Passengers arriving at the country’s airports will complete digital cards rather than physical cards, which are required for both visitors and residents to enter the country
Brits and other tourists visiting a popular country for holidaygoers will no longer have to fill in physical passenger cards upon entry.
Passengers arriving at Australian airports will instead complete digital cards. Passenger cards are required for both visitors and residents to enter the country.
More than 450,000 passengers have already trialled digital-only cards since October 2024 on Qantas flights arriving at Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, an Australian news outlet reports.
The program is expected extend to Qantas flights into Perth and Adelaide by the end of 2026. It will then be rolled out at all international airports and seaports over the next 12 to 18 months.
The form will initially be available by via a webpage, but is expected to co-designed with industry for in-app capabilities. The government said the trial had returned anecdotal evidence of “significant success”.
“Making arrivals simpler and quicker means visitors can spend less time filling out forms and more time enjoying everything Australia has to offer,” Tourism Minister Don Farrell said.
“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.”
The rollout of the scheme will be funded through $56.1m investment over a four-year period.
It will help facilitate and reduce manual processing for passengers. It will also allow for digital collection of information ahead of time and increase data quality for risk assessments.
The government has also said it will allow for updates and “management of global risks and events”, such as biosecurity outbreaks.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said the modernisation was “essential to Australia’s prosperity and national security”.
“Visitors and Australian travellers alike will be able to take advantage of a seamless border process, which integrates into everyday digital life,” he said.
Funding for the program is also expected to support ongoing work to improve airport and cruise departure models, including an increase in travellers ahead of the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games.
