PRESS RELEASE
“Land and go”: What Australia’s new digital passenger cards mean for travellers
Brisbane, Australia, 13 July 2026 – Australia’s paper incoming passenger card is being phased out. The Federal Government has confirmed a national rollout of digital cards, known as the Australia Travel Declaration, across all international airports and seaports over the next 12 to 18 months, backed by $56.1 million in funding.
Here's what's happening, when, and why it matters for both leisure and business travellers.
What is the Australia Travel Declaration?
The Australia Travel Declaration is a digital alternative to the paper incoming passenger card. Instead of filling out a form on arrival, travellers complete their declaration online before they land, covering the same customs, biosecurity and immigration information the paper card has always asked for.
It has already been trialled successfully. Since October 2024, more than 450,000 passengers on eligible Qantas flights into Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne have used the digital declaration ahead of arrival.
When is the rollout happening?
- End of 2026: The pilot will extend to Perth and Adelaide
- Next 12 to 18 months: Phased national rollout to all international airports and seaports
- Initial access: Via a webform, with in-app capability planned in collaboration with industry
What does this mean for travellers?
According to Felicity Burke, APAC Director of FCM Travel Consulting, the change will be a practical win for travellers of all kinds.
“Digital declarations get done before you land, which means faster movement through arrivals and shorter queues at immigration. For families starting a holiday or business travellers racing to a meeting, every minute counts.
“No more fumbling for a pen mid-flight or balancing a customs card on a tray table mid-turbulence. It is a small piece of paperwork, but it has been one of the last bits of friction left in an otherwise fast, digital travel experience,” Burke said.
The change should mean:
- Less time filling out forms on the plane or at the airport
- Faster movement through arrivals once you land
- Shorter immigration queues, particularly at peak arrival times
- Better biosecurity screening, since agencies get traveller data earlier
It also brings Australia in line with countries like Singapore and the UK, which have used digital arrival systems for some time, and helps prepare Australian airports for rising traveller volumes ahead of the 2032 Brisbane Games.
Burke added that the rollout will depend on accessibility.
"Not every traveller is glued to an app. Families, older travellers and those without reliable data still need a simple option that works. Get that right, and this is a genuine win, not just a win on paper."