Digital passenger cards replace paper forms at Australian airports

The Australian Government is introducing digital passenger cards to replace the paper incoming passenger card that travellers currently fill out. The new system, called the Australia Travel Declaration, has been successfully tested since October 2024 on Qantas flights to Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne, with over 450,000 passengers using it. The digital option will be expanded to Perth and Adelaide by the end of 2026, then rolled out to all international airports and seaports over the next 12 to 18 months. Initially, the declaration will be available as a webform, with the government working with airlines to eventually develop app-based options. The change aims to make border arrival faster and easier for visitors, reduce paperwork, improve data quality for border security assessments, and help manage the increase in traveller numbers. According to Home Affairs, the government is investing $56.1 million over four years to support this modernisation across Australia's airports.