Digital Passenger Declaration to Replace Incoming Passenger Card

[Lynda2475]

On Android 100k+ downloads, less than 800 reviews (not all of which are negative), so most people dont review as i stated earlier. Majority i.e the over 90% who didnt bother to review, used it, got the job done dont bother to rate it. Reviews are about popularity, no one here is saying it is great just that it works. Also the app stores have reviews for all versions not just latest, how many people go back after an update which fixes an issue and re-rate? Virtually none.

Wrt mobile websites, if you use chrome you can load the desktop version on your tablet or mobile, just tick the box. Unless i actually need to work, i find i manage fine with a phone and tablet - tablet weighs much less than laptop for only a fractionally smaller screen and no bulky chargers etc. On mobile versions of websites you typically cant zoom in, on desktop version you always can. Tablet best travel accessory - great for entertainment on flights, can put a foreign sim card in it for data/calls (allowing you to turn mobile data off on mobile so can roam without any cost to receive mfa sms, tether to tablet or wifi if you need data), great for making bookings etc.

Re vaccination being the price to pay to travel, well i would have got vaccinated irrespective of the need to travel, as the primary benefit is to prevent serious illness, there is plenty of covid circulating locally. Whereas as DPD is solely a requirement for those undertaking international travel.

 

[Beano]

On Android 100k+ downloads, less than 800 reviews (not all of which are negative), so most people dont review as i stated earlier. Majority i.e the over 90% who didnt bother to review, used it, got the job done dont bother to rate it. Reviews are about popularity, no one here is saying it is great just that it works. Also the app stores have reviews for all versions not just latest, how many people go back after an update which fixes an issue and re-rate? Virtually none.

Wrt mobile websites, if you use chrome you can load the desktop version on your tablet or mobile, just tick the box. Unless i actually need to work, i find i manage fine with a phone and tablet - tablet weighs much less than laptop for only a fractionally smaller screen and no bulky chargers etc. On mobile versions of websites you typically cant zoom in, on desktop version you always can. Tablet best travel accessory - great for entertainment on flights, can put a foreign sim card in it for data/calls (allowing you to turn mobile data off on mobile so can roam without any cost to receive mfa sms, tether to tablet or wifi if you need data), great for making bookings etc.

Re vaccination being the price to pay to travel, well i would have got vaccinated irrespective of the need to travel, as the primary benefit is to prevent serious illness, there is plenty of covid circulating locally. Whereas as DPD is solely a requirement for those undertaking international travel.

I agree with everything you say, though as far as electronic devices go, it's horses for courses. They all have their place. I have trouble comparing documents side by side on a tablet or small laptop so I use a 15.6" laptop in flight.

The cost of travel is the cost of travel. You pay whatever it is and not your choice to say whether you will or won't pay (not directed at Lynda2475). If it means masks, vaccinations and DPD then so be it; that is the cost of travel.

 

[Beano]

I prepared the DPD on my laptop and just now accessed it on my phone-- no problems, though all the summary info does not appear on a single screen, so a screen dump does not capture all the data. Otherwise a wonderful, easy to use app.

I am wondering whether all issues experienced now are user matters.

 

[Beano]

adjective: a large number of
pronoun: a large number of people or things
noun: the majority of people

If my context I mean considerably more people have issues than don't have issues.

You have no way to verify that statement. I woukd say the exact opposite based on 800 reviews vs 100 k downloads.

 

[drron]

You have no way to verify that statement. I woukd say the exact opposite based on 800 reviews vs 100 k downloads.

Of course you also can't verify the reverse.
Whatever for an australian citizen it is a useless waste of time. Vaccine certificate attached to passport and Border Force notified of your flight into Australia by the airlines.

 

[Lynda2475]

Vaccine certificate attached to passport

I do not believe this to be accurate although several here keep stating this as fact.

Your vaccination record is not saved on the chip on your passport, a border force officer or airline check in agent can not view your vax status simply by swiping your passport.

Passport details are stored on the international vaccination certificate which is issued by medicare. So medicare has your passport details but passport doesnt have your medicare vaccination record.

We all know there is poor system integration between government systems.

This is why you are asked to bring the vax cert when you travel either hard copy or soft copy. And why QFF rewarded people for uploading to your qff account as they cant get the proof from your passport alone.

 

[drron]

We always take a printed copy of everything.
So tell me why I need to have a DPD.

 

[Lynda2475]

Paper forms are moving online, this is 2022 not 1972. Mostly a storm in a tea cup by those who dont like change.

We have always had to fill in arrivals cards, the method is just changing to one which is better for the environment and prevents need to re-key data from paper, meaning arrival data is provide more expediently.

Soon you will all adjust, and wonder why it was such a big deal.

 

[serfty]

We always take a printed copy of everything.
So tell me why I need to have a DPD.

I simply take a printed copy of my DPD confirmation (generated via Desktop) for check in. Works well.

Hoping it won't be to long before l it gets updated and replaces the arrivals card as well.

 

[SYD]

Paper forms are moving online, this is 2022 not 1972. Mostly a storm in a tea cup by those who dont like change.

We have always had to fill in arrivals cards, the method is just changing to one which is better for the environment and prevents need to re-key data from paper, meaning arrival data is provide more expediently.

Soon you will all adjust, and wonder why it was such a big deal.

But most countries have dropped “arrivals cards” - period. A few still have customs declaration forms (which is pretty hard to do in advance if you grab something going through Arrivals DF).

More importantly, many countries that do have online forms don’t require their own citizens to fill them in.

 

[William Gillespie]

I will be trying the form on my iPad next Wednesday, and will post my success or failure thereafter.
I have the app also on my Android phone. I am crossing fingers that the new app version I downloaded
a few weeks ago has fixed some of the bugs that other AFF contributors have highlighted.
cheers (maybe...)
William

 

[clifford]

But most countries have dropped “arrivals cards” - period.

Even Thailand, for goodness sake.

Just Australian paranoia, and the need to keep a number of public servants partially employed.

 

[Pushka]

Experience at LHR. At checkin was asked if we’d done it. We said yes. Didn’t look at it. At Adelaide International just now - nothing. No mention or comment.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Experience at LHR. At checkin was asked if we’d done it. We said yes. Didn’t look at it. At Adelaide International just now - nothing. No mention or comment.

Similar experience here… asked ex LHR but nothing on arrival. I guess the airline can’t let you board without it so no need to check on arrival? Probably linked to your booking or arrival data like ESTAs and stuff?

 

[SYD]

Experience at LHR. At checkin was asked if we’d done it. We said yes. Didn’t look at it. At Adelaide International just now - nothing. No mention or comment.

Similar experience here… asked ex LHR but nothing on arrival. I guess the airline can’t let you board without it so no need to check on arrival? Probably linked to your booking or arrival data like ESTAs and stuff?

Given that it’s linked to your PP the e-Gates are either going to let you through with a valid DPD or ask you to join the end of the manual processing queue.

 

[Franky]

If they or your son can do it from home before departure, it's easy enough to do on the website using a laptop or desktop and then printing out the form. I had no trouble* doing it that way, but I was able to do it in my office before departure because I was going to be away less than 7 days. I'm dreading the day I have to attempt it while OS on my ancient ipad2 or on my iphone with no printer attached.

*No trouble apart from extreme frustration with the govt IT idiots who think it is a good idea that you have to upload vax certificate, but then you have to separately and painstakingly type in all the details from said vax certificate.

We have been OS for 3+ weeks, and I had a look at the app reviews prior to leaving, and being more than just mature aged, I thought it was some thing I would not be looking forward to. We are now within the 7 day zone, I have an ‘ancient’ iPad2, and my wife has a laptop. I did see a comment way back that it was possible to complete the form on the Department of Home Services website. Has anyone tried that option with success? Has the app been ‘enhanced’ since we left perhaps?

 

[Franky]

Nup.

How to take scrolling screenshots on iPhone and Android

Do *this* instead of taking multiple screenshots

www.laptopmag.com

Take a scrolling screenshot on your iPhone​

If your iPhone runs iOS 14 or later, you can take a scrolling screenshot without any external third-party app. Apple offers this function right inside your iPhone’s built-in screenshot tool. The only catch is it only works for apps updated to support it, such as Apple’s first-party apps and others like Google

No luck here. We both have iPhones upgraded to 15.5, and neither of them can do as you say. The screenshot looks similar, but there is no option to go full page.

 

[Franky]

Thought I would try the app, clicked on the ‘revised’ app and have tried twice to creat an account, and it does not let me continue once my details are entered. Time for a beer…

 

[straitman]

We have been OS for 3+ weeks, and I had a look at the app reviews prior to leaving, and being more than just mature aged, I thought it was some thing I would not be looking forward to. We are now within the 7 day zone, I have an ‘ancient’ iPad2, and my wife has a laptop. I did see a comment way back that it was possible to complete the form on the Department of Home Services website. Has anyone tried that option with success? Has the app been ‘enhanced’ since we left perhaps?

Here is the link you need to use on a laptop if you wish to try. Australian Digital Passenger Declaration (DPD)

 

[Anna]

I did see a comment way back that it was possible to complete the form on the Department of Home Services website. Has anyone tried that option with success?

Yes I did it that way.

I suggest you go to the website on the laptop and be prepared for 20 or so minutes of frustration but it does eventually work once you have uploaded your vax certificate and then painstakingly entered all the vaccination details that are on that certificate.

I recommend printing it out once you have completed it, if you have printer access. I was waved through several queues when I was able to show officials everything they needed to see on paper at a glance, rather than them needing to squint into multiple screens on a small device with pauses in between to scroll to the next screen.