International students travelling to Australia must:

• Be fully vaccinated from COVID-19 with a completed dosage of a vaccine approved or recognised by Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA)
• Hold a valid visa for one of the eligible visa subclasses
• Provide proof of their vaccination status
• Test negative for COVID-19. Present evidence of:
  • A negative Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test taken within three days (72 hours) of departure, or
  • A medical certificate as evidence of a negative Rapid Antigen Test taken under medical supervision within 24 hours of departure.

Unvaccinated student visa holders are required to obtain a travel exemption to enter Australia. This includes student visa holders who are vaccinated from COVID-19 with a vaccine that is not approved or recognised by Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration. More information on travel exemptions can be found at the Department of Home Affairs website here.

All returning international students are advised to follow the steps below when preparing to travel to Australia. 

1. Check if you are exempt from travel restrictions

Fully vaccinated eligible visa holders can travel to and from Australia without needing to apply for a travel exemption. For information on exempt categories, or steps on applying for an individual exemption, click here. 

2. Obtain your foreign vaccination certificate

If you were vaccinated outside Australia you must obtain a certificate from the country in which you received your vaccination. For more information, read guidance on foreign vaccination certificates here.

Keep a hard copy or an electronic copy of your vaccination certificate. Airlines will check this when you check-in to your flight. If you are unable to meet the proof of vaccination requirements, you will not qualify as a fully vaccinated traveller. You will need to follow the current border processes when leaving or coming to Australia.

3. Submit your Digital Passenger Declaration (DPD) at least 72 hours before departure

Travellers to Australia should complete their Digital Passenger Declaration (DPD) at least 72 hours before departure. Travellers can start a DPD seven days before their flight to Australia, but can only submit it within 72 hours before their departure. This is because they must provide their health information and declaration within 72 hours before their flight. The DPD contains a declaration regarding vaccination status that is considered to be critical health information. You must be able to provide evidence that you made this declaration before boarding the aircraft.

4. Undertake a pre-departure COVID-19 test

A negative COVID-19 test result is required for travelling to Australia. When you check-in to your flight you need to provide:

• Evidence of a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken within 3 days before your flight’s scheduled departure, or
• A medical certificate as evidence of a negative Rapid Antigen Test, taken under medical supervision within 24 hours of departure. 

If your flight is delayed, you will still be considered to have met the pre-departure testing requirements. You will not need a new test. However, if your flight is re-scheduled or cancelled, you will need to provide evidence of a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken no more than 3 days before the re-scheduled flight, or a Rapid Antigen Test taken under medical supervision within 24 hours before the re-scheduled flight. See the Department of Health website for more information

5. At the airport

Present your foreign vaccination certificate, negative COVID-19 test result and completed ATD to airline staff when you check in for your flight

To manage the return of our international students to Australia, ACU has set up a travel registration tool for students to use called 'My Trips'.

Students are encouraged to submit their travel details (including a copy of their confirmed travel itinerary) to the university via My Trips before travelling to Australia. 

Students travelling to Australia are required to comply with requirements in the state or territory of their arrival, and any other state or territory to which they plan to travel. This includes quarantine and post-arrival testing requirements.

Please note that restrictions may change at short notice. To check requirements, see State and Territory Information for travellers here. 

• NSW: All fully-vaccinated international travellers arriving in NSW are required to get a COVID-19 rapid antigen test within 24 hours of their arrival in NSW, and again on or after day 6 of arriving in NSW. 
  
  
• Victoria: All fully-vaccinated international travellers arriving in Victoria are required to immediately quarantine at their accommodation or place of residence upon their arrival in Victoria, and get a COVID-19 rapid antigen test or PCR test within 24 hours of their arrival and isolate until they receive a negative result. Students are required to get another rapid antigen test or PCR test between days 5 and 7 after arriving in Victoria. 
  
  
• Queensland: All fully-vaccinated international travellers arriving in Queensland are required to get a COVID-19 rapid antigen test within 24 hours of their arrival in Queensland. Please see the Study Queensland website for further information.

Students who are travelling to NSW are advised to follow the steps below.

Before you arrive in NSW

Ensure all your Commonwealth entry requirements are in order, including checking you can travel and completing your Digital Passenger Declaration.

When you arrive in NSW

Follow the post-arrival requirements for fully-vaccinated international arrivals into the state. For more information about these requirements, click here. For a list of COVID-19 testing clinics in NSW, click here.

Students who are travelling to Victoria are advised to follow the steps below.

Before you arrive in Victoria

Ensure all your Commonwealth entry requirements are in order, including checking you can travel and completing your Digital Passenger Declaration.

When you arrive in Victoria

Follow the post-arrival requirements for fully-vaccinated international arrivals into the state. For a list of COVID-19 testing clinics in Victoria, click here.

From 1am Saturday 22 January 2022, international students arriving in Queensland will not be required to quarantine upon their arrival, provided they are fully vaccinated and return a negative COVID-19 rapid antigen test result within 24 hours of their arrival.

Before you arrive in Queensland

Ensure all your Commonwealth entry requirements are in order, including checking you can travel and completing your Digital Passenger Declaration.

When you arrive in Queensland

Follow the post-arrival requirements for fully-vaccinated international arrivals into the state. This includes getting tested for COVID-19 within 24 hours of your arrival.

A range of short-stay accommodation options are available for students who are required to undergo a mandatory self-isolation/quarantine period upon their arrival in Australia.

 * Students who would like to book their self-isolation/quarantine as part of a longer stay at the Miguel Cordero Residence are advised to contact MCR for further details. 

Please contact your International Student Adviser if you require support upon arriving in Australia.

While we are looking forward to welcoming our students back on campus to study in Australia, we acknowledge that for various reasons, some students may be unable to travel to Australia to continue or commence their studies in 2022. 

ACU will continue to offer remote learning, where possible, to students who cannot attend classes in person or who are still located offshore. You can learn more about our online to onshore study journey, and the programs that will be offered for virtual learning in Semester 1 2022 here.

If you have any questions about your program of study and whether remote learning will be available, please email International Admissions on international.admissions@acu.edu.au. 

The following links contain useful information for international students:

• Department of Home Affairs - COVID-19 and the border: Information for travellers, including eligible visa holders
• International COVID-19 vaccines recognised by Australia: List of vaccines that are recognised for the purpose of travel to Australia
• Study Australia – Student arrivals plans and updates: The latest information and advice regarding travel to Australia and the student visa process
• Department of Home Affairs - International students: Information for international students
• State and Territory Information: Details on quarantine and post-arrival testing requirements for each state and territory.