New Zealand-Australia travel bubble could open from April

‘We’d like to see it soon,’ says Jacinda Ardern

New Zealand could soon open to Australians (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

A two-way travel bubble between New Zealand and Australia could open as early as April.

Kiwi Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has been tight-lipped about exact dates, but has confirmed the government’s intentions to establish the bubble, saying: “We’d like to see it soon”.

According to New Zealand news site Stuff, a paper is currently being discussed which could see a decision made on the travel bubble as early as 22 March, with a launch date of mid-April.

The bubble would allow quarantine-free travel between the two countries. Up until now, the arrangement has only been one way – New Zealanders could enter certain Australian states without self-isolating, but the same was not true for Australians visiting New Zealand.

Currently, the only Australian states allowing quarantine-free travel are Victoria and New South Wales, but most other regions would be expected to open up as part of the new unilateral agreement.

Part of the plans involve airports being categorised as red or green zones – green zones would welcome travellers from the trans-Tasman bubble, while red zones would be reserved for travellers entering New Zealand from elsewhere, who would need to quarantine unless transiting to another flight.

New Zealand isn’t the only country Australia is interested in bubbling with.

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Discussions are currently underway for a bubble between Australia and Singapore, which would allow vaccinated travellers to travel between the two without the need to quarantine.

Officials have said the arrangement could be in place by July this year.

“Australia is a key partner of Singapore in the region,” Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said in a statement.

“We are in discussions on how to cooperate in opening our economies safely, taking into consideration the Covid-19 situation in both countries.”

Australia’s deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack said the country was “working with Singapore at the moment potentially for a bubble (beginning) in July”.

“As the vaccine rolls out, not only in Australia but in other countries, we will reopen more bubbles,” he told broadcaster ABC.