COVID-19: Checking in with QR Codes

How to check-in

1. Open your camera app, then hold your phone over the QR code.
2. Tap the link that pops up.
3. Enter your details and tap “Check- in to this location”

Download the Service Victoria app below:

• App Store
• Google Play

Why do I need to check-in?

When you check-in, you create a record of the time and date you visited a venue.

This means that if there is a COVID-19 outbreak, contact tracers can quickly access your contact information and get in touch with you, if you’ve visited a public exposure site. This will help to contain a COVID-19 outbreak.

Where do I need to check-in?

All of the following venues and facilities must require all visitors to check-in using the free Victorian Government QR Service. From 28 May 2021, venues and facilities currently using a Victorian Government Application Programming Interface (API) linked digital record keeping system must use the Victorian Government QR Service. For instructions on how to switch, please go to Register to use the Victorian Government QR Code Service.

Venues and facilities required to use the free Victorian Government QR Code Service for record keeping are:

• Hospitality (including food and drink facilities, such as cafes, restaurants, pubs, bars, clubs, nightclubs, karaoke and hotels except for takeaway service).
• Indoor physical recreation and community sport (including staffed and unstaffed gyms, play centres, indoor skateparks and indoor trampolining centres)
• Outdoor physical recreation and community sport facilities
• Pools, spas, saunas, steam rooms and springs (indoor and outdoor spaces, including water or non-water parts of the venue)
• Hairdressing, beauty and personal care services
• Accommodation (visitors in shared, communal spaces)
• Ceremonies and religious gatherings (including places of worship)
• Weddings: Record keeping requirements as per the venue where the wedding is held.
• Funerals: Record keeping requirements as per the venue where the funeral is held.
• Community venues and facilities including libraries and toy libraries (not including outdoor skate parks, playgrounds, and other outdoor communal areas)
• Creative arts facilities
• Real estate inspections and auctions
• Seated entertainment venues (indoors and outdoors)
• Indoor non-seated venues (such as galleries)
• Outdoor non-seated entertainment venues (such as Zoos, live museums)
• Arcades, escape rooms, bingo centres
• Drive-in cinemas
• Amusement parks
• Gaming (casinos, gaming machine areas, retail betting venues)
• Adult entertainment (brothels, sex on premises venues, sexually explicit entertainment)
• Commercial tourism operators including, but not limited to:
  • Guided tours of museums, galleries, historic locations
  • Adventure sports (ballooning, abseiling, rock climbing, canoeing, kayaking,)
  • Marine based tours (kayaking, scuba, fishing, surfing)
• Commercial passenger vehicles.

These venues must also provide an alternative record keeping system for people who do not have or cannot use a device to scan the QR code. This could include making a service available for people to use (like an iPad).

Providing a pen and paper for manual recording keeping is okay if electronic record keeping is temporarily unavailable – for example, an internet outage. 

For other venues not listed including supermarkets, markets, retail and shopping centres, using the free Victorian Government QR Code Service is highly recommended.

Find out more about record keeping at Record keeping for Contact Tracing – Information for Business.

What if I’m only dropping off or picking up from a venue?

Current Chief Health Office directions require that anyone attending one of the above-mentioned venues or facilities for a period of 15 minutes or more must check in.

This applies to everyone, whether you are an employee, customer or other visitor attending the venue on work duties.  

For example, if you’re getting a takeaway coffee and will be at a café for less than 15 minutes, it is recommended that you check-in, but not a requirement. If you’re having a coffee at the venue and may be longer than 15 minutes, you need to check in.

If you’re making a delivery – such as food or a parcel – and will be at a venue for less than 15 minutes you are not required to check-in, but it is recommended. If you’re delivery will take more than 15 minutes, you need to check in.

If in doubt, just check in. It’s quick, easy and free – and will help keep your loved ones and the community safe should a COVID-19 outbreak occur. 

Do I need to check in at retail stores?

Customer-facing venues where you are not required to, but are recommended to check-in via the free Victorian Government QR Code Service, include:

• Supermarkets 
• Retail stores 
• Retail shopping centres 
• Markets or market stalls 

What information is collected when I check-in?

The only details you are required to provide when using the Victorian Government QR Code Service is your  name and phone number. The QR Code Service will automatically record the date, time and location of your visit.

How is my information used?

Your check-in details are only used or shared for contact tracing purposes if there is a suspected or confirmed COVID-19 case at a venue you have visited.

Your personal information can only be used by health authorities to help manage an outbreak of COVID-19.

If there’s no outbreak at a venue you’ve been to, your check-in details will be deleted after 28 days. If your details have been provided to the Victorian Chief Health Officer to help manage an outbreak, they can be held for more than 28 days if that information is needed for contact tracing purposes. Your details won’t be used for marketing or any other purposes.

Read more about how your privacy is protected when you check-in online

Do I need to download anything to check-in?

Most people won’t need to download anything, you just use your smartphone camera.

If your phone doesn’t start the check-in process automatically, you must download the Service Victoria app.

If you can’t use or don’t have a smartphone, the venue must provide an alternative way to check-in such as an iPad to enter your details or using pen and paper if electronic record-keeping is temporarily unavailable.

What is a QR code?

A QR code is a link that your smartphone camera can recognise.

In this case, it will activate the check-in for the venue you are visiting.

My phone won’t scan. How do I check-in?

If your phone doesn’t start check-in automatically, download and check-in with the Service Victoria app.

If you cannot check-in using the QR code because of technical or network issues like poor signal or low battery, the venue must provide an alternative way to check-in such as an iPad to enter your details or using pen and paper if electronic record-keeping is temporarily unavailable.

1. What if I don’t want to check-in?

If you are attending a venue or facility where record keeping is a requirement, you must check in.

This ensures that in the event of a COVID-19 outbreak, contact tracers can quickly access your contact information and get in touch with you if you’ve visited a public exposure site. This will help to contain a COVID-19 outbreak and keep you, your loved ones and the community safe and will help keep Victoria open for business.

If you are unable to use a device to scan a QR code, a venue must provide you with an alternative record keeping method. This may be an iPad or pen and paper if electronic record-keeping is temporarily unavailable.

Businesses are required to ensure you check-in and can deny you entrance to their venue if you refuse to do so

2.     What if a business doesn’t have check-in options?

If you have any concerns that a business is not complying with the rules, you can phone the coronavirus hotline on 1800 675 398, WorkSafe’s advisory line on 1800 136 089 or the Police Assistance Line on 131 444.  

Regardless of who you phone, complaints will be given to the most appropriate agency to act on and businesses can expect a visit from one of our Authorised Officers.

Failure to comply with restrictions can result in an on-the-spot fine of $1,652. Where there are repeated instances of non-compliance, a further $9,913 can be issued. For continued, blatant or wilful non-compliance a business may be prosecuted in court.

3.      Will businesses be fined if they are not operating QR code check-in system?

It is critical that businesses that are required to maintain electronic records are using the QR code check-in system.

If businesses that are mandated to utilise electronic record-keeping, are not operating a QR Code check-in system, Authorised Officers will issue the on-the-spot $1,652 fine.

In using the QR Code system, businesses will need to make sure the QR code is visible and accessible, and do everything possible to ensure people are checking in – for example, point the customer to the QR code and ask them to check in.

A full step-by-step guide for businesses on how to use the free Victorian Government QR Code Check-in System is available here.

Businesses can register online here and will need to nominate a contact person for each business location.

4.      What penalties apply to businesses that fail to comply?

If a business that is required to keep electronic records is found without the QR Code System in place, or is not requiring customers to check in, they will be issued with a $1,652 on the spot fine for non-compliance, and will be issued with an improvement notice at the same time to ensure the non-compliance is rectified.

If there is continued, blatant or wilful non-compliance, a $9,913 fine can be issued.

For continued, blatant or wilful non-compliance a business may be prosecuted in court.

What if I don’t want to check-in?

If you are attending a venue or facility where record keeping is a requirement, you must check in. 

This ensures that in the event of a COVID-19 outbreak, contact tracers can quickly access your contact information and get in touch with you if you’ve visited a public exposure site. This will help to contain a COVID-19 outbreak and keep you, your loved ones and the community safe and will help keep Victoria open for business.

If you are unable to use a device to scan a QR code, a venue must provide you with an alternative record keeping method. This may be an iPad or pen and paper if electronic record-keeping is temporarily unavailable.

Businesses are required to ensure you check-in and can deny you entrance to their venue if you refuse to do so. 

What if a business doesn’t have check-in options?

If you have any concerns that a business is not complying with the rules, you can phone the coronavirus hotline on 1800 675 398, WorkSafe’s advisory line on 1800 136 089 or the Police Assistance Line on 131 444.  

Regardless of who you phone, complaints will be given to the most appropriate agency to act on and businesses can expect a visit from one of our Authorised Officers. 

Failure to comply with restrictions can result in an on-the-spot fine of $1,652. Where there are repeated instances of non-compliance, a further $9,913 can be issued. For continued, blatant or wilful non-compliance a business may be prosecuted in court.

Will businesses be fined if they are not operating QR code check-in system?

It is critical that businesses that are required to maintain electronic records are using the QR code check-in system.

If businesses that are mandated to utilise electronic record-keeping, are not operating a QR Code check-in system, Authorised Officers will issue the on-the-spot $1,652 fine.

In using the QR Code system, businesses will need to make sure the QR code is visible and accessible, and do everything possible to ensure people are checking in – for example, point the customer to the QR code and ask them to check in.

A full step-by-step guide for businesses on how to use the free Victorian Government QR Code Check-in System is available here.

Businesses can register online here and will need to nominate a contact person for each business location.

What penalties apply to businesses that fail to comply?

If a business that is required to keep electronic records is found without the QR Code System in place, or is not requiring customers to check in, they will be issued with a $1,652 on the spot fine for non-compliance, and will be issued with an improvement notice at the same time to ensure the non-compliance is rectified.

If there is continued, blatant or wilful non-compliance, a $9,913 fine can be issued.

For continued, blatant or wilful non-compliance a business may be prosecuted in court.

Who decides the QR Code check-in requirements?

Victoria’s Chief Health Officer sets QR Code requirements, based on current health risk.

Who enforces QR Code check-in requirements?

Authorised Officers from across various Victorian Government departments and agencies, such as Department of Health and WorkSafe, conduct regular inspections and enforce industry breaches of Chief Health Officer Directions.

Who can I call if I need help?

If you need help call the Victorian Department of Health COVID-19 Hotline on 1800 675 398.