, once Australia's vaccination rate reaches 80%.

All Australian citizens and permanent residents who have received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine will be allowed to undertake 7 days of home quarantine after returning to Australia. Those who have not been vaccinated will still be required to complete 14 days of hotel quarantine at a government-approved facility.

Exit restrictions on fully vaccinated Australian citizens and PRs will also be removed.

In addition, the new border reopening policy strictly requires all international travellers returning to Australia to have received a vaccine approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), including the recently approved Chinese and Indian vaccines.

The timing of border reopenings will vary between states, with New South Wales expected to be the first to welcome returning travellers. The Queensland Premier stated that, once official documentation is received from the federal government, a plan will be developed to announce reopening arrangements.