Entry Policies Due to Covid-19 for Oceania
If you are planning a trip to Oceania in the near future, you'll need to check the travel requirements very carefully. Many of the strict restrictions that were put in place in many of the countries here last year have remained to this day.
While Oceania is an area that's had the fewest deaths and cases of the virus, this is primarily due to how severe they've been with locking their borders since day one. While countries such as New Zealand have been celebrated for their minimal cases and deaths, this restriction on foreign travelers is one of the main reasons behind this result.
If you are able to travel to a country in Oceania this year, ensure you follow the regulations very carefully.
These countries are extremely protective of their citizens and are still trying everything to minimize the risk of the virus spreading. When traveling into any country in Oceania, it's likely you'll need a negative COVID-19 test, online health forms, and potentially a quarantine period. This will vary between every country, so be sure to check exactly when you need to complete all of the required documentation and testing before your visit.
Following the restrictions is crucial in this cut-off part of the world, where each country is working as hard as possible to protect those who live there. You'll also ensure you protect yourself when visiting Oceania, particularly the remote islands which may have limited medical facilities in comparison to your home country.
For the most part, travel is quite restricted in this region, but there are some exceptions to this. If you are able to enter a country in Oceania, you'll want to carefully check the regulations that are in place at the current time.
Expect to potentially need to pay for a full quarantine in a hotel, depending on where you are planning to travel. Many of the islands in this region are extremely protective of their citizens due to their remote location. Therefore, it's understandable they may have stricter entry requirements.
Australia
Jan 25 2022 Many Qantas international commercial flights remain suspended. Emergency humanitarian repatriation diplomatic and cargo flights are exempt. However Australian citizens residents and their families who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 are allowed to travel internationally from 1 November 2021. Entry of foreign nationals has yet to be approved. Quarantine-free flights from New Zealands South Island have resumed to most parts of Australia while flights from other parts of New Zealand remain suspended. Qantas Airways flights are suspended between Perth Airport (PER/YPPH) in Western Australia and Londons Heathrow Airport (LHR/EGLL) in the United Kingdom until at least April 2022. Qantas Airways flights will be suspended between Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD/YSSY) and Daniel K. Inouye Airport (HNL/PHNL) in Honolulu United States (US) from 31 January-26 March. Direct flights by Qantas are operating between India and Australia following the signing of a travel bubble agreenment between the two countries. Eligible visa holders including skilled migrant workers students and family members of Australian citizens and permanent residents who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 do not need to apply for a travel exemption to enter Australia while fully vaccinated travellers from Japan and South Korea can also enter without quarantine restrictions effective from 15 December 2021. Other non-residents including tourists are barred entry. Currently quarantine-free travel to and from North Island New Zealand remains suspended. Australian citizens residents and their families who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 are allowed to travel internationally from 1 November. Upon their return states and territories will determine entry restrictions. Fully vaccinated travellers to the Australian Capital Territory New South Wales (NSW) Northern Territory and Victoria can enter with limited quarantine restrictions and those to South Australia Tasmania and Queensland are eligible for a shorter/home quarantine. COVID-19 entry measures for international arrivals to Western Australia (WA) will be tightened from 5 February. Under the measures entry is approved for returning residents familial needs medical care freight/transport and government work. Only 265 foreign arrivals per week will be permitted entry with a 14-day quarantine - the first seven days of which spent in a government hotel - and PCR testing on days 1 6 9 and 12. Before travel Incoming travellers excluding those from Kiribati Myanmar Niue Samoa Solomon Islands Tonga Tuvalu and Vanuatu and from countries with limited testing capacities including Belize Cook Islands Micronesia Fiji French Polynesia Marshall Island Nauru New Caledonia Palau Papua New Guinea East Timor and Waliis and Futuna) must provide a negative COVID-19 PCR or NAAT test result certificate at the checkin counter issued within 72 hours prior to depature to Australia. A rapid antigen test no older than 24 hours is also accepted. Travellers who recovered from COVID-19 within the past 30 days are cleared for entry seven days after infection if they have been asymptomatic for at least 72 hours: a certificate proving a positive infection among other is required. Travellers from Kiribati Myanmar Niue Samoa Solomon Islands Tonga Tuvalu and Vanuatu are exempt from pre-departure testing requirements. Travellers coming from countries where PCR tests are not available or are very limited including Belize Cook Islands Micronesia Fiji French Polynesia Marshall Island Nauru New Caledonia Palau Papua New Guinea East Timor and Waliis and Futuna can produce a negative RT-PCR/NAAT test result issued 96 hours or less prior to departure. Those staying in countries where PCR tests are not available are exempt pre-departure tests. Transit passengers (excluding aircrew those with a medical condition that prevents them from being tested people on humanitarian aid or emergency flights those who have recently recovered from COVID-19 and people travelling from countries where COVID-19 PCR testing is not reasonably available) need to submit a negative NAAT/PCR test issued 72 hours before departure. A rapid antigen test no older than 24 hours is also accepted. After arrival Travellers excluding those on green zone flights from New Zealand will generally be tested within 24 hours after arrival and subsequent testing measures vary as per the respective state39:s guidelines. Fully vaccinated International travellers to the ACT are to get tested within 24 hours of arrival while unvaccinated travellers will be tested multiple times when in facility quarantine. Unvaccinated international travellers to NSW will be tested on days 5 or 6 and on day 12 during their 14-day quarantine period and will be asked to test again two days after they complete their quarantine. Fully vaccinated international travellers to NSW must get tested within 24 hours after arrival. In the Northern Territory fully vaccinated people must get tested again on days 3 and 6 after arrival. Unvaccinated people who are subject to supervised quarantine measures will be asked to undertake multiple tests before exiting quarantine. International unvaccinated travellers to Queensland will be tested on day 1 after arrival and on day 5 and again on day 12 or 13 during quarantine: fully vaccinated travellers should get tested on day 1 after arrival. Eligible unvaccinated international travellers to South Australia will be tested on days 1 6 and 13: fully vaccinated travellers to South Australia will be tested within 24 hours of arrival. Unvaccinated international travellers to Tasmania will be tested on day 5 after arrival. Unvaccinated international travellers to Victoria will be tested within 24 hours of arrival and on days 4 8 12 and 14 of their quarantine period. Other international fully vaccinated travellers to Victoria must also get tested within 24 hours of arrival. International travellers to Western Australia will be tested within 24 hours of arrival and on days 5 and 13 during quarantine and days 17 and 21 after they exit quarantine. COVIDSafe is an optional contact tracing mobile app. The app is available for download on Apple and on Android devices. Quarantine-free travel is allowed for travellers who stayed only in New Zealands South Island for at least 14 days. Fully vaccinated travellers from Japan and South Korea who hold a valid visa are also able to enter Australia with limited quarantine restrictions but entry restrictions vary from state to state: these travellers are subject to pre-departure testing measures and must submit proof of full vaccination. From 21 November 2021 eligible citizens of Singapore who are considered fully vaccinated are able to travel to Australia without seeking a travel exemption to participating states or territories. International travellers who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 coming to Victoria (VIC) Queensland South Australia the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and New South Wales (NSW) can enter with limited quarantine restrictions: they need to self-isolate until they get a negative result on their first test. Fully vaccinated international travellers to Tasmania and Northern Territory can enter without quarantine measures while those to Western Australia are subject to facility quarantine for seven days followed by seven days of home quarantine. Unvaccinated travellers to Tasmania are subject to 5 days of quarantine. All other permitted international travellers must quarantine at government approved facilities for 14 days at the travellers own cost. Wearing facemasks is compulsory in indoor areas of Queensland Tasmania Victoria South Australia NT ACT NSW and parts of Western Australia. Officials recommend the use of facemasks also in other parts of the country where social distancing measures are not possible to maintain. Facemasks are mandatory on all international and domestic flights and airports nationwide. Facemasks are mandatory for all inbound arrivals to Christmas Island until further notice. Travellers are required to wear a mask at all times when participating in indoor and outdoor gatherings. From 1 November 2021 fully vaccinated nationals and permanent residents can travel abroad without needing exemptions. Authorities are in the process of reopening the economy in most states while lockout restrictions (lockdowns for only unvaccinated people) are in effect in parts of the Northern Territory. Lockout restrictions are in effect for unvaccinated people in Alice Springs Yuendumu and Yuelamu Northern Territory: they cannot leave their homes except for shopping essential products/services care giving and medical care. Lockdowns are also in effect in other parts of Northern Territory including Gunya?ara on the Gove Peninsula Utopia and the community of Wurrumiyanga until 29 January. Milikapiti on the Tiwi Islands entered a lockdown from around 15:00 local time on 24 January until at least 14:00 local time on 27 January while Elcho Island including Galiwinku and the Wessel Islands including Martjanba was on lockdown until at least 14:00 local time on 31 January. Virgin Australia Qantas and Jetstar have resumed most domestic flight services. From 30 November 2021 travellers who have stayed in a very low-risk COVID-19 area including Western Australia Queensland and Tasmania in Australia for the past 14 days and are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 are allowed to travel to Christmas Island without quarantine requirements: all travellers must apply for permission and be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to enter the islands. All states apart from WA have largely eased interstate border restrictions for fully vaccinated domestic travellers while some entry bans and quarantine rules remain for domestic travellers in other states. Due to a shortage of PCR tests within the country domestic travellers have the option of submitting negative rapid antigen test (RAT) results where testing rules remain in force. Gathering limits have been eased both indoors and outdoors in Queensland NSW Tasmania ACT and Western Australia and for fully vaccinated people in Victoria since mid 2021: social distancing measures apply in all public areas. Christmas Islands officials require workers in critical sectors including healthcare education commercial transports government services fuel facilities emergency services tourism hospitality venues among many other businesses must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by 31 January 2022. Officials defined close contacts as those who have spent more than four hours with a confirmed COVID-19 case in a household or household-like setting and they required to self-isolate for seven days. The new definition has come into effect in New South Wales Victoria Queensland South Australia Tasmania and Australian Capital Territory. Covid Pass is required for some domestic activities: Most hospitality establishments and large events in Victoria Northern Territory and Western Australias Perth and Peel regions are open with social distancing measures to only fully vaccinated people. From 17 December 2021 many public venues in Queensland and South Australias Adelaide are open to fully vaccinated people. Covid Pass availability: Residents can download their digital vaccination certificates once they are fully vaccinated from the online Medicare accounts. Other travellers will have to show proof of a digital or hard copy of the COVID-19 vaccination certificate obtained in their own countries. Australia responded to the pandemic swiftly closing its borders and implementing comprehensive lockdown procedures. In some states like South Australia gathering restrictions have been reimposed while internal restrictions have eased in most other parts of the country due to high rates of vaccination. However states like New South Wales Victoria and Queensland are currently experiencing their worst outbreaks driven by the Omicron variant. While further outbreaks cannot be ruled-out health authorities and medical facilities are well-equipped to respond to this.
Fiji
Jan 17 2022 Fiji Airways have scheduled international flights to and from New Zealand Australia the United States and Hong Kong as entry is allowed from select Travel Partner countries from 1 December. Authorities stopped all flights from PNG and resumptions were expected after the implementation of new quarantine and other COVID-19 prevention measures for travellers from PNG. All airlines must receive pre-authorisation by the Fijian Ministry of Health to operate flights to Fiji from Papua New Guinea (PNG). Travellers who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and were only in travel partner countries/territories for 10 days prior to travel have been allowed to enter from 1 December. Non-Fijian passport holders from non-Travel Partner Countries must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and obtain pre-approval to enter Fiji. Requests related to significant economic value (work permit investor permit and resident permit holders under assured income) must be made to the COVID-19 Risk Mitigation Taskforce (crmtgovnet.gov.fj): applications are considered on a case-by-case basis and the processing time is 10 working days upon receipt of all required documents. Requests based on compassionate grounds must be made to the Fijian Immigration Department (borderrequestimmi.gov.fj). Entry requests for Diplomatic visas must be made to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (jiko.rasoqosoqoforeignaffairs.gov.fj). Required documents can be found here. All foreign passport holders must have medical travel insurance with international coverage that covers COVID-19 before travelling. Some travellers transiting in Singapore on certain flights from select countries/territories were allowed entry. The list of airlines and countries/territories of origin can be found here. Entry exceptions are available for private island resort tourists under the Luxury Vacation in Paradise programme and for those entering on yachts or pleasure crafts through Port Denarau Marina under the Blue Lanes programme. Before travel Travellers from Travel Partner Countries aged 12 or older and those from non-Travel Partner Countries aged six or older must have a negative COVID-19 PCR test certificate no older than 48 hours prior to departure and have it verified by airlines to board Fiji bound flights. Travellers departing from red list countries including South Africa Botswana Belgium Hong Kong and Israel must also test negative for COVID-19 on seven and five days before departure. Contact the Border Health Protection Unit (x62:104:x70:x75:46:x6e:x61:100:x69:x40:x67:x6d:97:105:108:46:x63:111:109:) for the updated information on red list countries. All travellers from the United States and the United Kingdom must have a negative result of a COVID-19 test taken within one calendar day before their date of departure to enter. Upon arrival Fully vaccinated Fijians from red list countries including South Africa Botswana Belgium Hong Kong and Israel must test for COVID-19 upon arrival. Private island resort tourists entering through the Luxury Vacation in Paradise programme and those entering on yachts or pleasure crafts through Port Denarau Marina under the Blue Lanes programme must also test upon arrival. After arrival Arrivals from Travel-Partner Countries must take an approved Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) at their hotel 24 hours after their arrival (the day of arrival is considered day 0). Arrivals from non-Travel Partner Countries must test negative for COVID-19 to finish their 14 nights of quarantine. Fully vaccinated Fijians from red list countries including South Africa Botswana Belgium Hong Kong and Israel must test for COVID-19 on days five and 12 of quarantine. Anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 will be subject to further testing and seven days of isolation. Travellers entering through the Luxury Vacation in Paradise programme must test upon arrival in Fiji and again 24 hours prior to departing Fiji. There are no after arrival tests for those entering under the Blue Lanes programme as long as they have not been tested positive for COVID-19 on their upon arrival tests. All arrivals must download the careFIJI mobile app and keep the device Bluetooth turned on at all times during their stay for contact tracing. Those without a smartphone must provide alternative contact details for contact tracing purposes. A QR code generated from the app must be scanned to enter supermarkets among other areas for contact tracing purposes. Travellers who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and were only in Travel Partner countries/territories for 10 days prior to travel must stay in Care Fiji Commitment certified hotel premises for three nights upon arrival instead of undergoing 14 days of quarantine. Those from non-Travel Partner (red list) countries/territories must quarantine for 14 nights: only those from countries with tighter pre-departure conditions were eligible for a shorter 10-day quarantine. Contact the Border Health Protection Unit (bhpu.nadigmail.com) for the updated information on countries with tighter pre-departure conditions. The list of Fijis Travel Partner countries/territories can be found here. For travellers entering through the Blue Lane programme days at sea after departure and before arrival in Fiji are counted towards their mandatory 14-day quarantine. The remaining quarantine period must be carried out at the travellers own costs on the travellers vessel before disembarkation in Fiji. Face masks are compulsory at Nadi International Airport (NAN/NFFN) and at indoor events and in public areas within containment or lockdown zones as well as on public transport vehicles. Health screening is conducted at Nadi International Airport and travellers with temperatures over 37.4 degrees Celsius are prohibited from boarding flights. Social distancing measures and a nightly curfew are in effect nationwide. Foreign tourists are allowed entry from select countries. A nationwide curfew is in effect daily from 00:00 to 04:00 local time. Only emergency services personnel are allowed to travel out of their homes during the curfew. Security forces enforce the curfew. Authorities lifted all restrictions on inter-island travel for people fully vaccinated against COVID-19 at least 14 days before departure. Authorities mandated full vaccination against COVID-19 to travel on Queens and Kings roads in Central and Western divisions. Travel into the lockdown areas is prohibited. Additionally travel to and from Kadavu provinces Waisomo in Eastern division has been restricted. Fiji Link the domestic flight service requires all passengers to have the careFIJI contact tracing app. Public transport operates at 70 percent capacity and 80 percent for fully vaccinated passengers. Outdoor gatherings are allowed without any capacity limits. Indoor gatherings of more than 20 people or 80 percent of venue capacity must acquire a permit. Police have been enforcing social distancing and other COVID-19 measures. All workplaces tertiary institutions places of worship hotels restaurants cafes cinemas gyms and pools are allowed to open at 70 percent capacity. Covid Pass is required for some domestic activities: Proof of full vaccination is required for entry to all workplaces tertiary institutions places of worship hotels restaurants cafes cinemas gyms and pools. Covid Pass availability: A VAX-Check tool will be enabled for real-time digital verification of vaccine status of patrons. The island country has witnessed an outbreak since early 2021 which resulted in some curfew and movement restrictions being imposed in and around Greater Nadi. While healthcare facilities are ill-equipped to tackle widespread outbreaks authorities have reopened the country to international travellers fully vaccinated against COVID-19 after reaching a domestic vaccine rate of more than 90 percent for targeted adults.
Kiribati
Jan 24 2022 A state of disaster is in effect from 23 January until further notice. Under the state of disaster areas are designated into zones with curfew or lockdown restrictions following the detection of the first 40 cases of COVID-19 from the first passenger flight that arrived into the country since the beginning of the pandemic. A lockdown is imposed in South Tarawa Betio and Buota village until 28 January. A lockdown is imposed in South Tarawa Betio and Buota from 22 January until 06:00 local time on 28 January. Under the state of disaster all areas are designated into zones and residents may shop for essential supplies within their zone between 06:00-14:00 local time. An indefinite curfew order went into effect across the country from 22:00 local time on 18 January following the detection of the first 40 cases of COVID-19 from the first passenger flight into the country since the beginning of the pandemic: Buota islet was reportedly designated as a no-go zone. Further details were not immediately available. There are no known international flight bans in place. Officials opened borders to Kiribati nationals and Technical Assistant essential workers who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and have a negative result of a COVID-19 test taken within 48 hours before departure. The borders remain closed to most foreign nationals. Before travel All inbound travellers must have a negative result of a COVID-19 test taken within 48 hours before departure: authorities have not specified accepted test types. Upon arrival All inbound travellers must test for COVID-19 upon arrival. There are no known contact tracing apps recommended by the government. Arrivals from countries with active community transmissions of COVID-19 including Fiji and Australia must quarantine for 14 days upon arrival: those from COVID-19 free countries including the Solomon Islands Nauru and the Marshall Islands must quarantine for seven days upon arrival. While officials have not specified the type of quarantine venues previous travellers from COVID-19-affected countries were quarantined at government facilities. There are no known requirements for wearing face masks. Authorities have advised against travel to countries with confirmed cases of COVID-19. All non-essential travel to and from outer islands is prohibited. Travellers are required to practice preventive measures such as social distancing maintaining good hygiene and self-quarantine at home to minimise the spread of infection. All social gatherings are banned until further notice. Kiribati was one of the few countries globally without a confirmed COVID-19 case until January 2022. Authorities implemented international travel restrictions as early as February 2020 to prevent an outbreak resulting from imported cases and only lifed entry bans for Kiribati nationals and essential workers on 14 January. COVID-19 measures remain in place as there is a risk of the infection spreading very quickly due to the lack of a strong health infrastructure.
Marshall Islands
Jan 17 2022 There is no explicit flight ban but most flights to the Marshall Islands remain suspended. Few United Airlines flights are operating between Honolulus Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL/PHNL) in the United States Hawaii and Marshall Islands International Airport (MAJ/PKMJ) since December 2021. All borders are closed to foreign nationals. Non-essential maritime travel is suspended. Vaccination against COVID-19 is mandatory for exceptional entry. Before travel Incoming travellers must test for COVID-19 antibody within 48 hours prior to entering their 14 days (seven if fully vaccinated) of pre-travel (phase 1) quarantine in Honolulu Hawaii take a PCR test on day one of their pre-travel quarantine and another PCR test 48 hours prior to their scheduled departure from Honolulu. After arrival Travellers must test for COVID-19 on days seven and 14 of their 14-day phase 2 quarantine. Fully vaccinated travellers who underwent a shorter seven days of phase 1 quarantine must additionally take a PCR and antigen test for COVID-19 on day one of phase 2 quarantine. There is no national contact tracing app. All incoming arrivals must conduct phase 1 quarantine in Honolulu Hawaii United States for 14 days (seven if fully vaccinated) then phase 2 in either the Arrak Quarantine Centre if arriving in Majuro or Kwaj Lodge Quarantine Centre if arriving in Kwajalein for another 14 days. Officials plan to further shorten the initial quarantine period in Hawaii for those bound to Marshall Islands in the near-term. There are no face mask requirements at this time. Most economic activities have resumed and social distancing measures apply in all public areas. Authorities urged citizens and residents intending to leave Majuro and Ebeye for the outer islands to do so soon as possible. Domestic air travel between Kwajalein and Majuro is allowed on Air Marshall Islands airline only. Social distancing measures apply in all public areas. Owing to its remote location in the Oceania region Marshall Islands has not witnessed a wideaspread COVID-19 outbreak. The first two cases of COVID-19 were announced by authorities on 29 October 2020 but the infections were soon brought under control with tougher border restrictions. Officials have implemented social distancing measures in public spaces and hygiene practices in workplaces while relying mostly on international travel bans to prevent any further imported COVID-19 cases. Authorities plan to lift some international travel restrictions in the near term to allow visitors from those countries without an ongoing outbreak.
Micronesia
Jan 17 2022 All incoming passenger commercial flights through the country remain suspended except for some repatriation flights: outgoing flights are also mostly limited to repatriation flights. All foreign nationals have been banned entry to Micronesia until further notice. All sea and air borders remain closed. Before travel For repatriation flights travellers must test negative on a COVID-19 test in Guam on day five or six of their seven-day pre-departure quarantine approximately 48 hours prior to departure. The type of accepted tests was not specified but previous repatriation flights required PCR tests. Travellers must have tested negative for COVID-19 within 72 hours prior to entry into pre-departure quarantine. After arrival All travellers on repatriation flights must take multiple after-arrival tests for COVID-19 during their seven-day after-arrival quarantine. The exact days of after-arrival tests was not specified but previous repatriation schemes required a negative test result at the end of quarantine. There is no known contact tracing app in Micronesia. All returning residents permitted entry to Micronesia must quarantine at a government approved facility for 7 days upon arrival. There are no face mask requirements at this stage. Outbound travel remains open but is discouraged unless medically necessary. Social distancing measures remain in all public areas while most economic activities have resumed but a ban on inbound travel is in force. A clause allowing authorities to suspend domestic inter-state travel in the event of a detection of COVID-19 was added to the Declaration of Public Health Emergency which remains in force until at least 31 January. Social distancing and sanitisation measures apply in all public areas. Some non-essential businesses are also closed with large public gatherings banned. A vaccine mandate remains in effect. Boosters are reqired for people who recieved the second dose of a Moderna vaccine more than six months ago and the single-dose Johnson amp: Johnson vaccine two months ago or longer. While there is no COVID-19 outbreak in the Federated States of Micronesia authorities have adopted strict border control measures since the pandemic began. The territorys healthcare system is not equipped to handle a widespread outbreak. Social distancing measures remain in force. Authorities are unlikely to ease border control measures until the outbreak is contained in neighbouring countries in the Oceania region.
Nauru
Jan 17 2022 Most commercial flights operated by Nauru Airlines except limited services to Brisbane Australia remain suspended until further notice. Emergency humanitarian repatriation diplomatic and cargo flights are also exempt. Effective 10 January until early February authorities announced the temporary suspension of all incoming flights from Australia. All travellers including transit travellers and air crew aged 18 or older must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to enter. Travellers who have spent at least 14 days in Australia (excluding areas with high cases of the virus including Australian Capital Territory New South Wales and Victoria) Cook Islands Kiribati Marshall Islands Micronesia New Caledonia New Zealand Niue Palau Samoa Solomon Islands Taiwan Tonga Tuvalu or Vanuatu have been permitted entry. Visitors who have transited through or have been in Fiji Papua New Guinea or Australias Australian Capital Territory New South Wales or Victoria in the past 14 days will not be allowed to enter Nauru. Other travellers require an exemption to enter. Before travel Incoming travellers must produce a certificate of negative COVID-19 test result conducted within 72 hours prior to departure: the certificate must be shown when boarding the flight to Nauru. There is no evidence of testing requirements for travellers after arrival. There is no known national contact tracing app. Travellers coming in from abroad are required to quarantine for up to five days upon arrival. There are no face mask requirements at this time. Most economic activities are ongoing and social distancing measures apply in all public areas. Residents in Nauru have been advised to follow social distancing measures in urban areas and onboard cabs and taxis. Authorities in Nauru have relied on social distancing measures in urban areas and international travel bans to prevent a COVID-19 outbreak in their territory. There are no cases of COVID-19 in Nauru so far. However authorities are unlikely to lift travel bans to allow international travellers into their country in the near-term as most tourists to Nauru originate from countries with an ongoing outbreak.
New Zealand
Jan 25 2022 Most international flights operated by Air New Zealand the countrys flag carrier remain suspended until further notice. Emergency humanitarian repatriation diplomatic and cargo flights are exempt. International travellers have been allowed to transit through the countrys airports provided they do not have any COVID-19 symptoms and do not enter the country. Commercial quarantine-free flights between New Zealand and Cook Islands have resumed from 13 January. The quarantine free NZ-Australia travel bubble was suspended from mid 2021 due to the Delta variant outbreak in several Australian states. Only returning residents will be allowed into the country and subject to pre-departure tests and government facility quarantine. Flights between South Island and Australia have resumed for outbound travel to Australia. Effective 1 February all international passengers over the age of 18 on Air New Zealand flights must be fully vaccinated. All borders are closed to most foreign nationals: returning residents and New Zealanders are permitted entry with approval however repatriations have been stalled since 18 January due to Omicron variant. All non-New Zealand travellers aged 17 and older must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 at least 14 days prior to arrival in order to enter New Zealand. Some essential workers with temporary visas are permitted entry to New Zealand provided their employers get prior permission from the government. Dependants of New Zealand citizens and residents can also appy for an exemption to enter the country. From 8 November 2021 eligible low-risk passengers travelling one-way from either Tonga Tokelau Samoa or Vanuatu as well as from Cook Islands to New Zealand can enter without undergoing quarantine. Travellers will need to be fully vaccinated at least 14 days prior to travel and complete details on Nau Mai Ra an electronic system that allows authorities to implement contact tracing measures. Permitted vaccinated travellers are eligible for shorter quarantine at government facilities while unvaccinated permitted travellers are subject to 14 days of quarantine. The phased re-opening planned from 17 January was postponed until the end of February: From the end of February New Zealand officials plan to allow citizens and residents from abroad including those currently in Australia to return to the country provided that they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. They will be required to self-quarantine for seven days and undergo a test for the virus upon arrival. Effective 30 April officials will reopen borders to foreigners provided they are fully vaccinated against. They will be required to self-quarantine for seven days and undergo a test for the virus upon arrival. Before travel Most incoming travellers to New Zealand excluding those from Antarctica Cook Islands Micronesia Fiji Kiribati Marshall Islands Nauru New Caledonia Niue Palau Samoa Solomon Islands Tokelau Tonga Tuvalu and Vanuatu must provide a negative RT-PCR or PCR COVID-19 test certificate obtained 48 hours prior to departure. Travellers from 105 specified countries listed here can produce evidence of a supervised negative rapid antigen test (RAT) or a supervised loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) test taken within 24 hours of departure if they cannot get a PCR test. Travellers from Antarctica Cook Islands Micronesia Fiji Kiribati Marshall Islands Nauru New Caledonia Niue Palau Samoa Solomon Islands Tokelau Tonga Tuvalu and Vanuatu do not need to produce a pre-departure test. Travellers from Afghanistan Belize Trinidad and Tobago and Turkmenistan where testing standards are not up to par are also exempt from pre-departure tests. Travellers who spent more than 96 hours in a transit country (except Australia Antarctica and most Pacific islands) prior to travel to New Zealand must submit a negative PCR report issued 48 hours before departure from that transit country. Upon arrival Seasonal workers who received at least one dose of their vaccine and coming in from Vanuatu Samoa and Tonga are tested for COVID-19 upon arrival. After arrival Most incoming travellers are tested on Days 1 3 around 6 and 9 after arrival during their quarantine period except those from Antarctica and some Pacific island countries. Seasonal workers who received at least one dose of their vaccine from Vanuatu Tonga and Samoa are tested for COVID-19 on day five after arrival. NZ COVID Tracer is an optional contact tracing mobile app which can be downloaded from www.health.govt.nz/our-work/diseases-and-conditions/covid-19-novel-coronavirus/covid-19-resources-and-tools/nz-covid-tracer-app. Eligible low-risk passengers travelling one-way from either Tonga Tokelau Samoa or Vanuatu to New Zealand can enter without undergoing quarantine. Travellers must be fully vaccinated at least 14 days prior to travel and complete details on Nau Mai Ra an electronic system that allows authorities to implement contact tracing measures. Unvaccinated travellers who are permitted entry are required to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival at government-designated hotels. A Managed Isolation Allocation System is active and travellers will need to register on the online platform and obtain a voucher to secure a place in a managed isolation facility. Travellers are legally required to get a voucher or will be denied boarding. From 14 November 2021 fully vaccinated arrivals are eligible for a shorter 10-day quarantine at government-designated facilities. Such travellers are subject to a total of four COVID-19 tests on days one three six and nine of arrival. Cook Island residents can enter New Zealand without quarantine restrictions. Authorities announced that quarantine-free entry was allowed for air travellers from Niue en route to New Zealand. A quarantine-free travel bubble with Australia was suspended in mid-2021. Returning residents are subject to quaratine at desginated government approved facilities for a fixed cost. People aged 12 years and above must wear a face mask when visiting essential services including supermarkets service stations and pharmacies and onboard public transportation and related hubs including at bus and taxi terminals nationwide and other indoor public areas in areas under Red and Orange traffic light system. Stricter exit rules for travel to the Pacific Islands will be enforced including restricting those who have travelled outside of New Zealand in the previous 14 days. Travel to and from Australia is allowed while travel to other non-Pacific countries remains banned. Effective 3 December 2021 authorities shifted from imposing COVID-19 lockdowns to a new traffic light system of red orange and green settings based on the infection rates in the local communities across the country. Red is the tightest restrictions under which unvaccinated individuals will be denied access to most hospitality businesses. From 24 January all regions in the country have been classified as red. Most non-essential businesses are open to fully vaccinated people in red and orange zones and social distancing measures apply. Covid Pass is required for some domestic activities: Authorities adopted green orange and red alert level COVID-19 pass system after 90 percent of the country are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Under the Red level most hospitality and other venues can operate provided they keep records of the customers who visited and permit entry to patrons with vaccine certificates. Gatherings are restricted to 100 people if they are fully vaccinated: and 25 people if they are unvaccinated. As of 24 January all regions are at this level. Under the Orange level vaccine certificates are required for entry to some hospitality venues including cafes bars restaurants and nightclubs and non-essential businesses. Others can be open for contactless takeaway services if catering to non-vaccinated residents. There are no gathering limits for fully vaccinated people while for unvaccinated gatherings of up to 50 people are allowed with social distancing rules. Under the Green level hospitality venues and other events can operate without gathering limits if they have the vaccine pass/certificate system: for those venues that do not implement the vaccine pass system gatherings of up to 100 people with social distancing measures will be allowed at hospitality venues and other events. Covid Pass availability: Both electronic and paper versions of My Vaccine Pass certificate of COVID-19 vaccination status can be obtained through the My Covid Record website or by calling 0800 222 478 with an NHI number. All passengers on domestic Air New Zealand flights must present proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 or a negative test no older than 72 hours: children aged 12 and two months and under are exempt. The measure is expected to remain in place until at least 31 March. Authorities in New Zealand have relied on periodic localised lockdowns border restrictions and health screening and testing measures along with COVID-19 awareness drives to prevent a widespread outbreak. The latest among these is a traffic light system which differentiates high risk areas from low-risk locations based upon which internal restrictions are imposed or eased. Borders are forecast to reopen to select travellers in the near-term.
Palau
Jan 17 2022 All inbound commercial international flights to Palau are suspended. United Airlines has resumed some services between Palau (Koror) International Airport (ROR/PTRO) and Guam International Airport (GUM/PGUM) for repatriations and essential workers. A limited number of flights to and from Palau are operational following the resumption of the travel bubble between the two countries on 14 August 2021. Flights have also resumed between Palau and Taiwan under a quarantine free travel bubble program. All non-vaccinated travellers except those entering under the travel-bubble agreement with Taiwan have been banned entry to Palau. Children under the age of 12 are exempt from vaccination requirement. Officials in Taiwan and Palau relaunched the travel bubble which allows for tourism with eased restrictions on 14 August 2021. Travellers must stay with their tour groups avoid crowds and stay in their hotels and approved areas. Vaccinations against COVID-19 have been available on arrival in Palau. Before travel Incoming passengers must have a negative result of either a PCR-type COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours before departure or a WHO or USFDA authorised/approved antigen test taken within 24 hours before departure. Test results can be substituted with documentation of recovery from COVID-19 including proof of a recent positive viral test and a letter from a healthcare provider or a public health official stating that the traveller has recovered from COVID-19 and is cleared to travel. Taiwanese tourists entering as part of the travel bubble agreement must take a PCR test prior to boarding at Taoyuan Airport (TPE/RCTP). Private and charter vessel travellers must submit test results within 24 hours before departure. After arrival Arrivals must test for COVID-19 as directed by the Ministry of Health and Human Services. Previously arrivals were directed to test for COVID-19 on the fourth day of arrival. The tests must occur at the Belau National Hospital between 8:00-10:30 local time at the cost of USD 30.50 per test. There is no national contact tracing app. All travellers are however required to were a monitoring wristband during the self-quarantine period. There are no face mask requirements in public areas at this time. However all arriving travellers will be required to wear face shields upon exiting their aircraft and travelling to their quarantine facility. Social distancing measures prevail in all public areas. Large public gatherings are banned in the territory until further notice. Social distancing measures apply in all other areas. Due to its remote location in the Oceania region Palau has not witnessed a major COVID-19 outbreak. Authorities have relied on international travel bans and social restrictions to prevent any COVID-19 infections. Flights have resumed for some travellers from Taiwan and Guam but authorities are unlikely to fully reopen their borders in the near-term as most of the countries surrounding the island nation have prevailing COVID-19 outbreaks. All travellers must undergo a five-day self-quarantine. Quarantine sites are be designated by the government. Travellers arriving from Taiwan under the travel bubble agreement are exempt from quarantine. Any person determined to have been exposed to COVID-19 are placed under quarantine for at least 14 days. Any person proven or strongly suspected to be infected with COVID-19 are isolated for a period neemed necessary by authorities.
Papua New Guinea
Jan 27 2022 All partially vaccinated or unvaccinated arrivals as well as those arriving from high-risk countries (India and the Philippines) regardless of their vaccination status must quarantine for 14 days: unvaccinated diplomats must quarantine for 21 days. The cost of quarantine and testing completed while isolating will be at the expense of the individual in quarantine. Some travellers with a written exemption may be allowed to self-isolate at home. A tracking device is used to monitor quarantine compliance. A list of hotels approved for quarantine can be found here. The wearing of face masks is mandatory in all public areas nationwide including onboard public transport and inside shops in Port Moresby. Passengers are required to undertake a rapid COVID-19 test at airports prior to check-in. Inter-provincial travel has been banned for most travellers: permitted travellers must produce a negative test one day prior to travel. Passengers must be temperature tested upon entering all airport terminals wear face masks and fill out contact tracing form at check-in and health form in-flight. Travellers on aircrafts with high temperatures have not been allowed to travel. Travellers not vaccinated against COVID-19 have been barred from travel between provinces by aircraft. Travellers arriving in Goroka Eastern Highlands province or Mount Hagen in Western Highlands province are tested for COVID-19. Those who test positive must quarantine. Travellers must obtain a negative result of a COVID-19 test taken between 48-72 hours before their travel date to enter Buka Autonomous Region of Bougainville and Kavieng New Ireland province. In Bougainville people have been urged to avoid travelling between communities and restrictions on inter-province travel remain in place: those with COVID-19 symptoms must get tested before they travel into and out of Bougainville. Public and public transit may operate from 07:00-15:00 local time daily. Operations at the Aropa Airport (KIE/AYIQ) were suspended commercial flights to and from Port Moresby Airport (POM/AYPY) are operating through Buka Airport (BUA/AYBK). Three flights per week will operate at Buka Airport for returning residents and essential workers only. Social distancing measures remain in place. Authorities have called on citizens to refrain from certain cultural and social activities such as sports and large religious gatherings. Gatherings that are larger than 100 people are banned. Those that can be held require pre-approval from the local authorities. Restaurants and shops can operate between 07:00-22:00 local time activities related to gambling and night clubs were prohibited and buses are allowed a maximum of 15 passengers. In Bougainville maritime and airport security have increased along with the enforcement of health protocols for businesses and individuals. Recreational venues such as nightclubs and gambling facilities were closed in Arawa Buin and Buka. The main public hospital in Port Moresby has restricted its services due to surging COVID-19 infections: consultation and gynaecology clinics were shut all elective surgeries were on hold and people were urged to avail emergency services at other clinics. Increased health and security checks are in place at border and other areas of Enga province face masks are compulsory on public and private transport buses can load a maximum of 13 passengers essential businesses can operate with reduced capacities and operating hours and large public gatherings are banned. Authorities in Papua New Guinea have relied on border closures strict lockdown measures and internal movement restrictions to tackle the outbreak. There has been a spike in new infections from early March 2021. Authorities have implemented testing kits health screening measures and a call centre for people to check their symptoms quickly on the phone. A further easing of restrictions is unlikely in the near-term when infections are on the rise and the countrys healthcare infrastructure is incapable of handling a widespread outbreak. Authorities have allowed limited international flights to operate to and from Australia Singapore Hong Kong Japan the Solomon Islands Fiji Nauru Micronesia Vanuatu the Cook Islands Samoa Palau and Niue through Jacksons International Airport (POM/AYPY) in Port Moresby. Flights with India as its last point of departure are banned from landing. Air France Qatar Airways Singapore Airlines and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines connecting passengers transiting in Singapore within 48 hours have been allowed to enter. Only Air Niugini PNG Air Hevilift Tropic Air and Pacific Direct Limited have been permitted to operate flights to and from Papua New Guinea. Only fully or partially vaccinated foreign nationals and unvaccinated Papua New Guinean nationals and residents are allowed entry into the country. All land and sea borders remain closed to most foreign nationals except for approved travellers such as essential workers. Only vaccinated travellers specifically authorised by the National Pandemic Controller David Manning may cross these borders. A travel form and a health form are required for entry. Before travel All travellers must present a negative COVID-19 test administered no older than 72 hours prior to boarding. Upon arrival All travellers will be tested upon arrival. After arrival All partially vaccinated or unvaccinated travellersas well as those arriving from high-risk countries - including India and the Philippines - regardless of their vaccination status will be subject to post-arrival testing on days seven and 12 during their quarantine. Authorities announced that all international arrivals must install a tracking app or carry a tracking device to be allowed entry until further notice. Foreign nationals without residency status were required to wear a global positioning system ankle monitor for the duration of their quarantine. Travellers will cover the cost for the monitors which is set at USD 28. Some inter-provincial movement restrictions social distancing measures and limits on large gatherings remain in effect nationwide.
Samoa
Jan 27 2022 A nationwide lockdown is in effect until 18:00 local time on 28 January. Restrictions on travel and businesses are in effect as part of a State of Emergency (SoE) which is subject to renewal on a monthly basis. The ongoing SoE was extended until 13 February. A countrywide lockdown was in effect from 18:00 on 22 January until the same time on 28 January. Most commercial international flights and ferry services remain suspended unless exempted for emergency diplomatic repatriation cargo and other occasions. Repatriation flights to Apia Faleolo International Airport (APW/NSFA) have been operating from Brisbane (BNE/YBBN) and Sydney (SYD/YSSY) airports in Australia and Auckland Airport (AKL/NZAA) in New Zealand. Flights between Pago Pago International Airport (PGG/NSTU) in American Samoa and Apia Airport were suspended for one week from 21 January. As of 20 January repatriation flights from Australia and New Zealand were temporarily suspended after over a dozen returning residents tested positive for COVID-19. Travellers with a history of a positive COVID-19 RT-PCR test result are banned from entering Samoa until at least 30 days have passed since their first negative test and must provide a genome sequencing test result of the virus if available and have three consecutive negative results from COVID-19 tests taken on 20 five and two days before their date of departure. All test results must be in English and submitted via email to the Director General of Health through ceohralth.gov.ws and Doctor Robert Thomsen through robertthealth.gov.ws to gain entry approval. All travellers must email Samoa Health (enquirieshealth.gov.ws or samoahealth.travelenquiriesgmail.com) at least 21 days prior to travel to gain entry permission. Entry is granted on a case-by-case basis considering the travellers departure location and vaccination status among other criteria. Travellers departing from countries with the widespread transmission of the COVID-19 variants are barred from entry as well as transit. All travellers must have spent at least 21 days in a country with minimal or no community transmission of the variants before travelling to Samoa. All travellers arriving from American Samoa who travelled outside of American Samoa must have been in American Samoa for at least 21 days after quarantine to be permitted entry into Samoa. Effective 17 January all travellers arriving from or transiting through South Africa Botswana Eswatini Lesotho Malawi Mozambique Namibia Seychelles Zimbabwe the United Kingdom (UK) Belgium and Germany will be denied entry. Due to its remote location in the Oceania region Samoa has not witnessed a widespread COVID-19 outbreak. Authorities as a precaution implemented social distancing measures which have eased since early May after authorities were convinced that there were no infections in the territory. Churches schools and some non-essential businesses have resumed. A further easing of social restrictions are likely in the near-term as authorities are keen on resuming all economic activities. Before travel Travellers must have a negative result of a blood serology COVID-19 antibody test (tests for IgM and IgG are not accepted) taken within seven days before departure and a negative result of a RT-PCR test for COVID-19 taken within 72 hours prior to departure to be presented upon arrival. Fully vaccinated air crew are exempt from the blood serology COVID-19 antibody testing requirement. All test results must be in English. There are no testing requirements for travellers after arrival. Travellers from Fiji are no longer required to have the blood serology COVID-19 antibody test. Samoa Travel Tracer is an optional contact tracing app. Samoan nationals residents returning from abroad and travellers are required to quarantine at government-designated facilities for 14 days upon arrival. Some residents will be allowed to self-quarantine in their home on a case-by-case basis. The length of ones quarantine period may change at any time on a case by case basis. There are no face mask requirements at this time. A nationwide state of emergency remains in place until 13 February. All businesses must close on Sundays unless exempted otherwise. Supermarkets have been allowed to operate during 06:00-22:00 local time from Mondays to Saturdays and 12:00-22:00 on Sundays while restaurants can operate from 06:00 to 23:00 from Mondays to Saturdays. Pharmacies and petrol stations can open on Sundays from 15:00-22:00. Bars and nightclubs can operate from 06:00-23:00 from Mondays to Saturdays while street vendors selling clothing fruit vegetables and cooked food may also reopen in Apia.
Tonga
Jan 21 2022 All commercial flights are suspended until further notice. Emergency humanitarian repatriation diplomatic and cargo flights are exempt. All sea and land borders are closed to foreign nationals. Before travel All travellers are required to present a negative COVID-19 PCR test result taken at least 72 hours prior to arrival in Tonga. There are no known after arrival tests for travellers. There is no national contact tracing app. Tongan nationals and residents returning from abroad are required to quarantine at government-designated facilities for 21 days upon arrival. There are no face mask requirements at this time. While there are no known exit requirements limited repatriation flights are available for travel out of Tonga. A 00:00-05:00 local time curfew is in effect nationwide. While there are no restrictions on public transport services have been severely disrupted since a tsunami hit the country on 15 January 2022. Authorities have banned social gatherings of over 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors except for gatherings at religious services and educational institutions while most non-essential businesses remain closed. People must maintain a social distance of 1.5 metres (4.9 feet) at all gatherings. Vendors selling agricultural and fishery items are allowed to operate. Some night clubs and bars are allowed to operate for limited periods on Fridays and Saturdays. Authorities in mid 2021 signed into law an amendment to make vaccination against COVID-19 mandatory with penalties of up to USD 1000 fine or imprisonment of no more than six months for violators Authorities have imposed gathering limits and night curfews nationwide. Officials in Tonga have been relying on curfews and social distancing measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 infections. However authorities place the Tongatapu main island under lockdown measures from 2 November 2021 after the first ever case of COVID-19 was detected. International travel and state of emergency restrictions are likely to remain in Tonga in the near-term especially in the aftermath of a tsnuami triggered by a volcanic eruption which inundated vast sections of the country and has further complicated ongoing COVID-19 related healthcare efforts.
Tuvalu
Jan 14 2022 While there is no ban on international flights through Tuvalu most airlines have suspended flights through the country except for emergency and repatriation flights. All foreign nationals and non-residents are barred from entering Tuvalu. Before travel All travellers permitted to enter Tuvalu must produce a negative COVID-19 PCR test result certificate issued at least 72 hours prior to departure. Upon arrival All travellers are tested upon arrival. There is no known contact tracing app in the country. All incoming travellers to Tuvalu will be quarantined at government approved facilities for at least two weeks. There are no known facemask requirements at this stage. Social distancing measures apply in all areas and economic activities have resumed. There are no known disruptions to public transport services. However public transportation may be limited in areas with suspected cases. Authorities have allowed the resumption of church services and other non-essential businesses since April while some public spaces may be closed. Residents have been advised to follow social distancing measures in all public areas. Due to its remote location in the Oceania region Tuvalu has not experienced a major COVID-19 outbreak. Authorities have relied on strict border control measures and social distancing rules internally to avoid spread of infections. The country has limited healthcare facilities which are not capable of handling a widespread outbreak hence strict border control measures are likely to remain in the near term.
Vanuatu
Jan 16 2022 Authorities were quick to restrict entry to foreign nationals when other neighbouring Pacific countries started reporting case numbers and successfully prevented a widespread COVID-19 outbreak last year. Authorities have periodically imposed strict nationwide lockdown measures in areas with potential risk of COVID-19 infections. A nationwide state of emergency is in effect in response to both the pandemic and persisting disruptions caused by Category-5 Cyclone Harold in April 2021. All commercial flights were suspended until at least 31 January. Emergency humanitarian diplomatic cargo and some repatriation flights are exempt. All ports of entry are closed to foreign visitors until at least 31 January. Eligible travellers must apply with a negative COVID-19 test result via the Vanuatu Electronic Traveller System within 24-72 hours prior to departure for prior permission to enter the country. Before travel Travellers are required to present a negative result of a COVID-19 PCR test taken between 24 and 72 hours prior to departure. Travellers from Oceanian countries/regions other than Australia New Zealand Papua New Guinea Guam French Polynesia New Caledonia and Fiji are exempt. After arrival Travellers must test for COVID-19 on days five and 11 of quarantine. Those who were in COVID-19 high-risk countries within 14 days prior to travel must additionally test for COVID-19 on day one of quarantine. There is no national contact tracing app. All travellers are required to quarantine at government designated facilities for 14 days upon arrival at the travellers own cost. There are no face mask requirements at this time. Vanuatu nationals and residents are not allowed to exit the country for non-essential travel. SoE and social distancing measures remain in force. Domestic flight services and public transportation services have resumed across the country. Entertainment venues remain closed while public gatherings are limited to up to five people. All non-essential businesses and public transport services have been ordered to halt operations by 19:30 and 21:00 local time respectively. All areas remain designated as Level 0 (Low Risk). Authorities plan to make vaccination against COVID-19 mandatory for workers of government or private companies when the country transitions out of a state of emergency (SoE) and a Public Health Emergency Declaration is declared by the Health Minister. The current SoE was set until 31 January.