From 11.59pm tonight, people will be required to apply for a permit to enter Victoria from anywhere in Australia, except border communities in NSW where locals will require proof of their home address.
The changes do not impact travel between border communities.
It will be based on a traffic light system that allows the state government to designate regions in other parts of Australia as green, orange or red, depending on the coronavirus risk in a particular area.
A green zone means that you will be able to apply for a permit and enter Victoria. Once in Victoria, and as always, you should watch for symptoms and get tested should you feel unwell.
An orange zone means that you will be able to apply for a permit and will need to take a coronavirus test within 72 hours after arriving in Victoria, isolating both before and after your test, until you receive a negative result.
Under the new system and based on the latest advice of our public health experts, regional NSW, including the Central Coast will be reclassified as an orange zone.
That means local residents, as well as Victorians holidaying in these areas, will be able to enter Victoria if they isolate upon their arrival, get tested and stay home until they receive a negative test result.
A red zone means if you have visited this area in the past 14 days you will not be allowed to enter Victoria without an exception or exemption.
If you try to enter Victoria at a land border, you will be turned away.
Returned Victorian travellers arriving by plane or by water without a valid reason or exemption will be required to self-isolate at home for 14 days and will receive a fine of $4,957.
Interstate residents presenting at an airport or seaport without a valid reason or exemption will be fined $4,957 and returned to their destination on the next available flight.
If this requires an overnight stay, these individuals will need to stay in hotel quarantine until their departure.
19°C