- Senator the Hon Penny Wong, Minister for Foreign Affairs
The Australian Government has today lowered travel advice for Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from ‘Do Not Travel’ (Level 4) to ‘Reconsider your need to travel’ (Level 3). Some areas within Israel remain ‘Do Not Travel’.
Australia welcomes the agreement between the United States and Iran and continues to encourage all parties to pursue a durable and lasting peace through dialogue and diplomacy.
The Albanese Government’s number one priority will always be the safety and security of Australians.
While the security situation across the Middle East could deteriorate rapidly with little warning, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has assessed current conditions in Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE as appropriate to move to Level 3.
Level 3 remains a high threshold. We continue to urge Australians to postpone non-essential travel. ‘Reconsider your need to travel’ also means ‘reconsider your need to transit’. If you need to transit these locations, stay as short a time as possible and eliminate unnecessary activities.
The Department and Foreign Affairs and Trade will continue to closely monitor the situation and keeps all Smartraveller travel advisories under review. Advice levels can go back up if conditions deteriorate. Australians should check Smartraveller.gov.au for detailed, up-to-date advice before travelling and subscribe for updates.
We also urge Australians planning to travel to make sure they have travel insurance and to closely read the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) for what is and isn’t covered. More information on travel insurance can be found here.
DFAT continues to advise ‘Do Not Travel’ to Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria and Yemen, and ‘Reconsider your need to travel’ to Jordan, Oman and Saudi Arabia.
Australians who require consular assistance should contact DFAT’s 24/7 Consular Emergency Centre on 1300 555 135 (within Australia) or +61 2 6261 3305 (from overseas).