Qantas insists passengers are vaccinated despite Australia scrapping Covid entry rules

Qantas, the Australian national carrier, has confirmed that it still requires passengers on its international flights to be fully vaccinated at the time of travel.

The airline’s vaccination requirement for international travellers stays in place despite the Australian government today lifting restrictions around vaccination for arrivals into Australia.

According to the Qantas website, a traveller is not fully vaccinated unless at least seven full calendar days have elapsed since the final dose of vaccine in a course of immunisation.

There are some exceptions to the rule, including for those with a valid medical exemption, children under the age of 12, and children aged 12-17 travelling with a fully vaccinated parent or guardian.

The changes to the Australian government’s Covid-19 restrictions come in the wake of the country opening up to foreign visitors on 21 February 2022 after a nearly two-year ban. The first travellers allowed back in faced strict controls, including the requirement to be fully vaccinated and, initially, a pre-departure Covid test.

The government in Canberra has now said: “People travelling to Australia will no longer have to complete a Digital Passenger Declaration (DPD) to declare their Covid-19 vaccination status.”

Clare O’Neil, the home affairs minister, said: “Removing these requirements will not only reduce delays in our airports but will encourage more visitors and skilled workers to choose Australia as a destination.”

Face masks will continue on Qantas flights to Australia for all except under-12s and those with medical exemptions, while domestic travellers are no longer required to wear face masks.

As of 14 June, masks are no longer obligatory in Australian airports.

The most recent figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show arrivals of short-term visitors in April 2022 at only one-third of the same month in 2019.