Filling out paper forms will soon be a thing of the past for millions of travellers to Australia as the Federal Government rolls out digital passenger cards.
Federal Trade and Tourism Minister Don Farrell said $56.1 million would be invested over four years to upgrade airports across the country, so they could accept passengers using the new digital Australia Travel Declaration.
Senator Farrel said during an almost two-year pilot 450,000 passengers on eligible inbound Qantas flights into Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne trialled the Australia Travel Declaration, with anecdotal evidence proving the trial had been a significant success.
He said the pilot, using Qantas flights, would continue to be introduced to other capital cities including Perth and Adelaide, before the end of 2026.
“The Australia Travel Declaration will then be rolled out to all international airports and seaports in a phased approach over the next 12 to 18 months, initially accessible via a webform option, with an aim to continue to collaborate with industry to co-design in-app capabilities.”
Senator Farrell said the broader rollout of the Australia Travel Declaration would streamline facilitation and reduce manual processes for passengers, enable digital collection of information ahead of time and increase data quality for risk assessments, allow for rapid updates and management of global risks and events, such as biosecurity outbreaks, and meet passenger expectations for a biometric-enabled, seamless digital border experience.
“Making arrivals simpler and quicker means visitors can spend less time filling out forms and more time enjoying everything Australia has to offer.
“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.”
