Australia

Most passengers arriving in Australia must complete and present an Incoming Passenger Card (IPC) — a paper card issued on board the flight or ship before arrival, or by the Australian Border Force in the arrival terminal, and completed when provided, before border clearance (not all cards are completed in flight). Exemptions are prescribed by regulation 3.06 and Schedule 9 of the Migration Regulations 1994 (under the Migration Act 1958). The IPC must be completed in English on both sides — front: family/given names and passport number, flight number or ship name, intended address in Australia, whether the passenger intends to live in Australia for the next 12 months, and customs/quarantine declarations; back: country of boarding, date of birth, usual occupation, nationality as shown in the passport, and contact and emergency contact details in Australia. Passengers must sign and date the IPC and correctly answer questions on migration status, health status and any prior criminal convictions; false information can affect visa status, and citizens who refuse to complete an IPC may be penalised. A person in charge of a traveller (parent/guardian of a minor, carer of a traveller with special needs) may complete the IPC on their behalf. Biosecurity basis: travellers are required to provide information to a biosecurity officer on an IPC (or Crew Declaration Form, CDF) under s.196 of the Biosecurity Act 2015; on arrival they must complete a declaration and either declare any risk goods — food, animal products, plant material including wooden articles, and all footwear, clothing and equipment used in rural areas or near animals — or dispose of them in the bins at the airport or cruise terminal. Screening (X-ray, detector dogs, inspection, questioning) and passport scanning at biosecurity intervention points are enforcement tools, not a separate traveller declaration form. CURRENT ATD PILOT (optional, invitation-only, NOT a national replacement): the ABF and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry are piloting the digital Australia Travel Declaration (ATD) with Qantas. Destination-side statement (ABF): passengers on Qantas flights into Brisbane, and select flights into Sydney and Melbourne, can complete the declaration through the Qantas app. Origin-side statement (DAFF, Trans-Tasman Seamless Travel Initiative): eligible travellers on certain Qantas flights from New Zealand will be invited to complete the ATD through the Qantas mobile app; all other travellers complete the IPC as normal. These are two separate current official statements, not an exhaustive list of covered flights, and must not be merged into a universal route promise. Invited submission is via the Qantas app within the final 72 hours before departure — no earlier than 72 hours prior to departure (eligibility: Qantas app user, able to complete in English, eligible to use kiosks and SmartGates); the declaration pass is scanned at the airport exit (or baggage carousel); ineligible, uninvited, or affected passengers (e.g. cancelled, rescheduled or diverted flights) use the paper IPC as normal. Duty-free context (traveller concessions only — allowances, not a separate form or filing step): aged 18+ AUD 900 general goods (under 18/crew AUD 450); 18+ 2.25 litres alcoholic beverages; 18+ 25 cigarettes or 25 g tobacco plus one open packet; families on the same flight/voyage may pool concessions; exceeding any limit makes duty and tax apply to that entire category. Goods in excess of a concession must be declared (with proof of purchase); goods for which a Tourist Refund Scheme (TRS) claim was made are specifically to be declared at Question 3 of the IPC.