Australia-Singapore travel bubble could be live in months

Australians could have access to a three-way travel bubble with Singapore and New Zealand by the middle of the year, with Fiji also keen to join.

Speaking on Today, Minister for Trade and Tourism Dan Tehan said he would be involved in key discussions with Singapore counterparts in the coming months.

Other Pacific nations, such as Fiji, could potentially be brought into the mix.

READ MORE: What needs to happen for international travel to resume

Mr Tehan said nations agreeing on a digital coronavirus vaccination travel passport, particularly how it was logistically deployed and managed at borders, was pivotal to the arrangement.

"One of the keys is making sure that we can get that vaccine passport validated," Mr Tehan said.

"That will enable that two-way travel to occur, hopefully without quarantining down the track."

"What we need to do is get people moving again [and with] the confidence to travel."

Singaporean authorities were known to be "interested" in joining and expanding the Trans-Tasman bubble.

Mr Tehan said he was "optimistic that we might be able to get something up and running by the middle of the year."

READ MORE: How to get your half-price flight and what destinations will count

Singapore was progressing well with its vaccine roll-out, Mr Tehan said, as was Australia.

Australia has had a travel bubble with New Zealand since the end of the year, although coronavirus flare ups have seen it paused at various times.

However, the Trans-Tasman bubble is not an even two-way street.

New Zealanders can travel freely into most Australian states, but Australians must quarantine for two weeks across the ditch.