People from NSW will be allowed to enter Victoria for the first time in three months from 11:59pm on October 19, following the announcement of major changes to the southern state’s border entry policies on October 15. As with many such amendments to restrictions, there is plenty of fine print to get across, so here’s an easy-to-follow overview of the new rules.
Who will be allowed in?
From 11:59pm on October 19, all fully vaccinated people from NSW will be able to apply for a permit to enter Victoria. Double-jabbed people travelling from so-called ‘red zones’, which currently means all of Greater Sydney, will be required to return a negative test result no more than 72 hours before crossing the border. Upon arrival in Victoria, visitors must isolate until they return another negative test result. However, no mandatory 14-day hotel quarantine is required. Fully vaccinated people travelling to Victoria from ‘orange zones’ – which currently means most of regional NSW – will not be required to isolate or present a negative test result upon arrival.
Unvaccinated travellers from ‘red zones’ will still be required to apply for a permit to travel as well as complete a 14-day quarantine upon arrival, although this will now be allowed from home rather than from a costly hotel room. Unvaccinated travellers from ‘orange zones’ will still need to apply for a permit to enter Victoria, but they will be allowed to isolate until they return a negative test result upon arrival.
How do I prove my vaccination status?
All people travelling to Victoria from NSW will be required to apply for a permit via Service Victoria, which includes linking a vaccination certificate via Medicare immunisation records, in a similar fashion to the Service NSW check-in app. While you're in Victoria, you will also be required to download the Service Victoria check-in app and link your vaccine certificate to prove your status upon entering certain businesses.
What rules will I need to follow?
When in Melbourne, do as the Melburnians do. While visitors are in Victoria, they must abide by all the active restrictions that are in effect locally, including stay-at-home orders, travel bubbles and bans on visiting other households. Currently, Victoria is still under pretty strict lockdown restrictions until 11:59pm on October 21. From that date, hospo venues will reopen, you can visit private residences and have outdoor events, so it might just be time to start planning your next Melbourne visit.