Australia will remove paper incoming passenger declaration cards

Last updated on July 24, 2026

Up until now, all passengers arriving in Australia from an overseas location had to fill in a small yellow paper card with information that identifies them, like their name, and the ship or aircraft number they entered on, and anything they need to declare such as for biosecurity purposes. Some airlines hand them out to the passengers on the aircraft before they land, other passengers collect a card in the airport when they arrive and fill it out before passing through customs. This card was either dropped in a one-way box (much earlier) or sometimes handed to the customs officer or the quarantine officer.

The paper version of this declaration form will be changed to a digital declaration by the end of 2026. It will be implemented in stages across Australia at different airports. A trial was conducted with QANTAS earlier this year. From the end of the year, all people entering Australia from a foreign country will be required to do this online before arriving.

New Zealand has already implemented this. Passengers entering New Zealand have to declare online on their website, or in the dedicated app. See here for details.

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