Finance Minister Simon Birmingham says no overseas travel until later in 2022

Aussies hoping 2022 will bring the return of overseas travel are set for disappointment, as the Government warns borders won’t easily be open.

Australians hoping international travel will return to normal next year have been dealt a blow, as the Federal Government warns borders are unlikely to reopen until the end of 2022 at least.

Finance Minister Simon Birmingham said despite the rollout of the vaccine, global outbreaks and new mutant strains, such as those in India, left the world facing as much uncertainty as ever.

He said this meant Australia’s international borders – which have largely locked Australians in since March 2020 – would likely remain shut well into next year.

“We recognise that if Australians want to be kept safe and secure … and given uncertainties that exist not just in the speed of the vaccine rollout but also the extent of its effectiveness to different variants of COVID, the duration of its longevity and effectiveness, these are all considerations that mean we won’t be seeing borders flung open at the start of next year with great ease,” Mr Birmingham told The Australian.

Finance Minister Simon Birmingham says Australia is in no rush to reopen international borders in 2022. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Gary Ramage

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“I think people appreciate, as we come to the point of delivering this year’s budget, it’s delivered against a global landscape of even greater uncertainty than existed a few months ago when we commenced the framing of it.

“The ferocity of recent COVID outbreaks, the uncertainty in many countries around vaccine rollouts, all create an environment in which, although Australia’s enjoying very high levels of business and consumer confidence, there’s a fragility that underpins all of that.”

Mr Birmingham spoke to The Australian ahead of the federal budget which will be handed down on Tuesday.

The Federal Government has insisted throughout the pandemic it was in no great hurry to re-open the nation’s borders.

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Vaccines could lead to international travel plan

However, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he was pushing for a plan to allow vaccinated Australians to travel overseas and avoid mandatory quarantine on their return.

Mr Morrison said last month he had urgently asked medical experts to determine how it could be done.

He said the country’s “main goal” was vaccinating vulnerable Australians but an international travel plan was “what I’d like to see happen next”.

“This is what I’ve tasked the medical experts with, is ensuring that we can know when an Australian is vaccinated here with their two doses, is able to travel overseas and return without having to go through hotel quarantine,” he told 6PR Perth Radio in April.

“I think we’re still some time away from that. The states, at this stage, I’m sure wouldn’t be agreeing to relaxing those hotel quarantine arrangements for those circumstances at this point in time.

“But what we need to know from the health advisers is what does make that safe and what does make that possible.”

Singapore has been touted as the next likely destination for Australia’s overseas travellers, after the trans-Tasman travel bubble with New Zealand opened up last month.

Hong Kong has also reportedly flagged interest in a quarantine-free travel arrangement with Australia.