Australia to ditch paper arrival cards for incoming travellers | Australian immigration and asylum

The days of filling out paper arrival cards will be over for millions of travelers arriving in Australia on international flights.

The Albanian government has announced it will roll out digital passenger passes at all Australian international airports and ports, following a “successful” trial on Qantas flights to Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.

Paper forms asking travelers arriving in Australia for personal information and to declare any food, plant or animal products have long been a nuisance to travelers arriving on long-haul flights.

The government has said it will spend $56.1 million over four years to modernize airport systems and introduce a digital Australian travel declaration.

The trial program run by Qantas will be expanded to other capital cities, including Perth and Adelaide, by the end of 2026.

A digital declaration will be phased in across all airlines and ports over the next 12 to 18 months.

Trade and Tourism Minister Don Farrell said a simpler and faster arrival process would mean “visitors can spend less time filling out forms and more time enjoying everything Australia has to offer”.

Home Affairs minister Tony Burke said the modernization was “essential to Australia’s prosperity and national security” and would create a “seamless border process” for international visitors and Australian travellers.

Digital systems for arriving passengers operate at many airports around the world, including major hubs in Japan, Singapore and New Zealand.

The Albanian government said the declaration will initially be accessible via a web form option but aims to work with the industry to make the form accessible through airline apps.

The Qantas trial was made available through the airline’s app, with passengers filling out the form digitally before flying.

The government said the wider rollout would reduce manual processes for passengers and enable information to be collected digitally in advance.

It said it would also “improve data quality for risk assessments, enable rapid updating and management of global risks and events such as biosecurity outbreaks, and meet passenger expectations for a biometric-enabled, seamless digital border experience.”

Agriculture minister Julie Collins stressed that the government “will never compromise on biosecurity”.

“Modernizing our border is an important part of maintaining that protection,” he said.

A 2024 report by the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry described Australia’s paper system as “outdated” and warned it risked damaging Australia’s reputation as a desirable tourist destination.

The report called for the elimination of paper cards and said efforts to modernize arriving and departing passenger systems could bring an additional $50 billion to the Australian economy each year.