Last updated: 22 October 2026. Rollout status checked on 22 October 2026.
The Australia Travel Declaration (ATD) is the digital version of the paper Incoming Passenger Card. Passengers give their immigration details and their customs and biosecurity declarations online before arrival, and get a QR code pass. From 26 October 2026, passengers on any airline landing at Western Sydney International can use it through a web form. Qantas app users on eligible flights already use it. The paper card stays available. The ATD is not a visa and not a boarding check.
Australia Travel Declaration at a glance
| Item | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Digital alternative to the paper Incoming Passenger Card (IPC). Immigration details plus customs and biosecurity declarations | Ministerial release, 22 Oct 2026. ABF FAQs |
| Run by | Australian Border Force with the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry | ABF FAQs |
| Channels | ATD web form at Western Sydney International from 26 Oct 2026. Qantas app on eligible Qantas flights | ABF FAQ index |
| When | Up to 72 hours before arrival in Australia | ABF FAQs |
| Output | A QR code pass, also emailed by the Department of Home Affairs | ABF FAQs. Ministerial release, 22 Oct 2026 |
| Mandatory? | No. The ATD is voluntary. The paper card remains an option | ABF web form acknowledgement. Ministerial release, 22 Oct 2026 |
| Airline check at boarding | No | We found no carrier duty in any official text |
| National rollout | All international airports and seaports, phased over 12 to 18 months | Ministerial release, 22 Oct 2026 |
Which passengers can use it today, and where
Every passenger landing at Western Sydney International (WSI) can use the web form from 26 October 2026. Eligible Qantas passengers into Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne can use the Qantas app. Everyone else fills in the paper card for now.
| Airport | Channel | Who can use it | Since | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Western Sydney International (WSI) | ATD web form | "All travellers flying into Western Sydney International Airport are eligible" | First international flight, Mon 26 Oct 2026 | Ministerial release, 22 Oct 2026. ABF web form FAQs |
| Brisbane, Sydney (Kingsford Smith), Melbourne | Qantas app | Qantas app users on eligible Qantas flights who can complete the declaration in English. ABF lists "Qantas flights into Brisbane, and select flights into Sydney and Melbourne" | Pilot since October 2024 | ABF Qantas app FAQs. ABF IPC page. Ministerial release, 13 Jul 2026 |
| Perth, Adelaide | Qantas app (planned) | The Qantas pilot "will continue to be introduced to other capital cities including Perth and Adelaide, before the end of 2026" | Planned, no date | Ministerial release, 13 Jul 2026 |
| All other international airports and seaports | Paper IPC | Web form rollout "over the next 12 to 18 months" | No airport list or dates published | Ministerial release, 22 Oct 2026 |
The government has not published the order of airports after WSI. Do not promise passengers a date for their airport.
How the ATD works, step by step
Passengers fill in the form up to 72 hours before arrival, get a QR code pass and show it when they leave the airport.
What it covers
The ATD covers immigration details plus customs and biosecurity declarations. These are the same questions as on the paper card. ABF says that a passenger who withdraws their ATD "will be required to answer the same questions on a paper Incoming Passenger Card" on arrival. The ATD asks non-citizens whether they have tuberculosis or criminal convictions.
The 72-hour window
The ABF FAQs for the web form and the Qantas app, both updated on 21 October 2026, say passengers can submit "up to 72 hours prior to your arrival in Australia". The ministerial release of 22 October says "up to 72 hours before travel". The two texts word it differently.
This matters on long-haul routes. If the window counts from arrival, a reminder sent 72 hours before departure can reach the passenger before the form opens. The safe rule is to send the reminder 48 hours or less before scheduled arrival. Our Vietnam PAI guide covers the same arrival-based window problem.
The pass
After submitting, the passenger sees a "Your declaration has been submitted" page. They can download the pass, save it as a PDF or take a screenshot. The Department of Home Affairs also emails a copy. Qantas app users find the pass on the home and trip screens of the app.
ABF says: "An officer will scan your declaration pass when you are about to exit the airport." Officers may also scan it near the baggage carousel. The phone must be charged. If the pass cannot be opened, the passenger is referred to an officer.
Families and groups
Families can make one group declaration and get a single QR code. The person making a group declaration must be 18 or over. They can include accompanying children under 18 who are on the same flight.
Changes
The web form must be completed in one session. To change anything, the passenger submits a new declaration. In the Qantas app, passengers edit the declaration from the home and trip screens. In both cases, paper cards are available on arrival if the change does not work.
Is the Australia Travel Declaration mandatory?
No. ABF states: "Providing your information in an ATD is voluntary."
The declaration itself is required. Under the Migration Act 1958, passengers arriving in Australia must identify themselves and provide certain information on a passenger card. The ATD is one way to do that. The paper card is the other. The 22 October release says the paper card "will remain an option" for travellers without access to the web form or a device, or who prefer it. The government has not published an end date for the paper card.
Flight changes: delays, cancellations, diversions
A delayed flight that still lands at the scheduled airport keeps a valid ATD. ABF is clear on the other cases: if the flight is "cancelled, rescheduled, or you are landing at a different Australian international airport, you may not be able to use the travel declaration and you will need to complete a paper Incoming Passenger Card."
This matters at WSI in the opening weeks. After a diversion from WSI, the web form ATD may not work at the new airport. Rebooked and diverted passengers should expect a paper card. Agents should not tell them to submit again for another airport unless ABF lists that airport for the web form.
Do airlines have to check the ATD before boarding?
No. We found no official text that puts a check on carriers. The ATD is voluntary, the paper card is available, and officers scan the pass at the Australian airport.
Airlines still check the passenger's visa or ETA. That is a separate duty.
Qantas hosts the ATD in its app as the pilot partner. The 22 October release mentions "ongoing industry collaboration to co-design in-app capabilities". Other carriers may add it later. The release names none.
What OTAs should tell passengers
- Trigger by arrival airport. Today that means WSI for the web form and eligible Qantas flights for the app. The destination country alone is not enough.
- Time the reminder. Send it 48 hours or less before scheduled arrival.
- Link the official page only. Use the ABF FAQ page. Never link a third-party form site. Our guide to common electronic visa scams covers look-alike sites.
- Families. One adult aged 18 or over can make a group declaration for children on the same flight.
- Not a visa. Passengers still need a visa or an Australian ETA.
- Schedule changes. Re-send the message when a flight is cancelled, rescheduled or diverted. Those passengers may need a paper card.
- The phone. Tell passengers to keep it charged and to save the PDF.
- Records. Log what you sent, to whom and when.
Your booking flow already knows the arrival airport and time. The SimpleVisa requirements endpoint returns the documents for a trip, so the visa or ETA step and the arrival reminder can sit in the same flow.
Get a test key · Try the requirements checker
What airlines should brief stations and cabin crew on
- Paper cards on board. ABF says paper cards are provided on board the flight before arrival or by ABF in the arrival terminal. A passenger with a valid ATD pass does not need one, unless the ATD cannot be used after a cancellation, reschedule or diversion.
- Gate and check-in. The ATD is not a boarding requirement. Do not deny boarding over it. It helps to remind passengers.
- Irregular operations at WSI. A diversion means a paper card.
More on carrier checks in what airlines check before boarding and the ETA travel readiness window. See also SimpleVisa for airlines and for online travel agencies.
ATD vs Australian ETA vs other arrival cards
- ETA or visa. Permission to travel. The carrier checks it.
- ATD. An arrival declaration. Officers scan it on exit from the airport.
- New Zealand Traveller Declaration. The nearest equivalent in the region. See arrival cards and pre-arrival forms by country.
Our guide to the 5 key differences between electronic visas and ETAs covers the permission side.
FAQ
Is the Australia Travel Declaration mandatory?
No. ABF says providing your information through the ATD is voluntary. Passengers still have to make the declaration, either through the ATD or on the paper Incoming Passenger Card, which remains available on arrival.
Which airports accept the Australia Travel Declaration?
From 26 October 2026, Western Sydney International accepts the web form for passengers on any airline. Eligible Qantas passengers into Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne can use the Qantas app. Other airports and seaports will follow over 12 to 18 months.
How early can passengers submit it?
Up to 72 hours before arrival in Australia, according to the ABF FAQs. The 22 October ministerial release says 72 hours before travel, so the safest reminder time is within 48 hours of scheduled arrival.
Do airlines check the Australia Travel Declaration before boarding?
No. We found no official text that requires carriers to check it. Officers scan the QR pass at the Australian airport. Airlines still have to check the passenger's visa or ETA.
Is the Australia Travel Declaration a visa?
No. It is an arrival declaration covering immigration, customs and biosecurity questions. Visitors still need a visa or an ETA before they travel.
What happens if the flight is diverted or cancelled?
A delayed flight landing at the scheduled airport is fine. If the flight is cancelled, rescheduled or lands at a different Australian airport, the ATD may not be usable and the passenger fills in a paper Incoming Passenger Card.
Sources
All verified on 22 October 2026.
- Joint ministerial release, 22 Oct 2026, Digital Australia Travel Declaration arrives at Western Sydney International Airport
- Joint ministerial release, 13 Jul 2026, Digital passenger cards to streamline Australia's borders
- ABF, Australia Travel Declaration FAQs
- ABF, Web form ATD FAQs (updated 21 Oct 2026)
- ABF, Qantas app ATD FAQs (updated 21 Oct 2026)
- ABF, Web form ATD acknowledgement
- ABF, Incoming Passenger Card (IPC)
Information for travel businesses, not legal advice. Carriers remain responsible for their boarding decisions. Check a trip in the requirements checker, or read the developer docs.