Australians and tourists arriving from overseas will ditch paper passenger cards in a push to modernise the country’s bustling airports. Instead, passengers arriving at Australia’s airports will fill out digital cards, which are required for re-entry to Australia and include customs declarations and travel information. More than 450,000 passengers have already trialled digital-only cards since October 2024 on Qantas flights arriving at Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane. That program is expected to expanded to Qantas flights into Perth and Adelaide by the end of 2026, before being rolled out at all international airports and seaports over the next 12 to 18 months. Initially, the form will be available by via a webpage, but is expected to co-designed with industry for in-app capabilities.The government said the trial had returned anecdotal evidence of “significant success”.“Making arrivals simpler and quicker means visitors can spend less time filling out forms and more time enjoying everything Australia has to offer,” Tourism Minister Don Farrell said. “This is a win for tourists and a win for our tourism operators, helping make Australia an even easier and more welcoming place to visit.”The broader rollout of the scheme will be funded through a $56.1m investment over four years.It is expected to streamline facilitation and reduce manual processing for passengers, enable digital collection of information ahead of time, and increase data quality for risk assessments. It will also allow for rapid updates and “management of global risks and events”, such as biosecurity outbreaks, according to the government. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said the modernisation was “essential to Australia’s prosperity and national security”.“Visitors and Australian travellers alike will be able to take advantage of a seamless border process, which integrates into everyday digital life,” he said. Agriculture Minister Julie Collins said the changes would also strengthen Australia’s biosecurity with better information – including before risks reach Australian shores. “Our government will never compromise on biosecurity, with over $2bn in additional biosecurity resourcing delivered since 2022,” he said. “Australia’s strong biosecurity system protects our farmers, environment, food security and economy, and modernising our border is an important part of maintaining that protection.”Funding for the program is also expected to support ongoing work to improve airport and cruise departure models, including a boom in travellers ahead of the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games.