Which countries can Australians visit? The places open and closed to us

Hear that clanking noise? It's the sound of chains unwinding as drawbridges come down. Countries are re-opening all over the world, and it's happening fast, proof of how quickly the travel world is changing.

Coming just a couple of weeks after I wrote another story saying how Australians could not travel to several of our friends and neighbours, I'm being made to eat my words. Norway opened its doors to Aussies in the same week that story saying it was closed appeared.

About the same time Singapore reactivated its Vaccinated Travel Lane, allowing Australians and several other fully vaccinated nationals to enter without quarantine. Indonesia is signalling a loosening of its travel restrictions, although the five-day quarantine requirement for arrivals puts Bali on my no-go list for the time being.

The list of countries that are now open to us is expanding like a hot-air balloon. All of Europe now welcomes fully vaccinated Australians, although most European countries still ban travellers from a small number of high-risk countries. So too are the USA, Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Chile and Peru.

In our region, Thailand and Vietnam are also open for Australian visitors and in the Middle East, we can enter Qatar, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Oman, all of which add stopover possibilities for Australian travellers en route to Europe. Bali is back on the list of options, but only for business-visa holders at the moment, and all arrivals must undergo a "mandatory travel adjustment period", a polite euphemism for five days of self-isolation at a prebooked hotel or resort. Malaysia also has the same requirement for incoming travellers but India is open to fully vaccinated Australians.

Hong Kong only grants entry to residents and visitors from mainland China and Macau. Australians are not even allowed to transit through Hong Kong Airport since we're on their list of high-risk countries. South Korea has just re-opened but all incoming travellers are subject to seven days' quarantine, regardless of their vaccination status. Until February 14, all incoming travellers to Taiwan must quarantine for 14 days.

Some countries allow only vaccinated travellers coming from low-risk countries to enter. That may not include Australia since our recent case spike caused by the Omicron variant has taken the shine off our performance. Visitors may also be restricted in the areas they can visit. In Vietnam for example, visitors can only travel to five provinces, all outside the main gateways of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Countries in our region still closed to all non-citizens

Vanuatu