Historical context: This article concerns an emergency Australian COVID-19 measure announced in May 2021. The restriction was temporary and should not be interpreted as current Australian travel policy.

Australia introduced a temporary restriction

In early May 2021, the Australian government temporarily restricted entry by people who had been in India during the 14 days before their intended arrival in Australia.

The measure was introduced during a severe wave of COVID-19 infections in India and applied to Australian citizens and permanent residents as well as other affected travellers.

Penalties under the emergency determination

The Australian government stated that failure to comply with the emergency determination could expose a person to penalties of up to 300 penalty units, five years' imprisonment, or both.

These were maximum statutory consequences associated with breaching the determination, not an automatic five-year prison sentence for every Australian returning from India.

Temporary COVID-19 measure

The government said the restriction would be reconsidered before May 15, 2021. It formed part of Australia's border and quarantine response during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The policy generated significant public and political debate, particularly because Australians in India were temporarily prevented from returning home.

This article records the situation in May 2021 only. Australian border and travel requirements subsequently changed substantially as pandemic policies evolved.