Australia is finally entering the 21st century when it comes to entry formalities.
Filling out paper forms like the one above will soon be a thing of the past for millions of travellers to Australia as the Government rolls out digital passenger cards following a successful trial.
It will provide $56.1 million over four years for traveller modernisation at airports across Australia.
In a collaborative partnership with the Australian Border Force, the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and Qantas, the Australia Travel Declaration pilot program has delivered a digital alternative to the paper incoming passenger card.
Since the pilot commenced in October 2024, more than 450,000 passengers on eligible inbound Qantas flights into Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne have trialled the Australia Travel Declaration, with anecdotal evidence proving the trial has been a significant success.
This new pilot, in partnership with Qantas will continue to be introduced to other capital cities including Perth and Adelaide, before the end of 2026.
The Australia Travel Declaration will then be rolled out to all international airports and seaports in a phased approach over the next 12 to 18 months, initially accessible via a webform option, with an aim to continue to collaborate with industry to co-design in-app capabilities.
The broader rollout of the Australia Travel Declaration will streamline facilitation and reduce manual processes for passengers, enable digital collection of information ahead of time and increase data quality for risk assessments, allow for rapid updates and management of global risks and events, such as biosecurity outbreaks, and meet passenger expectations for a biometric-enabled, seamless digital border experience.
"Making arrivals simpler and quicker means visitors can spend less time filling out forms and more time enjoying everything Australia has to offer," says Minister for Trade and Tourism, Senator Don Farrell.
"This is a win for tourists and a win for our tourism operators, helping make Australia an even easier and more welcoming place to visit."
Major travel hubs like the 29 Schengen Area countries, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Singapore, and Thailand have largely replaced paper arrival cards with direct passport scans, digital travel authorizations, or online systems
It is a belated change. Major travel hubs like the 29 Schengen countries in Europe, the United States, Canada, the UK, Singapore, and Thailand have already largely replaced paper arrival cards with direct passport scans, digital travel authorizations, or online systems.
