Significant 'digital' change is announced to every flight into Australia

By DUNCAN MURRAY FOR AUSTRALIAN ASSOCIATED PRESS Published: 00:53, 13 July 2026 | Updated: 00:55, 13 July 2026 Handwritten passenger arrival cards will be replaced by a digital option at all Australian airports, in a move hoped to make touching down a much smoother process. The federal government will provide $56.1 million over four years to roll out the digital passenger cards to modernise airport operations across the country. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said the days of scrambling for a pen after a long international flight were numbered. 'A lot of us have been in the situation at the end of a flight when the cards get handed out, and you're not always at your best at the end of a flight,' he told ABC News Breakfast. 'People are scrambling around, 'Who's got a pen? What's the name of this flight again? What's the address of the hotel that I'm meant to be staying at?' 'And then the fact that you're dealing with pieces of cardboard just slows the process down.' The change to a digital format follows successful trials involving more than 450,000 passengers on inbound Qantas flights into Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne since October 2024. The digital Australian travel declaration will be introduced to other capital cities before the end of the year and rolled out to all other international airports and seaports over 12 to 18 months. Overseas passenger cards - such as those shown by this Australian Border Force officer - will be scrapped Incoming passenger cards must be completed by arriving travellers and returning Australian citizens, and include a series of questions about imported goods, criminal convictions and other personal information. The digital version will initially be accessible via a web form as the government collaborates with industry to co-design alternatives. The change is aimed at streamlining processes for arriving passengers ahead of an expected influx of tourists for the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games. It will also improve data quality and speed up collection in the case of global disease outbreaks or biosecurity hazards. Representatives from Australia's busiest airports in Sydney and Melbourne welcomed the change, saying for many visitors the airport experience is their first impression of Australia. The former paper-based system had remained largely unchanged for decades, Australian Airports Association chief executive, Simon Westaway said. 'Seamless travel upgrades like this help ensure that Australia keeps pace with leading international border systems and add to the positive experience for both tourists and residents,' he said. It comes as Melbourne Airport recorded its busiest 12-month period ever for international travel, with close to 37 million passengers passing through over the latest financial year, around 12 million of which were international. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said the digital change will end the 'scramble' for a pen prior to landing in Australia Tourism Minister Don Farrell said arrivals would become quicker and simpler with the change. '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,' he said. Agriculture Minister Julie Collins said the digital option would strengthen biosecurity measures by helping authorities identify and respond to potential risks before they reached the nation's shores.