The Australian federal government is further relaxing its Covid-19 border closures, with skilled workers and certain temporary visa holders allowed to enter the country from 1 December without the need to apply for an exemption.

The new rules will apply to fully vaccinated skilled workers and students, as well as humanitarian, working holiday maker and provisional family visa holders.

In addition, fully vaccinated citizens from Japan and South Korea who hold a valid Australian visa will be able to enter participating states from their home country without the need to quarantine.

Visitors under these categories must provide proof of their vaccination status as well as a negative result from a Covid-19 PCR test taken within three days of departure. They must follow the quarantine requirements of both the state they arrive in and the state or territory to which they plan to travel.

The move follows efforts by the Australian government to reopen its borders after more than 18 months of some of the strictest controls in the world. Australian citizens and some family members have been allowed to re-enter the country after travelling abroad since 1 November.

While the federal government can ease border policies across the nation, individual states have the ability to make their own decisions about whether to allow visitors to enter from outside Australia ¨C and even from other states. The states of Victoria and New South Wales both offer quarantine-free entry for vaccinated travellers. Other states have been more cautious in reopening their borders until their own vaccination rates improve.