AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL RESTRICTIONS

Please Note:

State and Territory rules apply in addition to National Federal rules and which must also be complied with for ports within that state or territory.

Each port may also have additional rules/requirements of its own.

Federal travel restrictions; arrangements for maritime crew; procedures for processing maritime crew arrivals

In the days before Christmas, the Australian Border Force released the “ADVICE FOR RESTRICTING CREW ON BOARD FOR COVID-19 HEALTH REQUIREMENTS” which should be read by all commercial mariners that are travelling to Australia and by anyone, e.g. ship agents, that may be engaged to help support commercial mariners.

The ABF notes that the following arrangements remain in place for maritime crew arriving into Australia:

• Maritime crew may enter and depart Australia
• Maritime crew are not subject to the mandatory 14-day quarantine however, they will be required to comply with self-isolation requirements set out in this advice (see link below).

As of 23 December 2020, the ABF will issue a “requirement to restrict crew on board” to shipmasters. The master and / or ship agent will receive an email from the ABF with teh following details:

• Vessel name
• Master’s name
• Agent’s name
• Date and time that the vessel will be required to restrict crew on board to complete the 14 days self-isolation requirement
• Restrict-on-board expiry date/time

Confirmation must be provided by return of email.

Current advice for maritime crew arriving into Australia on an international maritime voyage will still apply, including:

• All crew must remain on-board while the vessel is berthed in Australia
• Crew are able to disembark to conduct essential vessel functions and crew must wear personal protective equipment (PPE) while performing these functions
• Crew should restrict their interaction with non-crew members to those interactions that are critical to the safe operation and loading/unloading of the vessel
• Crew must also use PPE in public spaces on board the vessel while non-crew members are on-board
• These restrictions apply until 14 days has elapsed since the vessel departed the last foreign port before Australia, and where there are no reports of crew being or having been unwell, or there is a suspected case of COVID-19 on-board.

Source: “ADVICE FOR RESTRICTING CREW ON BOARD FOR COVID-19 HEALTH REQUIREMENTS” by the Australian Border Force of 23 December 2020.

Date last updated / checked: 24 December 2020

Generally useful coronavirus factsheets

Coronavirus (COVID-19) current situation and case numbers in Australia
Useful for: anyone What you need to know about coronavirus (COVID-19)
Useful for: anyone Coronavirus: frequently asked questions – easy read
Useful for: anyone COVD-19: identifying the symptoms – a poster / chart
Useful for: anyone concerned about his or her health Healthdirect Coronavirus (COVID-19) Online Symptom Checker tool
Useful for: anyone concerned about his or her health Coronavirus (COVID-19) Easy Read Resources
A wide range of easy-to-read resources on such things as coronavirus, masks, social distancing, getting a test, and many more.
Useful for: everyone Coronavirus: who can you call? Easy to read
A fact sheet with phone numbers you can call to get help. Aimed at people with disabilities but will also take calls from people whose first language is not English.
Useful for: anyone, ship agents, people who do not have good English language skills COVID-19 posters / infographics on a wide range of topics
Useful for: everyone Date information issued: various
Date of SAL validity check: 01 December 2020; valid

COVID factsheets for transport-related businesses

Australia crew change summary
Useful for: seafarers travelling to / from ships. TAKE CARE: individual States and Territories will have different rules that will apply in addition to Federal rules. So crew will have to comply with Federal and State/Territory rules at the same time. You should consider visiting our jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction explanation and specifically read the rules for the State or Territory you intend to visit. COVID-19 – Managing risks on international flights
Useful for: everyone Coronavirus (COVID-19) information for travellers arriving in the green travel zone
Australia has designated certain countries as “safe” and has created a “green” zone for passengers arriving from safe countries. The list of countries may / expand or contract over time. International travellers arriving in Australia for a green zone country will not have to complete a 14-day Federally mandatory quarantine. Note: seafarers do not have to complete a Federally mandated 14-day quarantine but may be required to complete a State/Territory 14-day quarantine depending upon the local laws. Coronavirus (COVID-19) information  for international travellers
A factsheet on miscellaneous information of use upon arrival in Australia. Information about routine environmental cleaning and disinfection in the community
Useful for: ship crew, ship agents, anyone concerned about how to clean surfaces COVID-19 Information for the marine industry
Useful for: everyone COVID-19 information for marine pilots
Useful for: marine pilots, ship masters, ship bridge teams, port operators, ship agents Maritime Crew Changes in Australia (excluding cruise ships)
Useful for: everyone involved in the maritime industries (issued approx 03 July 2020) Date information issued: various
Date of SAL validity check: 01 December 2020; valid

Port State Control, Australia

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority, is Australia’s port state controller.

A variety of COVID-19 relevant information sheets are available from AMSA:

Temporary arrangements for the maximum period of shipboard service for seafarers during COVID-19 pandemic (Maritime Labour Convention-related; this notice explains AMSA policy on how long seafarers can stay onboard ships before enforcement action will be taken.

• Exemptions AMSA may use during the COVID-19 period
  • Temporary crewing permits
  • Exemptions 8 Marine Safety (Temporary Service)
  • Exemption 6 Marine Safety (Periodic survey, equipment certification and compass adjustment)
  • Exemption 7-Marine Safety (Temporary operations)
  • Exemption 42-Marine Safety (Extension of time-certificates of competency)
  • Exemption 43-Marine Safety (Extension of time-first aid and crewing)
  • Suspend a certificate of survey and/or load line certificate

Date information issued: various
Date of SAL validity check: 01 December 2020; valid

POLICY

Seafarers’ right to health care

Date information issued: various
Date of SAL validity check: 01 December 2020; valid

POLICY

High-level ministerial support for freight

Issued by the Transport and Infrastructure Council.

The Transport and Infrastructure Council announced that the movement of freight is a “high priority” for all federal, state and territory governments.

Government ministers emphasised the importance of a nationally consistent approach and affirmed the critical role that the freight sector plays in providing essential services of food, medicine and other goods.

The members of the Transport Infrastructure Council include federal, state and territory ministers of transport, roads, planning, infrastructure and logistics alongside the president of the Australian Local Government Association.

Date information issued: 25 March 2020
Date of SAL validity check: 01 December 2020; still valid

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF POLICY – under review

A very high-level summary of Federal shipping restrictions

• Australia’s borders are closed
  • A near-complete ban on movement across the national border is in effect but there are some exemptions
• Maritime crew can arrive and depart Australia for crew change purposes under Federal rules (but State & Territory rules also apply)
  • States and territories have their own additional rules
  • National cabinet has agreed that federal, state and territory governments will work to harmonise maritime crew change rules
• Marine pilots can board ships provided they take appropriate precautions
• There is high-level ministerial support for the movement of freight

This advice DOES NOT apply to cruise ship crews; cruise ships are banned from entering Australian waters or calling at Australian ports.

DATE

19 June

POLICY – under review

Maritime Crew Visas – offsigning crew; departing Australia – under review

SAL is checking this information for validity & currency

Maritime crew off-signing in Australia only have five days to leave the country or to sign-on another ship before their Maritime Crew Visa automatically expires.

Seafarers should either:

• apply for an extension of time; or
• hold another visa that allows them to stay in Australia until they can depart; or
• apply for another visa that allows them to stay in Australia until they can depart

An extension of the MCV sign-off period can be requested via email and lodged along with Form B521 Seaports – Notification of Sign-off. Periods of onshore stay up to 30 days from the date of the most recent arrival in Australia may be approved. The form can also be found by searching here.

What to do:

• • The Master or the Agent should fill in the form
    • He or she should send it to the Australian Border Force at the Port of Arrival
      • ABF port-by-port contact details can be found here
  • An ABF officer will tell the Master / Agent that that the extension has been granted and will advise of the new end-date

If a seafarer needs to apply for a new visa then note: the application must be lodged before the MCV extended period of stay expires.

There are numerous visas. Help on what visa to apply for can be found here at the Australian Department of Home Affairs (Immigration and Citizenship)

The ABF has provided some information that may be of use:

• Crew who have signed off a vessel, and are solely waiting to depart Australia, are not considered to be working and so do not need a visa with work rights
• A “visitor” visa may be an appropriate visa.
• In most cases, seafarers may be able to get a bridging visa that allows them to lawfully stay in Australia until their application for a new visa until the application is decided or until they leave Australia

If the seafarer holds another visa, in addition to the MCV, the ABF advises that the visa conditions should be checked to determine how long that visa lets the seafarer stay in Australia. Visa conditions can be checked here at the Department of Home Affairs (Immigration and Citizenship).

Source: “Maritime Crew Visa“; undated; distributed Thursday 25 June 2020.

DATE

20 March 

POLICY – under review

Restrictions on Australians Travelling Abroad

SAL is checking this information for validity & currency

The Prime Minister of Australia announced that Australian citizens will be restricted from travelling overseas.

This restriction commenced 25 March 2020 at 1200hrs AEDST.

This travel restriction does not apply to persons who are:

• ordinarily resident in a country other than Australia;
• airline and maritime crew and/or associated safety workers;
• engaged in the day to day conduct of outbound and inbound freight;
• travelling for essential work at offshore facilities;
• or travelling on official government business, including members of the Australian Defence Force.

All current travel restrictions for entry to Australia remain in place.

DATE

20 March

POLICY – under review

Restrictions on Entry into Australia by Commercial Vessels

SAL is checking this information for validity & currency

• Australian citizens, permanent residents and their immediate family
• New Zealand citizens ordinarily resident in Australia (subclass 444 visa)
• Maritime crew
  • anyone required to be part of a crew operating or providing services to support the operation of a commercial vessel
    • A “commercial vessel’ is as any vessel involved in commercial activity or person involved in the provision of port services, maintenance services, marine pilots and marine surveyors