Melbourne now joins Sydney and Brisbane in replacing the orange Incoming Passenger Card with the digital Australia Travel Declaration (ATD). The move aims to speed up the international arrivals process for travellers entering Australia.
Digital Option Available on Two Qantas Flights
From today, passengers on Qantas flight QF154 from Auckland and QF178 from Queenstown can complete their digital Incoming Passenger Card through the Qantas app. They can do this up to 72 hours before departure. More Qantas international flights into Melbourne will join the trial soon, but for now, only these two services can skip the paper form.
How the ATD Trial Works
The ATD trial runs in partnership with the Australian Government, Australian Border Force (ABF), and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF). Travellers submit their details digitally and receive a QR‑code pass by email. They show this code to ABF and DAFF officers on arrival. This removes the need for the physical card and speeds up border checks.
The Trial
The ATD launched in October 2024 and has been used by more than 380,000 travellers over the past 19 months. It remains in a trial phase, but uptake has been strong. Travellers clearly want a faster, smoother arrivals experience.
Both Qantas and Melbourne Airport have welcomed the change. Melbourne Airport CEO Lorie Argus said
The international arrivals process is one of our biggest passenger pain points, so we’re
pleased to see this trial being extended to Melbourne Airport.We’re committed to working with the Federal Government, its agencies and the airlines
to streamline the arrivals process and deliver a seamless border experience for
travellers.
According to Rachel Yangoyan, Qantas Chief Technology, AI and
Transformation Officer
Melbourne is one of our busiest international ports and offering the Australia Travel
Declaration here is another way we are improving the arrival experience for our
customers.Since launch, we’ve now seen over 380,000 digital declaration submissions through
the Qantas app, and the response has been incredibly positive.Qantas is the only Australian airline offering this capability and we look forward to
continuing to work with the Federal Government to expand access to more flights and
more ports
Final Words
The shift to digital processing is a welcome step, but it has taken time. The rollout seems to have been slow compared to other countries. It’s certainly proven to be a long, drawn‑out process. I am not sure why — other countries seem to have been able to roll out their versions in good time. Perhaps it’s the government’s history with previous attempts that is causing them to be cautious.
Even so, the ATD trial shows clear progress toward a more efficient and modern arrivals experience. Hopefully, we’ll be through the trial phase and have it rolled out more widely soon.
