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Covid-19 – Shipping Update

Requirements, restrictions, rules and policies affecting the maritime industry at Australian ports

 

Index to this page...

 

Requirements, restrictions, rules and policies affecting the maritime industry at Australian ports

Short update as of 22 December 2021

 Australia's borders are largely closed to most travellers unless specific exemptions apply.

Commercial maritime crew, i.e. those engaged in the movement of freight or those who are engaged in providing various commercial maritime services, are allowed to enter Australia. 

For the avoidance of frustration, please be advised that cruise ship crew, yacht crew, and passengers who have booked personal passage on a freighter, are not considered to be commercial maritime crew. 

Singaporean, New Zealander, and from 15 December 2021, Japanese and Korean nationals can enter Australia under the "International Safe Travel Zone" rules. 

Omicron-COVID is present in Australia. The Federal Government and State / Territory governments have imposed a series of restrictions on entry to Australia because of concerns about the Omicron-variant of COVID. For more information, see Omicron-induced border rules / rules for travellers who have recently been in the southern African countries. 

Travel around Australia can be difficult currently, depending upon jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction border rules. Whether travel is easy or not very much depends upon the local situation at the time of travel along with the place of origin to the place of destination. As of the date of this update (22 December 2021) travel within the State of New South Wales is easy and travel within the State of Western Australia is easy. However, travel from NSW to WA is extremely difficult. 

Remember: Australia is a federal country which means that seafarers will need to comply both with Federal law and the rules of whatever or State / Territory they are travelling to. It is possible that at the time of a seafarers' travel that there could be a local requirement to undergo a 14-day quarantine. The Federal rules and the rules of the State / Territory to which travel is intended must both be checked. There may also be port-by-port rules that will have to be complied with. Crew change planners should get in touch with the local port operators and / or port authorities to find out if there are any specific, local rules. 

Australia currently appears to generally have most variants of COVID under control (although there are concerns given the presence of Omicron) thanks to modern science and the willingness of the general population to be vaccinated. Australia now has one of the highest COVID-vaccination rates in the world. 

Bear in mind that COVID is now an endemic disease that is likely to be continuously circulating in all countries, Australia included. There are still hundreds of people being infected with COVID each day in Australia, however, owing to the high vaccination rates only a few hundred people are in hospital with COVID at any one time and the number of people in intensive care with COVID is small relative to the total number of active cases.

SEAFARERS on freight-carrying ships, marine pilots, marine surveyors, and crew on vessels engaged in port and maintenance services are exempt from Federal travel restrictions (but not from State and Territory restrictions). Read more here. 

NOTE: Australia is a Federal Country which means that there are local governments (States & Territories) that have extensive powers. Visitors are therefore subject to both Federal AND local rules. Border rules between States & Territories can be changed at anytime. For instance, there are numerous examples of people being stuck on the wrong side of a border after travel restrictions have been announced. Those people were then stuck for days, weeks or months. There have also been instances were plane-loads of passengers have taken off, only for the rules to change mid-flight and the passengers were then forced into quarantine or sent back upon arrival at their destination. 
States & Territories can declare lockdowns anywhere in their jurisdiction. For instance, in late November and early December 2021, parts of the Northern Territory were in lockdown while New South Wales was not in lockdown even though, in late November, the Northern Territory was recording about 11 cases a day whereas New South Wales was recording about 276 cases a day.
Some (but not all) local jurisdictions require travellers to have negative COVID tests no more than 72 hours in advance of intended travel. Seafarers and crew change managers booking flights to Australia may wish to carefully think about, and research, their travel plans prior to booking. Travel to or within Australia can be extremely difficult or, alternatively, very easy. Whether it is difficult or easy is completely dependent on the situation at the time.
Please contact Shipping Australia directly for further details.

Phone:  +61 2 9167 5838
Email: admin@shippingaustralia.com.au

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General comments and links to updates on the current situation

Australia's COVID situation is in a constant state of change. Owing to the size of the continent, the distance between cities, the low population density and the fragmented (and often contradictory) nature of Federal / State government, an outbreak of COVID can be raging in one part of the country and completely absent everywhere else. Travel to / from and around the COVID-infected area can be very difficult whereas travel to / from and around the COVID-free parts can be easy.

Readers are strongly advised to inform themselves of the current situation in Australia before making any travel plans.

The following sources of information are the most accurate, and most frequently updated, in relation to Australia's COVID-situation:

Travelling to Australia (Federal government website)

Preparing to travel to Australia (Federal government checklist) *useful

International travel and COVID-19 (Federal Department of Health)

COVID-19 and the border - Travel restrictions and exemptions (Federal Department of Home Affairs)

ABC News (general COVID-related news in Australia)

SBS News (general COVID-related news in Australia)

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Health Alert (health-focused information from the Australian Government Department of Health)

COVID-19 Restriction Checker
(find out what you can and can't do when you're in any given part of Australia; Federal Department of Health)

Further information
The Australian Commonwealth Government has published extensive guidance at its Department of Health:

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Australia Crew Change Summary

Undertaking crew changes in Australia has been challenging but it has been possible if carefully planned, timed and coordinated. Adequate time must be allowed, noting there is a limited number of flights to most Australian major cities both from outside Australia and from within Australia.

Commercial maritime crew have exemptions to the Federal restrictions on entering Australia that are imposed on general travellers. Commercial mariners may enter and depart Australia with a Transit Visa and a Maritime Crew Visa (if arriving by air) or with a Maritime Crew Visa alone if entering by sea. Detailed information about visas is given in the segment after this Crew Change Summary.

Note: the phrase "commercial mariners" means seafarers working as maritime crew on freight-carrying ships (it also includes related marine service providing mariners e.g. marine pilots). None of the commentary on this page relates to cruise ship crew, recreational mariners (yachts etc) or people who have booked passage aboard a freighter as a means of personal travel and who are not, themselves, working as part of the ship's crew.

Queensland

To date, Queensland has been the easiest jurisdiction to change crew in Australia. Queensland has a comprehensive "Protocol for maritime crew members joining or signing off a vessel in Queensland". The Protocol contains a wide variety of instructions, rules, checklists etc.

New South Wales

Prior to the concerns over Omicron, New South Wales had greatly eased its border rules and so had become the easiest jurisdiction in which to do crew changes. Crew changers will need to very carefully consider the latest updates and carry out their own research prior to attempting a crew change in NSW.

NSW On-signers who arrive in New South Wales via air and who are fully vaccinated with a TGA approved vaccine can enter NSW and can go directly onto a vessel. If, however, they are not fully vaccinated with a TGA approved vaccine, then they will have to enter a police quarantine facility for 14 days prior to boarding a vessel. See: the Public Health (COVID-19 Air Transportation Quarantine) Order (No 4) 2021 of 27 November 2021.

NSW Off-signers who arrive in New South Wales via sea on a ship cannot disembark without approval of the Commissioner of Police. The seafarer may apply for an exemption to the Maritime Quarantine order which stipulates that a person must go directly to a quarantine facility, hospital, airport or another vessel to immediately leave Australia. If the person is not fully vaccinated they will have to enter a police-nominated quarantine facility. See: the Public Health (COVID-19 Maritime Quarantine) Order (No 4) 2021 of 27 November 2021.

See NSW COVID Legislation Page for more details. 

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Australia's State / Territory Rules

Federal, State and Territory rules will all apply at the same time. Seafarers will need to check the relevant Federal rules (see other segments and links on this page) and also the rules of the States and Territories to which they are planning to travel.

Throughout the pandemic, Queensland has generally been the most crew change-friendly jurisdiction. Anyone planning a crew change in Queensland is strongly advised to thoroughly understand the "Protocol for maritime crew members joining or signing off a vessel in Queensland".

Queensland

New South Wales

Victoria

Tasmania

South Australia

Western Australia

  • COVID-19 coronavirus: Travel and border: State-wide
    • this appears to be the key page for transport workers wanting to enter or work in Western Australia

      • IMPORTANT NOTES on the "Travel and border: State-wide" page
        • the "Transport, Freight and Logistics" directions specifically relate to the trucking industry
        • air crew, passengers, etc and other aviation-directions can be found with the search terms "air", "aviation", "airline", "flight" etc
        • rules for the ocean shipping and offshore industries can be found with the search term "maritime", "vessel", "on-board" etc

Northern Territory

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Visas for seafarers

Commercial seafarers must hold a valid visa before travelling to Australia. 

The following information relates to seafarers working on commercial ships and does not apply to seafarers on recreational vessels, or military vessels. It also does not apply to passengers who have booked passage aboard freighters but who are not working on the ship as part of the crew.

Summary: 

  • Seafarers can enter Australia by air or by sea
  • Seafarers who enter by air must have a transit visa and a Maritime Crew Visa
  • Seafarers who enter by sea only need a Maritime Crew Visa

Maritime Crew Visa

Commercial maritime crew may enter Australia and depart Australia by sea with a Maritime Crew Visa. With this visa, seafarers can do normal operational work on a ship as a member of the crew. 

Just lodging an application is not a guarantee that a visa will be granted. Seafarers must make sure that an application is lodged AND granted before travelling to Australia. If a seafarer arrives in Australia without a valid visa, he or she will not be able to leave the ship and may have difficulties getting a visa in the future. The shipping company, ship’s master and agent may also be fined.

Seafarers must lodge a fully documented and complete application at least four weeks before departing for Australia to give the authorities time to process the application. Remember: the application may be delayed or refused.

Sometimes the authorities may ask for additional information to support an application. Requested information must be provided as soon as possible; the authorities will not grant a visa until this is done.

Extensive details about COVID-19 requirements for maritime crew (arriving and leaving Australia by sea or air and signing on / off a ship) can be found here. 

The authorities have produced a factsheet about the MCV with a list of necessary documents and common errors. Read the factsheet here.

A MARITIME  CREW VISA DOES NOT ENTITLE SEAFARERS TO ENTER AUSTRALIA BY AIR

"With this visa you can't and must not enter Australia by air only holding this visa, you will need another visa to enter"; and

"MCVs do not allow travel to Australia by air. If you hold an MCV you must obtain an additional visa if you want to fly to Australia to sign-on to your vessel".

Seafarers can, however, enter Australia  by air using a Transit Visa. If a seafarer enters using a Transit visa, then his or her Maritime Crew Visa will allow up to five days after arrival for the seafarer to sign-on to the vessel. If the seafarer does not sign-on within five days of arrival, the Maritime Crew Visa will cease.  Seafarers be outside Australia and hold a Maritime Crew visa with all the necessary crew documents when applying for a Transit Visa. This page explains how to apply for a Transit visa.

The Australian Border Force is the first port of call for all visa related information; the ABF also maintains a COVID-specific set of web-pages including this information page on the maritime industries.

A range of other visas exist and can be examined using the Visa Explorer.

Transiting through Australia

Passengers transiting Australia are automatically exempt from Australian travel restrictions if they are in Australia for less than 72 hours before leaving on a connecting flight. Maritime Crew Visa (subclass 988) holders can use a transit visa to enter Australia by air to join cargo vessels.   Readers are directed to this page to find out more.

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AVIATION: rules and restrictions

Australian has federally-imposed quotas on the numbers of people who are allowed to fly into Australia. This means that the number of people who can get on a plane to Australia, and the number of planes that fly into Australia, will be far less than pre-pandemic. The number of people who can fly into Australia in any given week is severely restricted.

The current number of people who can fly into Australia can be found here!

If the numbers are breached, or rules change, potential passengers can unexpectedly be told that they have lost their seat. For instance, see the 11 January 2021 news story "Returning Australians lose Qantas tickets after caps decrease".

Readers are advised to review the website of the main airlines and airports prior to booking flights:

Airlines

Qantas 

Virgin Australia

Airports

Adelaide (South Australia)

Brisbane (Queensland)

Darwin Airport (Northern Territory)

Melbourne (Victoria)

Perth (Western Australia)

Sydney (New South Wales)

Readers may also find it useful to review the news pages of the trade website Australian Aviation especially its "Airlines" and its "Airports" sections. 

*Note: Commercial mariners flying into Queensland specifically are not affected by passenger caps as the authorities have set up a separate system to manage seafarers; this does not apply in other jurisdictions

Negative COVID-test required before coming to Australia / masks must be worn

Returning Australians and other travellers to Australia must return a negative COVID-19 test prior to departure. Exemptions will only be applied in extenuating circumstances, such as seasonal workers where there is limited access to testing. Masks must be worn on flights and in airports.

See: the Prime Minister's Statement of 8 Jan 2021

COVID-Safe Domestic Flying—Domestic Passenger Journey Protocols

The Australian aviation industry has developed a Domestic Passenger Journey Protocol to provide clear and consistent guidance regarding risk-minimisation principles and processes in domestic airports and on aircraft for domestic passenger travel. Seafarers flying into Australia may need to take domestic flights to reach their ships.

Find out more about the Protocols here. 

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General health rules in (mostly) Plain English

The most up-to-date and comprehensive guide to border and travel restrictions across Australia can be found here at the Federal Department of Health. After you click that link, scroll down to find "State and territory travel restrictions".

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Health directives by State & Territory in Legal English

Jurisdictions all over Australia have been updating their public health directives. Updates can be accessed directly at the list of authorities below.

NOTE: the information found by following the below links are very much written by, and for, lawyers. Speakers of English as a second language may well find this legally-focused information very difficult to understand. Even native speakers of normal English find Legal English very difficult to understand!

Queensland

New South Wales

Victoria

Tasmania

South Australia

Western Australia

Northern Territory

 

View All