International travellers arriving at Western Sydney International Airport will be able to complete Australia’s new web-based Travel Declaration before they fly, with the system set to begin on Monday 26 October.
The airport will be the first in Australia to offer the web form to passengers arriving on any airline. It will be available to passengers arriving on the first international flight, as Air New Zealand begins services between Western Sydney and Auckland.
Jetstar’s first commercial passenger flight, a domestic service to the Gold Coast, departs on Sunday 25 October.
The online declaration gives travellers an alternative to the paper Incoming Passenger Card. Passengers can complete it up to 72 hours before travel and receive a QR code for use on arrival. The paper card will remain available for people who prefer the manual process or cannot use the web form.
It is not Australia’s first attempt to digitise arrival declarations. During the COVID-19 border restrictions, travellers had to complete digital declarations about their health and vaccination status before travelling. That system was criticised for being difficult to use, and the requirement to complete it was removed in July 2022 when the Government ended the vaccination declaration requirement.
The current Australia Travel Declaration is a separate initiative, designed to digitise the incoming passenger card and collect immigration, customs and biosecurity information.
A pilot using the Qantas app began in 2024. Early feedback was positive, with travellers in the initial trial highlighting its ease of use. More than 477,000 travellers had submitted a declaration between January and September this year.
That feedback comes from the app-based pilot, however. The web form launching at Western Sydney is a new step, extending access to passengers arriving on any airline. Its performance with travellers will become clearer after it goes live.
The Government plans to roll out the web-based declaration at international airports and seaports around Australia over the next 12 to 18 months. The paper card will remain an option during the transition.
