Australia has reopened its borders to the first wave of fully vaccinated visitors after nearly two years of tight border restrictions.
The first arrivals, on a Japan Airlines flight from Tokyo and a Qantas flight from Los Angeles, touched down just after 6am on Monday.
It is the first time people have been able to visit from anywhere in the world since March 2020.
The country’s Department for Home Affairs announced: “From 21 February 2022, all fully vaccinated visa holders can travel to Australia without a travel exemption.”
But individual state rules for arrival – even from neighbouring states – differ widely, meaning travel is still complex.
Western Australia, the largest Australian state, will follow – admitting tourists, family visitors and business travellers from 3 March.
The state has pursued an isolationist policy for many months – not merely keeping out overseas travellers, but also closing its frontiers to people from other Australian states.
The Independent’s travel correspondent, Simon Calder, was on the first foreign flight to arrive is sharing all of the latest updates and news as this new era of Australian tourism begins.
Follow the latest updates below.
