Victoria has become the latest Australian state to scrap its on-arrival COVID-19 test requirement for international arrivals, a move which takes effect from Saturday 23 April 2022.
Travellers will be “recommended” but not required to get a COVID-19 test on arrival, while masks will no longer be required in hospitality or retail settings and at events of any size (they’ll still be required on public transport and at airports). Check-ins with the Service Victoria app will end, as will isolation for close contacts of positive cases.
With Australia’s recent scrapping of pre-departure testing, Singapore residents will be able to travel to and from Melbourne with just a single virtually-supervised antigen test on the return leg (which is also likely to be scrapped soon).
Victoria scraps on-arrival testing
International travellers to Melbourne and Victoria State in general are currently required to take a rapid antigen test (known as a RAT in Australia) within 24 hours of arrival, and quarantine until a negative result is received.
From Saturday 23 April 2022, this requirement will cease.
International travellers who are symptom-free will be recommended but not required to get a PCR or rapid test on arrival
With the latest changes, here’s the updated requirements for travelling to Melbourne.
| 🇦🇺 Travel to Melbourne |
|
On-arrival testing for other states
Victoria joins a growing list of Australian states and territories which have removed on-arrival testing.
| 🇦🇺 Summary: Australia Testing Requirements (from 23 April 2022) | ||
| State/ Territory | Pre-departure | On-arrival |
| Australian Capital Territory | Not required | ART (24h) |
| New South Wales | ART (24h) | |
| Northern Territory | None | |
| Queensland | ART (24h) | |
| South Australia | ART (window not specified) | |
| Tasmania | None | |
| Victoria | None | |
| Western Australia | None | |
However, travellers to Adelaide, Brisbane and Sydney will still be required to perform on-arrival testing. The good news is that the requirement can be satisfied with a simple self-administered ART, keeping isolation time to a minimum (if at all).
ART kits in Australia are overseen by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). The TGA has a list of approved home test kits, as well as a copy of the manufacturer’s instructions for each test.
Four of the kits sold in Singapore pharmacies are approved in Australia, namely:
- Abbott Panbio COVID-19 Antigen Self-Test
- Flowflex SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Rapid Test
- Hangzhou Alltest SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Rapid Test
- SD Biosensor SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Self Test Nasal
With regards to SD Biosensor, note that it’s the white kit with blue text that’s approved for use in Australia, not the white kit with pink text (Standard Q).
Testing for Singapore-Australia travel
| ⚕️ Testing: Singapore-Australia Travel | ||
| Location | Remarks | Price |
| 🇦🇺 Australia | Within 24h of arrival (ART/PCR, some states only) | ~S$5 |
| 🇦🇺 Australia | 2 days before departure (ART) | From S$9 |
Round-trip journeys from Singapore to Australia will now involve 1-2 ARTs, depending on which state you’re travelling to.
We’ve talked about on-arrival testing already, and the only required test comes when returning to Singapore. Singapore Citizens, Permanent Residents and Long Term Passholders can take a remotely-supervised tele-ART, which starts from just S$9, plus the cost of your own test kit.
Cheapest overseas tele-ARTs for pre-departure testing to Singapore
For a full rundown on what to do when entering Singapore under the Vaccinated Travel Framework (VTF), refer to the post below.
Complete Guide: Singapore’s quarantine-free Vaccinated Travel Framework (VTF)
Conclusion
Victoria will scrap its on-arrival COVID-19 test requirement for international arrivals from 23 April 2022, and while the test itself wasn’t that big an inconvenience, it’s yet another step towards normality.
Visitors from Singapore to Melbourne will only have a single test awaiting them before returning to Singapore, which may also get phased out shortly. Fingers crossed!
