To help maintain social distancing, up to 100 visitors at a time will be able to pre-register for timed ticket entry every 30 minutes. Priority will be given to visitors who pre-book and walk-up entry will be allowed if tickets are available.

NGA director Nick Mitzevich said the safety of visitors remained the top priority, but he was excited that more people would be able to come see the national collection and current exhibitions.

"Ticketing will continue to be required, to help us monitor numbers through the gallery and assist with contact tracing, if it becomes necessary," he said.

"We are pleased to be able to open up more galleries for visitors to enjoy the art, except for spaces where social distancing might be a little difficult."

Visitors will now be able to plan their own journey through the gallery but a visit of up to two hours is suggested to help maximise the number of people who can enjoy the gallery and to support a safe environment for all guests.

Some services remain closed due to COVID-19, including cloaking facilities, the NGA Cafe and Street Cafe. Visitors are encouraged to find out more information here to help plan their visit.

Apart from timed entry, current safety measures designed to protect visitors include limited capacity in some galleries (please follow signage recommendations), sanitiser stations throughout the building, additional cleaning including high-traffic areas and high-touch items and sanitisation of mobility equipment after each use.

Visitor experience staff are also on hand to assist visitors and monitor the flow of people through gallery spaces.