Australia to replace paper arrival cards with digital declaration system

Australia is set to replace its long-standing paper arrival cards with a digital declaration system as part of a wider effort to modernise border processing for international travellers.

The Australian government has announced the rollout of the Australia Travel Declaration (ATD), which will gradually replace paper Incoming Passenger Cards at international airports and seaports over the next 12–18 months.

The digital declaration will require travellers to provide the same customs, travel, and biosecurity information currently collected on paper before entering the country. Initially, passengers will complete the declaration through a secure government website, with integration into airline platforms expected at a later stage.

The transition follows pilot programmes on selected Qantas international services, where more than 450,000 passengers have already used the digital declaration system.

The rollout is supported by an A$56.1 million (US$39.2 million) investment over four years to modernise Australia’s border systems.

The introduction of digital arrival declarations reflects the continued digitisation of international travel. Electronic pre-arrival processes can help reduce administrative delays at the border and may improve the speed with which travellers enter the country, although passengers will remain responsible for accurately declaring customs and biosecurity information.

Australia’s strict border controls and biosecurity regulations will remain unchanged, with the digital declaration replacing only the method by which travellers submit their information rather than the legal requirements themselves.

The online declaration is expected to become available to most international arrivals next year, generating a QR code that travellers will present during border processing.

The introduction of the Australia Travel Declaration follows a broader global trend towards digital border formalities, as governments increasingly replace paper-based documentation with electronic systems to improve operational efficiency and passenger processing.

Meanwhile, travellers have been warned they could face waits of up to six hours at some European airports this summer, as the rollout of the European Union’s Entry/Exit System (EES) continues to slow passenger processing.