10 Mar 2022 | 07:57 AM UTC
New Caledonia: Officials ease entry requirements for fully vaccinated travelers as of March 10 /update 27
New Caledonia ends self-quarantine, on-arrival testing requirements for fully vaccinated travelers as of March 10. Local measures ongoing.
Event
New Caledonia officials have lifted self-quarantine, health declaration, and on-arrival COVID-19 testing requirements for fully vaccinated travelers as of March 10.
Domestic Measures
The government limits most gatherings to 30 people; outdoor events and demonstrations may take place with up to 500 people with facemasks and other protocols. Places of worship must restrict attendance to half of capacity. A facemask mandate continues for people 11 years old and above in public indoor areas. The government no longer requires employers to permit telecommuting but encourages it. Businesses, such as markets, hotels, and other essential outlets, may operate with health protocols. Professional meetings, cultural venues, and event spaces can operate at 65-percent capacity indoors.
Residents and travelers must obtain a health pass to enter high-risk settings, including entertainment and nightlife establishments, dine-in services, sports facilities, and professionally organized events. Individuals must be fully vaccinated, test negative for COVID-19 in the previous 24 hours, or have received a positive COVID-19 test in the last 11 days to six months to receive a health pass. The government requires a third vaccine dose within four months of the second dose to maintain a health pass for people 18 years old and above. The requirement is two months for anyone that received a Janssen single-dose vaccine.
Authorities require fully vaccinated COVID-19 cases to self-quarantine for seven days; people can exit quarantine with a negative test result on day 5. People that are not fully vaccinated have to self-quarantine for 10 days if they test positive but can leave after day 7 with a negative test result. People must be asymptomatic for 48 hours to leave quarantine early. Fully vaccinated designated close contacts of COVID-19 cases do not have to quarantine but must self-test on days 2 and 4 after notification. Un- or partially vaccinated close contacts must self-quarantine for seven days and receive a negative test result before exiting. Officials request that affected people self-quarantine, avoid public transport, wear facemasks in public, and avoid fragile populations for another seven days after leaving quarantine.
International Travel Restrictions
New Caledonia permits entry for travelers fully vaccinated with the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca, or Janssen/Johnson and Johnson doses and unvaccinated minors 17 years old or younger. Unvaccinated travelers must prove a compelling reason for entry. Arrivals must provide a negative result from a PCR test taken within 72 hours or antigen test taken 48 hours or less before departure. French nationals resident in other areas of the Pacific can transit the territory. All entrants age 12 and above must complete an entry application before travel.
Unvaccinated entrants must take a COVID-19 test upon arrival if requested and undergo a seven-day self-quarantine period; nonresidents must arrange accommodations in advance. Most arrivals, excluding those 12 years old or under, must take another COVID-19 test before entering the community. Tests are available for free at pharmacies with a plane ticket. Authorities will extend quarantine for anyone that tests positive for COVID-19.
Advice
Follow all official instructions. Abide by national health and safety measures. Reconfirm all transport arrangements and required travel documents before traveling as a precaution. Consider delaying traveling if experiencing symptoms associated with COVID-19, as they may prompt increased scrutiny and delays. Avoid all demonstrations as a standard precaution.
