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  3. COVID-19 - Travel advice level changes

COVID-19 - Travel advice level changes

Last updated
Wednesday, 01/06/2022

 

We know many of you might be seeking to make travel insurance claims due to COVID-19 related disruptions. You’ve asked us for information about when we raised our travel advice levels for different destinations and globally as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Below is a list of the changes we made to raise the advice level for a destination overall or part of the destination to Level 3 'Reconsider your need to travel' or Level 4 'Do not travel'. We have included moves up to Level 2 ' Exercise a high degree of caution' when we raised other parts of the destination to Level 3 at the same time.

See Travel advice explained for further information on advice levels.

If this doesn’t answer your question, please contact us.

  • Global level changes
  • Outbound travel ban
  • China
  • South Korea
  • Italy
  • Iran
  • Cruises

Global level changes

13 March 2020

All Level 1 'Exercise normal safety precautions' and Level 2 - 'Exercise a high degree of caution' destinations were moved to Level 3 'Reconsider your need to travel'.

Level 3 'Reconsider your need to travel' and Level 4 'Do not travel' destinations and intra-destination regions remain the same

18 March 2020 A global Level 4 'Do not travel' advisory was introduced for all destinations. 
28 October 2021

The global Level 4 'Do not travel' advisory was removed. 

Destinations returned to individual levels based on a current assessment of risk. No destination was lowered below Level 2 'Exercise a high degree of caution'

Outbound travel ban

25 March 2020

Australian citizens and permanent residents are banned from leaving the country. Exemptions apply.

The travel ban and exemptions are managed by the Department of Home Affairs.

1 November 2021

Fully vaccinated Australian citizens and permanent residents are automatically exempt from the outward travel ban.

Unvaccinated Australian citizens and permanent residents must still seek an exemption to travel. 

18 April 2022 The emergency pandemic measures under the Biosecurity Act lapsed, ending the outbound travel ban. All Australian citizens and permanent residents can travel into and out of Australia without seeking an exemption to travel. 

China

23 January 2020 Wuhan to Level 3 'Reconsider your need to travel'
24 January 2020 Hubei to Level 4 'Do not travel'
28 January 2020

China overall to Level 3 'Reconsider your need to travel'

Hubei remained at Level 4 'Do not travel'

1 February 2020 China overall to Level 4 'Do not travel'

South Korea

23 February 2020

South Korea overall to Level 2 ' Exercise a high degree of caution'

Daegu and Cheongdo to Level 3 'Reconsider your need to travel'

5 March 2020

South Korea overall to Level 3 'Reconsider your need to travel'

Daegu to Level 4 'Do not travel'

Italy

1 March 2020

Italy overall to Level 2 'Exercise a high degree of caution'

10 small towns in Lombardy (Codogno, Castiglione d’Adda, Casalpusterlengo, Fombio, Maleo, Somaglia, Bertonico, Terranova dei Passerini, Castelgerundo and San Fiorano) and one in Veneto (Vo’ Euganeo) to Level 3 'Reconsider your need to travel'

10 March 2020

Italy overall to Level 3 'Reconsider your need to travel'

Region of Lombardy, and to the provinces of Modena, Parma, Piacenza, Reggio nell' Emilia, Rimini, Pesaro and Urbino, Alessandria, Asti, Novara, Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, Vercelli, Padova, Treviso, and Venezia to Level 4 'Do not travel'

Iran

29 February 2020 Iran overall to Level 4 'Do not travel'

Cruises 

9 March 2020 We advise Australians to reconsider cruising at this time.

 

 

 

Emergency consular assistance

The Australian Government provides 24-hour consular emergency assistance.

+61 2 6261 3305 from overseas

1300 555 135 from within Australia

For how we can help you overseas see the Consular Services Charter.

Enquiries and feedback

For non-urgent enquiries, or to provide feedback on consular services that you've recently received, contact us online.

For information on notarial services, email legalisations.australia@dfat.gov.au

To report a vulnerability you’ve identified on this website or to find out more about the department’s Vulnerability Disclosure Policy visit the DFAT website

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For more information go to about us.

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  • Home
  • Before you go
    • The basics
      • Destinations
      • Europe and the Schengen Area
      • Getting a foreign visa
      • Travel insurance
      • CHOICE travel insurance buying guide
    • Who you are
      • Academics
      • Colour, race, ethnicity, or religion
      • Dual nationals
      • Journalists
      • LGBTQIA+
      • Mature and older travellers
      • School leavers
      • Travelling with children
      • Travelling with a disability
      • Travelling with pets
      • Women
    • Activities
      • Adoption
      • Antarctica and the Arctic
      • Backpacking
      • Business
      • Living and working overseas
      • Marriage
      • Retiring overseas
      • Sports and adventure
      • Studying
      • Surrogacy
      • Volunteering
    • Major events
      • Cultural events
        • Travel overseas for Anzac Day
      • Religious events
        • Travel overseas for Ramadan
        • Travel overseas for Hajj
      • Sporting events
        • Rugby League Las Vegas 2025
    • Health
      • Infectious diseases
      • Going overseas for a medical procedure
      • Medical assistance overseas
      • Medication and medical equipment
      • Mental health
      • Organ transplant tourism
      • Pregnancy
      • Reciprocal health care agreements
      • What happens if you die overseas
    • Staying safe
      • Armed conflict
      • Assault
      • Cyber security
      • Earthquakes and tsunamis
      • Kidnapping
      • Natural disasters
      • Partying safely
      • Piracy
      • Protests and civil unrest
      • Scams
      • Severe weather
      • Sexual assault
      • Terrorism
      • Theft and robbery
    • Laws
      • Carrying or using drugs
      • Child sex offences
      • Female genital mutilation
      • Forced marriage
    • Getting around
      • Air travel
      • Boat travel
      • Cruising
      • Public transport
      • Road safety
  • Destinations
    • View all destinations
    • Africa
    • Americas
    • Asia
    • Europe
    • Middle East
    • Pacific
  • While you're away
    • When things go wrong
      • Arrested or jailed
      • Lost property
      • Medical assistance
      • Money problems
      • Someone is missing
      • Someone died
    • Crime overseas
      • Assaulted
      • Robbed or mugged
      • Sexually assaulted
    • Crisis or emergency
      • Earthquake
      • Severe weather
      • Volcanic eruption
      • Bushfire
      • Nuclear incident
    • Australia's biosecurity and border controls
  • Urgent help
  • Our services
    • Consular State of Play
      • Data
      • Case studies
      • Images
      • Videos
      • Audio
      • Historical data
    • Consular Services Charter
      • ميثاق الخدمات القنصلية (Arabic)
      • 领事服务章程 (Chinese Simplified)
      • 領事服務章程 (Chinese Traditional)
      • Panduan Layanan Konsuler (Indonesian)
      • 領事サービス憲章 (Japanese)
      • 영사 서비스 헌장 (Korean)
      • กฎบัตรว่าด้วยบริการต่าง ๆ ของกงสุล (Thai)
      • Quy định về Dịch Vụ Lãnh Sự (Vietnamese)
    • Communities
      • العربية (Arabic)
      • Bahasa Indonesia
      • 中文 简体 (Chinese Simplified)
      • 中文繁體 (Chinese Traditional)
      • 日本語 (Japanese)
      • 한국어 (Korean)
      • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
      • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
      • Filipino community
      • Indian community
    • Crises
    • News and updates
    • Notarial services
      • Documents we can legalise
      • Documents in Australia
      • Documents overseas
      • Certificate of No Impediment
      • Notarial forms
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    • Resources
      • Consular Privacy Collection Statement
    • Subscription
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