Australia moves to digitise details of all arrivals, changes to hit Perth before end of 2026

Passengers soon won’t have to fill in paper cards when they touch down in Perth under an Australian government push to streamline arrivals.

The government will spend $56 million over the next four years to roll out a digital option after deeming the third phrase of a trial from October 2024 as a success.

The pilot of the Australia Travel Declaration had been trialled with more than 450,000 passengers since October 2024 on eligible inbound Qantas flights into Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne.

The pilot will extend to Perth and Adelaide before the end of the year before a phased roll out to all international airports and seaports over the next year to 18 months.

Travellers are able to complete their declaration up to 72 hours prior to travel and after they finish, receive an email with a QR code on a digital pass.

The QR code can then be shown to border officers on arrival rather than filling out the paper cards.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said it was about modernising travel at Australia airports but also important for national security.

“Traveller modernisation is essential to Australia’s prosperity and national security,” he said.

While the digital alternative is currently only accessible via a webform, an app is eventually expected to be rolled out.

The roll out is a collaboration between Australian Border Force, the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and Qantas.

Some of the government investment will also go into work to improve airport departures and cruise clearance models.

Agriculture Minister Julie Collins said while it was about making the walk from the gate to exit as efficient as possible it was also a tool to help protect Australia’s biosecurity.

“The Australia Travel Declaration will strengthen Australia’s biosecurity by providing better quality information earlier, helping us identify and respond to potential biosecurity risks before they reach our shores,” she said.

“This investment ensures Australia’s border keeps pace with growing traveller numbers and emerging global biosecurity threats, helping protect our world-leading biosecurity system while delivering a better experience for international travellers.”

It comes after the European Union rolled out a new Entry/Exit System for non-Europeans to have their finger prints scanned and photographs taken when travelling to the 29 Schengen block countries.