Yaass Queensland!

Queensland, Australia may be another travel option for LGBTQ travelers in the US and UK soon. Of course, we’re always excited when popular travel destinations start to ease post-COVID travel restrictions.

And now, fully vaccinated international travelers, including students and visitors to Australia who hold a Working Holiday Visa, can travel quarantine-free to Queensland, starting Saturday, January 22, 2022. 

As always, Vacationer Magazine strongly encourages travelers to check local government restrictions, rules, and safety measures related to COVID-19 and take personal comfort levels and health conditions into consideration before traveling.

The Queensland Government this week announced fully vaccinated international travelers will no longer need to quarantine on arrival to the state. However, travelers must meet the following Australian Government entry requirements:

• Fully vaccinated Working Holiday Makers, students and some other visa categories originating from eligible international locations all around the world and traveling on approved visas can enter Australia without needing to quarantine. 

• Fully vaccinated Australian citizens, permanent residents, and their immediate family members can travel from all international locations to Australia without the requirement to quarantine on arrival. 

• Australia has Safe Travel Zones declared for Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, and Singapore. These allow quarantine-free leisure travel for fully vaccinated visitors coming into Australia from these countries. 

• Once meeting Australian arrival requirements, fully vaccinated international travelers won’t need to quarantine on arrival in Queensland. 

• Consistent with requirements in other states, fully vaccinated international arrivals will need to complete a COVID-19 test (a Rapid Antigen Test is accepted) within 24 hours of their arrival in Queensland.

• Unvaccinated international travelers arriving in Queensland will continue to be required to quarantine. 

Tourism and Events Queensland Chief Executive Officer Leanne Coddington said it was an important first step towards welcoming back travelers to one of the world’s highly sought-after tourism destinations.

“As international travel restrictions continue to ease, there is now an exciting opportunity in particular for eligible Working Holiday Makers and students on relevant visas to travel from North America to work in Queensland’s wonderful tourism and events industry or learn in some of the world’s most unique classrooms,” Ms. Coddington said. 

“While here they’ll also have the opportunity to experience our warm hospitality, spectacular destinations, world-class events, nature, wildlife, and culture.”

In 2019 more than 2.7 million international visitors arrived on Queensland’s shores, with the state’s capital Brisbane, as well as the Gold and Sunshine Coasts, Cairns and Great Barrier Reef, and the Whitsundays among the most visited and world-renowned regions.

Official Information:

• The requirements for international travelers to enter Australia are on the Department of Home Affairs COVID-19 website. 

• They must then meet the Queensland requirements – the Queensland Health website will detail this information more specifically when the Public Health Direction is published at 9:00 am EST Saturday, January 22.

• Once in Queensland, visitors must abide by all Public Health Directions currently in place including mask wearing and showing proof of vaccination to enter venues. View all Queensland restrictions here.

• Some states and territories in Australia have domestic border requirements for travelers moving between states while visiting. Travelers should check the requirements for each state they plan to visit.

 Looking for more Australia trip ideas? Consider planning a trip to Sydney using our Queer Travel Guide!