WSI to debut new digital incoming passenger declaration

It will allow incoming travellers to fill out a web form up to 72 hours prior to departure, and provide them with a QR code to scan at the airport for “a seamless exit”.

“When people arrive in Australia, I want them out of the airport and enjoying the best place in the world as fast as possible,” said Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke.

“This is the next step in modernising the travel experience for visitors to Australia and returning travellers – making the arrivals process smoother and digital.

“It’s fitting that Australia’s newest international airport is also the first to offer this webform capability, helping deliver a smoother travel experience from the moment passengers arrive.”

According to Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, and Forestry, Julie Collins, the ATD will “streamline passenger facilitation, assist ABF and biosecurity officers to identify potential threats, target screening and update declarations rapidly to adapt to global risks and events”.

“We know strong biosecurity starts at the border, and the Australia Travel Declaration is another tool helping us keep pests and diseases out of Australia,” she said.

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“By receiving declaration information earlier, our biosecurity officers can better identify potential threats and focus screening where it is needed most.

“The Albanese Labor Government will never compromise on biosecurity and making it simpler for travellers to do the right thing is good for passengers and good for Australia’s biosecurity system.”

Building on a collaborative pilot between the Australian Border Force, the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and Qantas, the ATD is set to be rolled out across all Australian international airports and seaports over the next 12 to 18 months.

“From 1 January to 30 September 2026, more than 477,000 travellers submitted an Australia Travel Declaration across over 8,400 eligible flights, including more than 118,000 travellers who made a biosecurity declaration,” the government said.

“The paper card will remain an option as well for those travellers who do not have access to the web-form or a digital device, or who prefer the manual process.”

The news has been welcomed by airports, with acting Australian Airports Association (AAA) CEO Natalie Heazlewood hailing it as “great progress in the rollout of the Australia Travel Declaration”.

“Many people have experienced the hassle of the paper incoming passenger card, and the digital alternative is much smoother,” she said.

“It’s exciting to see this innovative solution being implemented for the first international flights at Western Sydney International Airport. Travellers on any airline will be able to use the new web-based platform, before its eventual rollout to all international airports in the next 12 to 18 months.”

Australia’s airports expect international passenger movements to increase from 45 million in 2025 to more than 86 million by 2040.

“Passenger numbers are forecast to keep surging at Australian airports and that’s why new technology and modern border measures like the Australia Travel Declaration are so important,” said Heazlewood.

“It’s also why more than $40 billion is being invested in Australian airports over the next decade, to ensure that we can continue to meet that demand.

“Airports have long advocated for improvements to Australia’s border processes, and this is another important step towards delivering a more seamless experience for international travellers.”

Passenger flights at WSI will commence on 25 October with Jetstar services to the Gold Coast and Melbourne, followed by Air New Zealand flights to Auckland the next day.