Travel warning for Australians travelling to the Middle East have been eased off the back of a ceasefire agreement between the US and Iran.
The Australian Government today revised 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 at “Do Not Travel”.
The Government 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.
Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Matt Thistlethwaite said Australia welcomed the peace agreement between the United States and Iran.
“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,” Mr Thistlethwaite said in a statement.
“Level 3 remains a high threshold. We continue to urge Australians to postpone non-essential travel.”
“If you need to transit these locations, stay as short a time as possible and eliminate unnecessary activities.”
Australians are urged to check Smartraveller.gov.au for detailed, up-to-date advice before travelling and subscribe for updates.
Mr Thistlethwaite also advised Australians planning to travel to ensure they had travel insurance and to closely read the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) to understand the level of coverage.
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).
