Australia Issues Do Not Travel Orders for Six Middle East Nations; DFAT Opens Emergency Repatriation Portal
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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Sunday ordered the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to open an emergency registration portal for Australians seeking to leave Israel and Iran, as Australia upgraded travel warnings for six countries in the Middle East to “do not travel” amid rapidly escalating military conflict.
The countries affected — Israel, Lebanon, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates — represent some of the busiest destinations for Australian travellers and expatriates in the region. The “do not travel” designation is DFAT’s most severe advisory level, reserved for situations where the risk of harm to Australians is deemed unacceptably high.
“We have upgraded travel advice for Israel, Lebanon, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates to do not travel,” Albanese said. “Australians should leave now if it is safe to do so.”
The Prime Minister reinforced an existing advisory against travel to Iran that has been in place since 2020, urging any Australians remaining in the country to depart immediately if they can do so safely.
“We continue to advise Australians to not travel to Iran — for since 2020 — and to leave Iran as soon as possible, of course, if it is safe to do so,” he said.
The consular situation in Iran is particularly acute. Australia suspended operations at its Tehran embassy following the IRGC’s orchestration of attacks on Australian soil in 2024, leaving the government with severely limited capacity to assist Australians on the ground.
“Our ability to provide consular assistance in Iran is extremely limited,” Albanese acknowledged.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade opened its registration portal on Sunday morning, with officials committing to directly contact registered Australians with the most current information available. Albanese urged any Australians in the affected countries who had not yet registered to do so immediately.
The logistical challenge of assisting Australians in the region was already materialising on Sunday, with the closure of major transport hubs across the Middle East triggering a wave of flight disruptions and cancellations. Albanese confirmed that aircraft operating for major Gulf carriers had already been forced to return to Australia after being unable to land at their intended destinations.
“We’ve already seen flights returned to Australia that were unable to land in either Dubai or Abu Dhabi,” he said, noting that Emirates and Etihad operate large numbers of flights to the region, as does Qatar Airways and other carriers.
Australians requiring urgent consular assistance were directed to contact the government’s Consular Emergency Centre, which operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Within Australia, the emergency number is 1300 555 135. From overseas, Australians can reach the centre at +61 2 6261 3305.
Albanese urged Australians in the region not to wait for government-arranged evacuation but to use commercial flight options where still available and take personal responsibility for their own safety.
“Travellers should prioritise their safety,” he said. “They should monitor events and follow local advice.”
The Prime Minister expressed particular concern for the large number of Australians with family ties across the Middle East — a cohort that spans Lebanese-Australian, Iranian-Australian, Israeli-Australian, and other communities. He estimated tens of thousands of Australians have loved ones directly in the affected area.
“I understand this is a very difficult time for the tens of thousands of Australians with loved ones in the Middle East,” Albanese said. “The days ahead are going to be difficult. They are uncertain. We are deeply concerned and my government’s priority remains the safety of Australians in the region.”
When pressed on what specific repatriation options exist for Australians in Iran — where Australia’s consular presence is now effectively suspended — Albanese said his government would do “all we can” but acknowledged the limitations created by the embassy closure.
“We will continue to engage. We have very swiftly acted to set up the emergency centre, we will always update the information for Australians in the region, and we will continue to monitor this on a daily basis,” he said.
He described the pace of government monitoring as unprecedented in its intensity: “Literally, we are doing this on an hour-by-hour, minute-by-minute basis, because our priority is keeping Australians safe.”
For Australians already in transit or planning to travel to the region for personal or business reasons, the prime minister’s advice was unambiguous: do not proceed, and if already in-country, depart at the earliest safe opportunity.
The Smart Traveller website — operated by DFAT — was identified as the primary source of real-time travel information for Australians.
The travel advisory upgrades represent one of the most sweeping coordinated travel warning escalations Australia has issued in recent memory, covering nations that host tens of thousands of Australian residents, workers, and visitors on any given day.
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