Frequently asked questions

RMIT Victorian campuses are open to all students, staff and visitors who are fully vaccinated or hold a valid medical exemption. However, students must complete mandatory COVID protocols before coming to campus and follow safety guidelines while on campus.

Anyone who is not fully vaccinated, and does not hold a valid medical exemption, is not permitted to attend any RMIT campus or RMIT- related event..

Fully vaccinated students can attend campus to make use of spaces and facilities including:

• Libraries
• Study rooms and spaces
• Sport and fitness facilities
• Galleries and theatres
• Prayer rooms

RMIT has rigorous COVIDSafe practices and protocols in place to safely support on-campus activities.

Students attending campus can find detailed information about what safety protocols they must complete before coming to campus – including vaccination requirements – on the Coming to campus – COVID protocols for students page.

For on-campus safety requirements, see How we’re keeping campuses safe.

We’re continuing to work hard to ensure our campuses and facilities are equipped to safely support on-campus activities and prevent the spread of COVID-19.

For detailed information about what on-campus safety protocols are in place, please see How we’re keeping campuses safe.

RMIT is prepared and ready to bring connection, collaboration and life back to our campuses. 

The pandemic fast-tracked an education evolution in blended learning for our students and hybrid working for our people and we’re excited about the possibilities this brings. We know what activities thrive face-to-face and look forward to providing a rich on-campus learning experience for our students. 

Yes, to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our RMIT community and to minimise the risk of COVID-19, all students, staff and visitors coming to campus will need to provide evidence that they are fully vaccinated with a completed dosage of a vaccine approved or recognised by the Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (unless they have a medical exemption) to attend campus.

This includes students on work placements and staff undertaking work on behalf of RMIT at other work locations.

This requirement is in place throughout Semester 1 until at least 30 June 2022. 

We will review this requirement before the end of Semester 1 2022 in the context of the most current government orders and public health advice to determine if vaccine requirements will be in place for the remainder of 2022. 

Evidence of your vaccination can include:

• Immunisation history statement available from Medicare
• MyGov COVID-19 digital certificate
• My Health Record and Medicare online account

In the period before your immunisation history is updated, evidence of vaccination can include a recent booking confirmation email, or the card received at the time of vaccination.

Here’s a quick reference guide of how to easily access this information.

Information on what type of international vaccination evidence RMIT can accept is available here.

You must complete and submit the vaccination status documentation form at least 24 hours prior to arriving on campus to allow time for activation of your student ID card.

Students also need to complete the COVIDSafe Training Module via Canvas at least 24 hours before coming to campus.  

For a full list of requirements for accessing campus, refer to Coming to campus – COVIDSafe protocols for students.

There are a number of different ways you can book a vaccination, either at the Medical Hub @ RMIT, through a state-run vaccination hub, or at a GP, pharmacy or health clinic.  

If you don’t have a Medicare card, or are not eligible for Medicare, you can access a vaccination at a Commonwealth or state government vaccination centre. 

For more information about how to book a vaccine appointment visit:    

• Victorian Government coronavirus website 
• Australian Government coronavirus website 
• Medical Hub @ RMIT 

Any new or continuing students enrolled at RMIT University Australian campuses. This includes higher education, vocational education, HDR candidates and RMIT Training students.

This includes students on work placements and staff undertaking work on behalf of RMIT at other work locations.

Due to the nature of learning delivery, this does not apply to RMIT Online students unless they want to come to campus to use RMIT facilities.

Anyone who is not vaccinated will be unable to enter any of RMIT’s buildings. 

Student ID cards are only activated once proof of vaccination has been uploaded via the online Vaccination status documentation form.  

All students are expected to hold a valid RMIT ID card when on campus and tailgating is strictly prohibited.   

Swipe card access will be required to enter all RMIT buildings throughout Semester 1.

RMIT reserves the right to verify what evidence you have uploaded to prove your COVID-19 vaccination status.

Yes, you will need to be vaccinated to attend any RMIT property, including any outdoor areas.

RMIT staff may ask you to provide evidence of your vaccination status (such as via the Service Victoria app) if you are using the outdoor areas on campus or similar.

Vaccination is a requirement to be able to attend campus or RMIT classes and learning activities. 

Yes. Separate vaccination requirements may also apply if you’re undertaking a student placement within a sector where the Victorian Government has required workers must have received a third dose of a COVID vaccine. If this applies to you, you will be contacted directly by your WIL placement coordinator. For more information, visit the Victorian Government website.  

To attend campus, students must complete the Vaccination status documentation form at least 24 hours prior to arriving on campus. This is to ensure we can activate your student card.  

We strongly encourage all students to upload their vaccination status as soon as possible. 

While this this is not currently an RMIT requirement, we will review our position in line with the latest government orders. 

The Victorian Government strongly encourages anyone eligible to receive their third dose (booster) of vaccination to do so as soon as possible. Bookings are available via the RMIT Medical Hub or by visiting a State Vaccination Centre. Bookings may also be available via your GP or local pharmacy.  

Once you’ve had your third dose, we encourage you to update your COVID-19 digital certificate and submit it to RMIT via the online vaccination status documentation form. 

If you would prefer to only provide RMIT with details of your COVID-19 vaccination, you can redact other sections of your immunisation record. However, RMIT cannot accept immunisation records which have COVID-19 vaccination details redacted. 

If your vaccination status changes, you must provide evidence to RMIT via the Access to campus vaccination status documentation form at least 24 hours prior to arriving on campus.

No. To ensure the safety and wellbeing of our community RMIT is unable to grant access for unvaccinated students, or students who do not provide evidence of their vaccination status.  

Evidence of your vaccination status (or medical exemption) via the vaccination status documentation form is required before your RMIT student card will be able to be used to access campus facilities. 

Your access card will not be active unless this information is provided to RMIT.

Contact your School or College via RMIT Student Connect to talk about your options. 

Withdrawal from a course may prevent progression or completion of a program of study.

If alternative activities or courses are available that do not require on campus activity, and will allow program progression, then unvaccinated students will be directed towards those options.

If no alternative activities or courses are available, unvaccinated students will be directed towards:

• Alternative program options which do not require on campus activities; and/or
• Alternative providers who may recognise their study to date as prior learning.

Students who have medical exemptions from vaccination will not be disadvantaged.
They may participate in on campus activities with appropriate testing, or alternative/delayed activities will be provided to ensure progression.

If alternative/delayed activities are provided for students with medical exemptions, unvaccinated students may participate in those activities at RMIT’s discretion.

Students who are medically exempt from receiving the COVID-19 vaccination are allowed to attend campus to complete their studies and will be required to ensure full compliance with all RMIT COVIDSafe arrangements on campus.

The Access to campus vaccination status documentation form provides further information about medical exemptions.

To claim a medical exemption you will need to provide a copy of:

• A MyGov COVID-19 digital certificate that states you are unable to receive a dose, or a further dose, of any COVID-19 vaccine that is available in Australia, or 
• A printed version of the COVID-19 certificate referred to above. 

You may be able to receive a medical exemption if you are unable to be vaccinated because you:

• have a medical contraindication to COVID-19 vaccines, or
• have a temporary acute medical illness, including COVID-19 infection in the past six months.

To claim a medical exemption you will need to provide a copy of:

• A MyGov COVID-19 digital certificate that states you are unable to receive a dose, or a further dose, of any COVID-19 vaccine that is available in Australia, or
• A printed version of the COVID-19 digital certificate referred to above. 

You do not need a Medicare card to get a COVID-19 vaccine from a state-run vaccination hub.

There is no alternative to uploading proof of your COVID-19 vaccination status. 

To attend campus, you must provide evidence of your vaccination status. If you do not upload your vaccination status via the webform on the Student website (for students) you will be considered unvaccinated and unable to attend campus or any RMIT events (includes social events).

RMIT is collecting this information for the purpose of reducing health and safety risks to the greatest extent possible, and for the purpose of complying with the Victorian Government Pandemic Orders (Orders) made under the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 (Vic) (where applicable). 

Where the Orders apply, RMIT may be requested to produce the information on this form to an Authorised Officer, as defined in the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 (Vic).  This information may be disclosed to other third parties, such as the Victorian Government and the Department of Health, but only to the extent necessary to prevent and manage risks associated with COVID-19 and where permitted or required under law.  

Otherwise, RMIT will limit its use and disclosure of your vaccination status to what is reasonably necessary for the purposes for which the information is collected. 

The RMIT Privacy Statement contains information about how you may:

• access the personal information about you that is held by RMIT and seek the correction of such information; and 
• complain about a breach of the Australian Privacy Principles and how RMIT will deal with such a complaint.

The information regarding your COVID-19 vaccination status is health information within the meaning of the Health Records Act 2001 (Vic).  Other than the additional disclosures for the purposes set out above, this health information will be treated, managed and stored in accordance with the RMIT Privacy Statement.

If you have any questions about how your personal information will be handled, you can contact (03) 9925 1161 or email privacy@rmit.edu.au.

The provision of false or misleading information in association with the Victorian Government Health Directions can result in a fine of up to $10,904.40. 

There may be other serious consequences, including disciplinary action.

Students who attempt to attend campus who are not eligible due to their vaccination status will be required to leave campus. Access cards will not be activated from until RMIT receives the required information confirming their vaccination status.

Such an action could be a breach of the Government Orders and could result in fines or other enforcement action.

There may be other serious consequences, including disciplinary action.

There are a number of ways that international students who have been vaccinated overseas can provide proof of their vaccination status.

Information on what type of international vaccination evidence RMIT can accept is available here.

Further information is available on the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs website.

No, RMIT will not create any alternative activities or courses solely for the progression of unvaccinated students.

No. Special consideration is only available if unexpected circumstances beyond your control have affected your ability to complete an assessment.

Contact your School or College via RMIT Student Connect to talk about your options. 

Withdrawal from a course may prevent progression or completion of a program of study.

If alternative activities or courses are available that do not require on campus activity, and will allow program progression, then unvaccinated students will be directed towards those options.

If no alternative activities or courses are available, unvaccinated students will be directed towards:

• Alternative program options which do not require on campus activities; and/or
• Alternative providers who may recognise their study to date as prior learning.

If you are withdrawn from a class, you will not be able to be reinstated in the class in the same semester even if you are vaccinated later.

You can add the course to your enrolment in a future semester or term via Enrolment Online. 

You will receive a ‘withdrawn (WDR)’ grade, which will appear on your transcript. This will not count towards your Grade Point Average (GPA) or Weighted Average Mark (WAM). 

If you will be unable to attend and complete a class / classes due to the vaccination requirement, it is your responsibility to withdraw from this class before it’s census date to avoid financial liability.

Information about whether your class requires you to attend in person is available in your Course Guides and will be communicated in CANVAS. If you have any questions or are unsure, please contact your Course or Program Coordinator.

Over 8,000 students completed the vaccination survey during early October. 

At the time, 76% of student respondents supported mandatory vaccination for students and the majority indicated an intent to get vaccinated.

In a similar survey for staff run at the same time, 81% of staff respondents said they supported mandatory vaccination for staff and at the time of the survey 93% of respondents had received at least one vaccination. 

Since the survey was conducted vaccination rates across the community have also increased significantly, with over 90% of Victorians aged 16 and over now fully vaccinated.  

While our vaccination requirements are guided by the latest government advice at that time and our workplace health and safety obligations, we are confident that our decision to ensure everyone is fully vaccinated when attending any RMIT campus or facility reflects the opinions of the majority of our students and staff.