Travel to Australia during Covid-19: What you need to know before you go

(CNN) — If you’re planning a trip to Australia, here’s what you’ll need to know and expect if you want to visit during the global coronavirus pandemic.

The basics

Australia reopened its borders to fully vaccinated tourists on February 21, having previously had some of the most stringent entry regulations on the planet.

However, this doesn’t mean the entire country is a free-for-all. Those border regulations are at a national level. Once you’re in the country, different states and regions have their own regulations, including testing requirements which were dropped at a national level on April 18.

What’s on offer

Are you looking for wild open spaces? World-class beaches? A thrumming food and drinks scene? Australia has all of that in spades. From Uluru to the Sydney Opera House, its icons span the Outback to the cities, sacred spaces to cultural centers. Plus, of course, there’s that laidback, beach-driven lifestyle.

Who can go

Australia opened its borders to fully vaccinated tourists on February 21, although the different states have different requirements (see below).

A ban on cruise ship entry ended April 17.

Entry requirements

All arrivals to Australia, other than those from the countries listed below, must be fully vaccinated — with the final vaccination having taken place more than a week before travel. A certificate in English must be presented, with the vaccine brand name, dates of vaccination, and passport name and date of birth (or passport number) of the traveler.

US CDC Travel Advisory:

Level 3: High. Make sure your vaccines are up to date. There have been nearly 6.5 million cases and 7,668 deaths as of May 12.

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CNN’s Julia Buckley, Sophie Jeong, Mia Alberti and Angus Watson contributed to this report