Australia will remove its outbound travel ban on 1 November 2021, but only to people who are fully vaccinated (or exempt from vaccination requirements, such as children under 12 who aren’t yet able to be vaccinated).
In preparation, the government is now issuing COVID-19 vaccination certificates for international travel. These are available to fully vaccinated Australian citizens and Australian visa holders with a current passport and COVID-19 vaccinations recorded on the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR).
The international COVID-19 vaccination certificates contain a QR code known as a Visible Digital Seal which is designed to be verifiable by border authorities around the world. This will allow Australians to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination when travelling overseas. The government says the certificate will also be compatible with the IATA Travel Pass app.
As international travel resumes, many countries are now requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of quarantine-free entry. In some cases, proof of vaccination may even be needed to transit another country. For example, Thailand now requires passengers in international transit to either be fully vaccinated or get a negative COVID-19 test (in addition to having travel insurance).
Some airlines including Qantas and Air New Zealand will also soon be requiring passengers on their international flights to show proof of vaccination (excluding people with exemptions). So, if you plan to travel overseas at some point in the future, you’ll probably need an international COVID-19 vaccination certificate.
How to get your COVID-19 vaccination travel certificate
Most Australians can easily download their certificate for free by logging into MyGov and selecting “Proof of COVID-19 vaccination”:
After entering your Medicare details, select “Request a certificate”:
You’ll need to enter your passport details as the certificate will be linked to your passport. Ensure the name on your certificate matches exactly the name on your passport, including any middle name/s.
You can get a certificate linked to a non-Australian passport, as long as that passport is linked to an Australian visa. You should also be able to get a certificate if you were vaccinated outside of Australia, but you will first need to get your overseas vaccinations recorded on the AIR.
You can also request an international vaccination certificate on the Medicare Express app or by calling the Australian Immunisation Register on 1800 653 809. However, some people have reported very long wait times (over an hour) to speak to somebody after encountering problems with requesting their certificate online.
Once you’ve received your certificate, you can download it onto a smartphone or print it as an A4 document.
Join the discussion on the Australian Frequent Flyer forum: International Travel Certificate Available from Tuesday
