From 11 October 2021, new rules are in place for fully vaccinated people in NSW.
Get help
If you would like to talk to someone about COVID-19 please call the Disability Gateway - 1800 643 787. For information on exposure sites, go to Latest Alerts NSW Health.
What does fully vaccinated mean?
You are fully vaccinated if you have had 2 doses of a COVID-19 vaccination or you have a medical exemption.
Children under 16 years of age who are not fully vaccinated can generally follow the rules for fully vaccinated people so long as they visit certain businesses with a fully vaccinated member of your household.
Read about the rules for people who are fully vaccinated or exempt here.
For people over the age of 16 who are not fully vaccinated, more rules and restrictions apply.
You are not fully vaccinated if you have had:
- only one dose of a COVID-19 vaccination or
- no doses of a COVID-19 vaccination.
Skip to: Going out | Visiting | Sports and exercise | Outdoor gatherings | Outdoor events | Schools | Shopping | Hospitality | Construction | Work | Events and Entertainment | Weddings, funerals and religious services | Travel and transport | Holidays | Stay COVID Safe
Going out
Masks
All people over the age of 12 must wear a face mask:
- in indoor areas (e.g. while shopping, when at a library)
- in indoor areas of common property of apartment buildings
- at a public transport waiting area
- while on public transport
- if you are working at a hospitality venue and dealing directly with members of the public
- on an aircraft when the aircraft is flying above NSW and in the airport.
Exemptions are available. Learn more about face mask exemptions.
COVID-19 safe check-in
Occupiers of premises are required to continue to take reasonable steps to ensure people can check-in or provide their contact details when they enter your premises.
If you are entering premises where check-in is required, you must:
- check-in with the Service.NSW app
- provide your details to the occupier of the premises.
Learn more about COVID-19 Safe Check-in.
Vaccination evidence
Vaccination evidence includes:
- an online immunisation history statement
- a COVID-19 digital certificate from the Australian Immunisation Register
- a medical exemption, which includes either:
- a medical contraindication certificate or
- a medical clearance form.
The NSW government is working to ensure you can access your vaccination evidence in the Service NSW app.
A person who is required to be fully vaccinated to enter premises must:
- Carry their vaccination evidence
- Produce the evidence if requested to do so by a police officer or authorised officer.
If you are required to be fully vaccinated to enter a premises, you may be asked to produce your vaccination evidence by the occupier. You should comply with the business owner or staff member's request.
You do not have to produce your vaccination evidence to the occupier, however, the occupier may refuse entry to you if you do not produce your vaccination evidence.
Go to How to prove your COVID-19 Vaccination Status: NSW for more information.
Visiting family and friends
Place of residence
The rules for visiting a place of residence have changed.
If you are over the age of 16 years and are not fully vaccinated you cannot visit another person’s place of residence, except in limited circumstances.
You can visit someone at their home, and have someone visit your home for the purposes of:
- work
- helping someone move house
- childcare
- giving effect to new or existing arrangements for access to, and contact between, parents and children or siblings for children who do not live the same household as a parent or sibling of the child
- because of an emergency or to avoid an injury, illness or risk of harm
- to view or inspect the property to lease or purchase it, but only in compliance with specific rules on property inspections
- caring or compassionate reasons.
Anyone under the age of 16 who is not fully vaccinated is not subject to these restrictions and may:
- visit homes if everyone in the home aged 16 years and older are fully vaccinated; and
- be visited in their homes if everyone aged 16 years and older in their home is fully vaccinated.
Caring and compassionate visits
If you are not fully vaccinated you are allowed to visit home – and have a person visit your home – for caring and compassionate reasons including:
- for carer’s responsibilities
- providing care or assistance to vulnerable people
- visiting a person you are in a relationship with but do not live with.
Sport and exercise
General rules
Sport and exercise options are significantly greater for people who are fully vaccinated.
People who are fully vaccinated can participate in an outdoor sport and exercise gathering of up to 20 people.
If you are not fully vaccinated you can participate in a gathering for sport or exercise with one other person or with your household.
Gyms and indoor recreation facilities
Gyms and indoor recreation facilities, such as a squash court, table tennis centre, health studio, bowling alley, and ice rink can open.
If you are not fully vaccinated you cannot visit a gym or indoor recreation facility.
Recreation facilities
Recreation facilities such as zoos, aquariums, sports stadiums, showgrounds, racecourses, motor racing tracks and theme parks, can open.
If you are not fully vaccinated you cannot visit a recreation facility.
Outdoor gatherings
Up to 30 people can participate in an outdoor gathering, for example, for outdoor recreation such as a picnic.
If you are not fully vaccinated you can gather with one other person or with your household.
Outdoor events
Outdoor events and gatherings can take place in NSW.
if you are not fully vaccinated you cannot attend an outdoor event.
Schools
Schools can open and teaching can resume face-to-face.
Follow the rules for schools at the Department of Education.
Shopping and personal services
Premises that remain closed
The following businesses and premises in NSW must remain closed to the public:
- amusement centres, such as places to play billiards, pool, pinball machines or video games
- play centres
- nightclubs
- sex services premises
- sex on premises venues
- strip clubs
- public swimming pools in indoor areas, except if they are used to conduct swimming lessons, lap swimming, squad training and rehabilitation activities.
- Retail, products and services
- Retail premises and businesses that provide goods or services can open and resume in-store services to customers.
If you are not fully vaccinated
If you are not fully vaccinated, you can only visit critical retail premises. These are:
- supermarkets
- grocery stores
- shops that mainly sell food or drinks, like butchers, bakeries, fruit and vegetable shops, and delicatessens
- kiosks
- petrol stations
- banks and financial institutions
- hardware and building supplies
- landscaping material supplies
- rural supplies
- shops that mainly sell:
- pet supplies
- newspapers, magazines or stationary (for example, newsagents)
- office supplies
- maternity or baby supplies
- medical or pharmaceutical supplies (for example, chemists)
- alcohol (for example, liquor stores)
- post offices
- garden centres and plant nurseries
- vehicle hire businesses but not businesses that sell vehicles
- shops that mainly carry out repairs of mobile phones
- laundromats and dry cleaners.
For any other retail premises or a business that provides goods or services, you can only visit these premises if the business chooses to offer Click-and-Collect.
If you visit critical retail premises, you must:
- check-in with the Service NSW app or provide your contact details to the occupier
- follow the face mask rules.
- Hairdressers, beauty salons and massage premises
- Hairdressers, spas, nail salons, beauty salons, waxing salons, tanning salons, tattoo parlours and massage parlours can open.
If you are not fully vaccinated you cannot visit a retail hairdresser, beauty salon or massage premises.
Restaurants and hospitality
Hospitality premises, such as casinos, restaurants, cafes, function centres, food courts, take away food and drink premises, kiosks, micro-breweries or small distilleries, cellar doors, pubs, registered clubs, and small bars can re-open to customers to consume food and beverages on-premises.
If you are not fully vaccinated you cannot visit a hospitality venue except for take-away.
Construction and renovations
Construction and renovations across NSW can commence or continue.
The rules for construction sites are the same whether you are fully vaccinated or not fully vaccinated.
You can enter a construction site in NSW.
You must check-in with the Service.NSW app or provide your contact details to the occupier of the site and follow the face mask rules.
For rules about renovations, repairs, maintenance and cleaning at your home, follow the rules for visitors to a home.
Work
The rules for work change on Monday 11 October 2021:
- travel registration is not required
- you can work anywhere in NSW
- if a workplace can open, it may need to follow the rules for COVID-19 Safe Check-in
- vaccination rules for business may apply.
The vaccination rules for business are different for businesses in Greater Sydney and regional and rural NSW
Follow the face mask rules.
If you live in Greater Sydney and are not fully vaccinated
Greater Sydney includes the Central Coast, Blue Mountains, Shellharbour and Wollongong Local Government Areas. If you are not fully vaccinated your employer must require you to work from home unless it is not reasonably practicable to do so.
If you are not fully vaccinated and it is not reasonably practicable for you to work from home, you can go to work, so long as it is not at a business re-opening at 70%.
If you live in regional and rural NSW and are not fully vaccinated
If you have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine your employer must allow you to work from home if is reasonably practicable to do so.
If you have not had any doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, you must work from home if it is reasonably practicable to do so. Your employer must require you to work from home unless it is not reasonably practicable to do so.
If you have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and you are required to attend your place of work you can go to work. From 1 November 2021, you must be fully vaccinated to go to work.
If you have not had any doses of a COVID-19 vaccine and it is not reasonably practicable to work from home, you cannot go to work if you are required to be vaccinated.
If you work as an:
- aged care worker
- education and care worker
- health care worker
- airport worker
- disability and early childhood care worker
- quarantine worker
- transport provider.
Requirements to be fully vaccinated before performing your job continue to apply. Follow the rules for vaccination for workers.
Events and entertainment
Entertainment facilities
Entertainment facilities, such as a cinema, theatre, musical hall, concert hall, dance hall, or drive-in cinemas, can open.
If you are not fully vaccinated you cannot visit an entertainment facility.
Weddings and religious ceremonies
Weddings
Weddings in NSW may have up to 100 people who are fully vaccinated.
All people at a wedding must be seated while consuming food and drink. Dancing is permitted.
People who live in Greater Sydney (including Central Coast, Blue Mountains, Shellharbour or Wollongong local government areas) can attend a wedding anywhere in:
- Greater Sydney
- Regional and rural NSW, only if they are the parent, child, or sibling of one of the people getting married.
People who live in regional and rural NSW can attend a wedding anywhere in NSW.
If you are not fully vaccinated you can only attend a small wedding service.
A small wedding service is a wedding with up to 11 people attending, being:
- the people getting married
- the person marrying them
- two witnesses
- a person to record the service
- 5 guests.
Funerals and memorial services
Funerals and memorial services in NSW may have up to 100 people.
Do not attend a funeral or memorial service if there are more than 100 people in attendance.
All people at a funeral or memorial service must be seated while consuming food and drink. Dancing is permitted.
People who live in Greater Sydney (including Central Coast, Blue Mountains, Shellharbour or Wollongong local government areas) can attend a funeral or memorial service anywhere in:
- Greater Sydney
- Regional and rural NSW, only if they are the spouse, de facto partner, parent, child, or sibling of the deceased person.
People who live in regional and rural NSW can attend a funeral or memorial service anywhere in NSW.
If you are not fully vaccinated you can only attend a small funeral or memorial service.
A small funeral or memorial service is a funeral or memorial with up to 10 people attending, not including the person conducting the service and anyone necessary for the conduct of the service.
Places of worship
A place of worship can open to members of the public.
If you are not fully vaccinated you cannot attend a place of worship.
Travel and transport
Sharing a vehicle and carpooling
Rules for sharing a vehicle have changed.
If you are not fully vaccinated you can only travel in a vehicle with people you live with. You are only allowed to share a car with a person you do not live with if it is:
- an emergency
- for a compassionate reason
- to provide care or assistance to a vulnerable person
- a car being used as a taxi or rideshare.
- required to use a vehicle for your work
- to provide a public transport service.
For children under the age of 16 who are not fully vaccinated, you can travel in a vehicle with another person you do not live with. You do not have to carry or produce evidence of your name and address.
Vessels
Rules for sharing a vessel have changed.
If you are not fully vaccinated you can only travel in a vessel with people you live with. You are only allowed to share a vessel with a person you do not live with if it is:
- an emergency
- for a compassionate reason
- to provide care or assistance to a vulnerable person
- a car being used as a taxi or rideshare
- required to use a vehicle for your work
- to provide a public transport service.
For children under the age of 16 who are not fully vaccinated, you can travel in a car with another person you do not live with. You do not have to carry or produce evidence of your name and address.
Holidays and holiday homes or recreational regional visits
People in Greater Sydney cannot travel beyond Greater Sydney for a holiday or recreational visits including day trips.
Greater Sydney includes the Central Coast, the Blue Mountains, Shellharbour and Wollongong local government areas.
People outside of Greater Sydney cannot enter Greater Sydney for a holiday or recreational visits including day trips.
If you are not fully vaccinated you can use a holiday home or short-term accommodation with people who are from your household.
If you are not fully vaccinated you cannot take a holiday outside the local government area you live in.
Continue COVID Safe measures
- Stay safe and stop the spread of COVID-19.
- Check-in when you go out.
- Get vaccinated when you are eligible.
- Get tested if you have the mildest of symptoms and even if you have been vaccinated.
- Wear a face mask when required.
