Australia's digital arrival card to roll out at every international airport and seaport

The government announced A$56.1 million (US$39 million) in funding on July 13, 2026, to take the Australia Travel Declaration national after a 450,000-passenger Qantas pilot

Australia is taking its digital arrival card nationwide. The Australian government announced on July 13, 2026, that the Australia Travel Declaration (ATD), a digital alternative to the traditional orange paper arrival card, will be rolled out at every international airport and seaport in the country within the next 12 to 18 months. The expansion is backed by A$56.1 million (US$39 million) in funding over four years, according to a joint statement from Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke and Trade and Tourism Minister Don Farrell.

Before this announcement, the digital form was only available to a limited group of Qantas passengers arriving at three airports. Now, it is set to become a permanent feature of Australia's border system, eventually reaching every international entry point in the country and replacing the paper Incoming Passenger Card (IPC) that travelers have been filling out by hand for decades.

Acting Infrastructure and Transport Minister Kristy McBain summed it up: "The days of scrambling for a pen on the plane to fill out the orange passenger card are numbered."

Do I need to complete the digital form right now?

If you are flying into Australia on an eligible Qantas international flight arriving in Brisbane, Sydney, or Melbourne, you may be invited to complete the Australia Travel Declaration through the Qantas mobile app. If you receive that invitation, you can fill out the form up to 72 hours before departure, and the app will generate a digital pass with a QR code to show border officials on arrival.

If you are flying with any other airline, arriving at any other airport, or have not received an invitation through the Qantas app, you must still complete the paper Incoming Passenger Card as normal. The orange card will continue to be handed out on flights and made available in arrivals terminals throughout the transition.

The Qantas pilot is set to expand to Perth and Adelaide before the end of 2026. After that, a standalone web form will be made available so that the declaration is no longer tied to a single airline. The government also plans to work with other carriers and industry partners to integrate the form into additional mobile apps over time.

What does the digital form ask for?

The Australia Travel Declaration collects the same information as the paper card: passport and travel details, customs declarations, and biosecurity questions. The form must be completed in English, and travelers generally need to be eligible for SmartGates and automated kiosks at Australian airports.

Australia enforces some of the world's tightest biosecurity rules. Travelers must declare anything edible, any plant or animal material, seeds, wooden objects, and equipment that might carry soil or organic residue. Moving the form online does not change any of these obligations.

Agriculture Minister Julie Collins stressed that point directly: the Australia Travel Declaration would strengthen biosecurity by "providing better quality information earlier," helping authorities "identify and respond to potential biosecurity risks before they reach our shores."

What if the digital form doesn't work?

If the technology fails, the traveler makes a major change to their itinerary after submitting, or they land at a different airport than the one they originally declared, border officials may ask them to complete a paper card instead. The paper option is not disappearing during the transition period; it functions as a fallback for anyone who cannot access or complete the digital version.

Is this the first time Australia has tried to go digital with arrival cards?

If you think this sounds familiar, it is. Australian authorities have tried and failed to digitize the arrival card process twice before. In 2016, the government launched the Seamless Traveler initiative, which did not progress. In 2022, the Digital Passenger Declaration app went live but was abandoned after just five months due to widespread usability problems.

The current effort has fared better. The pilot launched in October 2024 through a partnership between the Australian Border Force, the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, and Qantas. It started with a small group of passengers flying from Auckland to Brisbane and was gradually expanded to select international flights into Sydney and Melbourne. More than 450,000 passengers have now tested the system, and the government described the results as a significant success.

Does the Australia Travel Declaration replace my visa?

If you are completing the Australia Travel Declaration, you are filling out a customs and biosecurity form, not applying for permission to enter the country. It does not replace, substitute, or remove the need for a visa, eVisitor, or Electronic Travel Authority (ETA).

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke framed the broader vision as one where "visitors and Australian travelers alike will be able to take advantage of a seamless border process, which integrates into everyday digital life."

Trade and Tourism Minister Don Farrell connected it to the country's tourism ambitions: "Making arrivals simpler and quicker means visitors can spend less time filling out forms and more time enjoying everything Australia has to offer."

The modernization effort is also being built with an eye on the growing volume of international passengers arriving since pandemic-era restrictions ended and the operational demands of hosting the 2032 Brisbane Olympics and Paralympics.