Calls to axe the one part of Australian travel that everyone hates

Australia’s paper passenger arrival card has come under fire, with critics calling it a “total disgrace” and urging the government to replace it with a digital version.

Australia is one of the few countries where visitors and returning residents are still required to complete a paper form upon arrival.

Many Australians find the process outdated and inefficient, especially in an era when many countries have already moved to digital solutions.

‘I’ve been to half a dozen countries in the last year and Australia is the only country that still uses this stupid landing map. It’s bizarre,’ said one.

A second added: ‘Most ridiculous piece of paper ever. Could all be done online like in Singapore. I understand the biosecurity issues but surely this could be done online.’

A third agreed: ‘As someone who travels internationally for work every two weeks, Australia is a disgrace to enter, not only because of these ridiculous forms but also because of the poor state of the major international arrivals terminals. Melbourne and Sydney are awful.’

Another added: ‘Nothing says ‘welcome to Australia’ better than that damn card.’

The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry is calling for the federal government to introduce a digital alternative to the paper form.

“We almost got rid of it during Covid when they had the digital passenger statement, but they messed it up so badly that they stopped doing it,” John Hart, executive chairman of the chamber’s tourism arm, told the Herald Sun.

He also called for a major update to Australia’s smart gateways to reduce border wait times.

Currently, passengers at smart gates must first go to a separate kiosk and fill out a questionnaire before they can proceed to border and customs controls, which causes unnecessary waiting times.

Mr Hart argued that upgrading to a one-step facial recognition system would significantly reduce these delays.

“Facial recognition has been tried and tested. It’s incredibly easy to implement and it would make those smart gate machines redundant,” he said.

“It won’t take down the gate itself, but when you approach the gate, it’s just a matter of facial recognition and you’re gone. It’s incredibly fast.”

At Smartgates, incoming passengers must go to a separate kiosk (pictured) and complete a questionnaire before proceeding to passport control and customs.

Mr Hart proposed that the upgrades be funded from revenue the government receives from the sale of passports, visas and passenger fees.

Mr Hart urged the federal government to seriously consider the House’s recommendations, saying “tourism is too valuable a product to risk losing”.

Natalie Heazlewood, head of policy and advocacy at the Australian Airports Association, said the group would welcome “any additional funding” from the federal government to improve facilities and “enhance the travel experience”.

Five things you probably didn’t know about Australia’s new passenger card

Immigration lawyer Tracy Chen shared five things many Australians don’t know about the new passenger card.

1. If you fail to file a correct tax return, the penalty is up to $330,000.

‘There is a list of items that you have to declare when you come into Australia. If you bring these items with you and you don’t declare them, and you deliberately try to conceal them, you could face a hefty fine.’

2. You must declare everything, regardless of where you bought it

‘So if you brought honey from Australia, but you take it to Vietnam and you come back with the honey, you still have to extract the honey.’

3. You must indicate that you have an illness, such as tuberculosis

‘If you later apply for a visa in Australia and they find out you don’t have this disease, your visa could be revoked.’

4. You must indicate accurately whether you have friends or family in Australia

“We had a client who came to Australia and said she didn’t know anyone. But when she arrived, she applied for a partner visa here in Australia and claimed she had been in a relationship with this person for the past two years. That’s clearly contradictory information to what was on her incoming passenger card.”

5. These cards are kept in an archive

‘Immigration officials can access these cards at any time.’

Immigration Attorney Tracy Chen