The Latest COVID-19 Travel Restrictions

Gone are the times when you would pick a holiday destination, pack your bags, and head off on your long-awaited trip! Nearly two years and the resilient COVID-19 still affects our lives, especially our travel plans. Everything can quickly get overwhelming, from border controls and entry requirements to airline rules, even for habitual travellers. Looking for up-to-date travel guidance? You have come to the right place.

Some good news? Round-the-world flights just got much easier. Many countries worldwide have discontinued mandatory quarantine, with most European destinations abolishing the remaining entry requirements. It’s advisable to pay attention to the following guidelines to avoid last-minute surprises.

Abbreviations explained:

Q- Mandatory quarantine

V- Entry restricted to fully vaccinated travellers only

T- Testing and/or health declaration requirements

U- Special requirements for unvaccinated travellers

I- COVID-19 health insurance.

Guidance for Air Travel through the COVID-19

Asia and the Pacific

Whether you target the breathtaking Fiji Islands, the stunning Batu Caves in Malaysia, the Heavenly Paradise in New Caledonia, or the Chocolate Hills in the Philippines, these countries open their arms to you. However, they restrict entry to fully vaccinated travellers (V) and need testing and/or health declarations (T). Others include Pakistan, Samoa, and Vietnam.

Those that require quarantine (Q) include Bhutan, Hong Kong (with V&T), Solomon Islands (with V), and Japan and South Korea (both with T). Similarly, Kiribati will soon open but with quarantine needed. Closed destinations include China, Micronesia, Macau, Myanmar, Nauru, North Korea, Tonga, Taiwan, Turkmenistan, and Tuvalu.

Open countries that list special requirements for unvaccinated travellers include Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, French Polynesia, India, Laos, Peru, Singapore, and Thailand.

New Zealand, Guam, Iran, Cook Islands, and Tajikistan are open for fully vaccinated travellers.

Nepal- U and I

Sri Lanka- U and T

Timor-Leste- U and V

Europe

It’s not a surprise if you wish to see the northern lights of Finland, the famous Rhine Valley in Germany, or the Hoge Veluwe natural reserve in the Netherlands. Fortunately, their doors are open for you, except for the latter and Slovakia, which includes an entry restriction for fully vaccinated travellers only.

U

Armenia, Azerbaijan, Azores, France, Greece, Luxembourg, Malta, and Spain.

Unrestricted

Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Germany, Greenland, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Montenegro, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, and the United Kingdom.

Closed

Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine.

Middle East

Meet the special requirements for unvaccinated travellers to land at the ancient Roman ruins in Lebanon, the scenic Souq Waqif in Qatar, or the skyscraping Dubai’s Burj Khalifa in the United Arab Emirates.

Unrestricted

Egypt, Israel and the Palestinian Territories, and Kuwait.

V

Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Oman, and Saudi Arabia.

V and T

Jordan

Closed

Afghanistan, Yemen, and Syria.

Americas

It boasts popular tourist attractions, including the stunning Atlantis Paradise Island in the Bahamas, the outstanding Negril Beach & Negril Cliffs in Jamaica, or a taste of the best mojito in Havana.

U

You will need to meet special requirements if you are unvaccinated to travel to Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Venezuela.

U and T

Bolivia and Honduras

I

Argentina

I and T

Chile

T

Belize and Haiti need testing and/ or health declarations.

V and T

Cuba, Ecuador, Guatemala, Guyana.

V

Brazil, Grenada, the United States, and Uruguay only favour fully vaccinated travellers.

Unrestricted

Jamaica and Mexico

Closed

French Guiana

Africa

Open countries that require testing and/ or health declarations include Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Madagascar, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Sudan, and Zambia.

Q and T

Angola, Burundi

U

Botswana, Comoros, Cote d’Ivoire, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gambia, Kenya, Lesotho, Mali, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sao Tome and Principe, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.

T and U

Cape Verde, Mauritania, and Nigeria,

Unrestricted

Gabon, Mauritius, Mayotte, and Reunion

Closed

Cameroon, The Central African Republic, Eritrea, Libya, and Western Sahara

Secure a seamless experience with these few tips for your travel plans

• Always be ready to cancel your plans in case you get unwell from COVID-19 symptoms.
• Carry your Australian-issued International vaccination certificate to be on the safe side.
• Have a contingency plan in place for testing positive while overseas, leading to self-isolation and travel changes.
• Affirm your travel insurance coverage for flight delays and cancellations and COVID-19 medical and quarantine-related costs.
• Expect unusually long delays at the airport security from the increasing demand with staff shortages.
• Keep up with the COVID directives like social distancing and wearing a mask in public for your safety.

Conclusion

Finally, it’s time for some fun and entertainment at white sandy beaches, majestic features, and awe-inspiring nature. Despite your definition of fun, there is something for everyone with round-the-world flights. Most importantly, you can learn more about your desired destination and its government directives for peace of mind.

N.B Information accurate as of July 2022