Australia Travel Declaration (ATD) opens to all passengers at Western Sydney Airport on October 26

Australia‘s digital arrival declaration will soon no longer be limited to the Qantas app.

In a joint announcement issued on October 22, 2026, Australia’s ministers responsible for Home Affairs, Infrastructure and Agriculture confirmed that the new Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport will become the country’s first airport to offer a web-based version of the Australia Travel Declaration (ATD).

The airport is scheduled to open to passenger flights on Sunday, October 25, 2026, with Jetstar operating its first domestic service to the Gold Coast. The following day, Monday, October 26, Air New Zealand will launch international operations with an arriving flight from Auckland, coinciding with the introduction of the new digital arrival declaration.

Unlike the existing pilot program, which is available only to eligible passengers on selected Qantas flights, the new system will be open to passengers arriving at Western Sydney on any airline.

Digital arrival declaration no longer requires the Qantas app

The Australia Travel Declaration is designed to gradually replace the Incoming Passenger Card (IPC), the traditional paper arrival form that travelers must complete before entering Australia.

As announced by Australian authorities in July, the system is expected to be rolled out nationwide over a period of 12 to 18 months.

Until now, the digital declaration has largely been available through a pilot program launched in October 2024 in partnership with Qantas. Only eligible passengers traveling on selected Qantas flights to Brisbane, Sydney or Melbourne could complete the declaration through the airline’s mobile app.

The program had notably been expanded to travelers flying to Melbourne before authorities announced that passengers on all airlines arriving at Western Sydney would be able to use the service.

The introduction of a web-based form at Western Sydney represents a significant change: travelers will no longer need the Qantas app to submit their arrival declaration.

The Australian Border Force (ABF) now outlines two separate ways to complete the ATD: through the Qantas app or via the new web form for arrivals at Western Sydney.

How to complete the new Australia Travel Declaration (ATD)

Travelers arriving at Western Sydney can now access the official Australia Travel Declaration (ATD) form on the Australian Border Force website. The declaration can be submitted up to 72 hours before arrival in Australia and is completely free of charge.

The process takes approximately 5 to 20 minutes and consists of three steps:

1. Getting started: Travelers indicate whether they are completing an individual or family declaration, then accept the terms and conditions and privacy policy.
2. Arrival details: They enter their arrival date, flight number and travel information. Where applicable, the form also asks for the country of registration of the aircraft or vessel.
3. Personal information and declarations: Travelers provide their passport details, contact information, accommodation address and emergency contact. They then answer questions about goods they are bringing into Australia, cash, food, plant and animal products, and other customs and biosecurity requirements.

Once the information has been reviewed and the declaration submitted, a QR code, known as the ATD Pass, is generated immediately. Travelers can save it as an image or PDF and will also receive a copy by email.

The QR code must be presented to Australian authorities upon arrival. It may be scanned in the baggage claim area or when leaving the airport.

The new web form is currently limited to flights arriving at Western Sydney International Airport (WSI). When VisasNews checked the system on October 23, 2026, only Air New Zealand flight NZ165, operating between Auckland and Western Sydney, appeared among the available flights. The selection is expected to expand as additional international services begin operating.

Families can also complete a combined declaration, including for children under 18 traveling with their parents. Australian authorities advise that a new declaration must be submitted if any information needs to be corrected or updated.

Further details are available on the Australian Border Force’s official help page.

Paper arrival cards will remain available

The introduction of the web-based ATD does not mean paper arrival cards are being phased out immediately.

The Australian government has confirmed that the Incoming Passenger Card will remain available, particularly for travelers who do not have access to a digital device, experience technical difficulties or simply prefer to complete the form on paper.

Using the ATD therefore remains optional.

For now, the new procedure will apply only to travelers arriving at Western Sydney International Airport (WSI) from October 26. The airport is separate from Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD), the city’s existing international gateway.

Passengers arriving at other Australian airports will generally still need to complete the paper arrival card unless they qualify for the digital system already available on selected Qantas flights.

Nationwide rollout planned over the next 12 to 18 months

The launch of the web-based ATD marks the first concrete step toward making Australia’s digital arrival declaration available to a wider range of travelers.

The Australian government has allocated more than A$56 million over four years to modernize border processing, including plans to introduce the web-based declaration at international airports and seaports across the country.

The expansion is expected to take place gradually over the next 12 to 18 months, although authorities have yet to announce a detailed rollout schedule for individual ports of entry.

According to government figures, more than 477,000 digital declarations were submitted between January 1 and September 30, 2026, across more than 8,400 eligible flights.

The ATD is intended to allow customs and biosecurity officers to review certain passenger information before arrival while helping streamline processing at Australian airports.