Is the Australian Landing Card Still Necessary in the Written Form?

[SYD]

They are just using BNE for trials. Just less pax volume overall means an easier and smoother trial.

Yes.

Waving a new QR code around in SYD morning peak hour could be fun….not.

 

[Sprucegoose]

Am I the only person who would prefer paper?

Probably

How does the digital system work for my children who don't have their own phones?

They soon will!

I'd also like to see 1 declaration for families travelling together,

It's an eminently sensible idea. Let's hope Canberra is listening. Get it into one of the PM's focus groups may do the trick

 

[SeaWolf]

Meanwhile in Singapore...

Passport-less clearance fully available at Changi Airport, average clearance time of 10 seconds: ICA

Almost 1.5 million travellers have cleared immigration here without having to present a passport. Read more at straitstimes.com.

www.straitstimes.com

 

[OZDUCK]

I have just entered the 'departure area' at Terminal 1 Changi and found the process no better than Perth. I still had to use my passport and give a thumb print. The main problem l have is how low the camera is. I was just about kneeling to get my face into the right area.

 

[jrfsp]

oh dear

Two-hour immigration system failure resolved at international airports

An Australian Border Force processing system outage impacted arrivals and departures at international airports nationwide.

www.abc.net.au

 

[SYD]

oh dear

Two-hour immigration system failure resolved at international airports

An Australian Border Force processing system outage impacted arrivals and departures at international airports nationwide.

www.abc.net.au

I’m hearing on the radio stream that lines in MEL were 500 long. I’d hate to think what SYD is like….

 

[jrfsp]

I’m hearing on the radio stream that lines in MEL were 500 long. I’d hate to think what SYD is like….

The issue with MEL is the tiny corridor all arrivals are squeezed into and theyve put kiosks down one side of it

We really need to get rid of the need for the kiosk process - even just for AU passport holders.

 

[p--and--t]

I was just about kneeling to get my face into the right area.

I have the same issue in Asia. Built for historical average asian heights.

However in future they will have trouble even with locals. Was in a Nandos in Melb a while back and the 4-5 Chinese student staff working there were all over my height (190cm).

 

[OZDUCK]

The 'average' height of ethnic Chinese certainly does seem to be increasing for the younger generations. I assume that food availability/choice is causing it. I know our Malaysian born Chinese friends son who was born in Australia, broad Aussie accent, is markedly taller than his parents. He horrified his mother by bringing some lasagne he had made from scratch to her Chinese New Year party.

 

[SYD]

The issue with MEL is the tiny corridor all arrivals are squeezed into and theyve put kiosks down one side of it

We really need to get rid of the need for the kiosk process - even just for AU passport holders.

OT, but I understand the ABF meltdown is anffecting outbound as well! (Nationally).

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Pointhacks puts the new system to the test: Road test: the digital Australia Travel Declaration replaces the handwritten arrivals card

Doesn’t feel seemless. Paper might still be easier.

But can’t understand why the author had to amend their declaration because they bought chocolate containing nuts? That is not a declarable item unless it also contained meat such as bacon (according to the border force website)

 

[Daver6]

Pointhacks puts the new system to the test: Road test: the digital Australia Travel Declaration replaces the handwritten arrivals card

Doesn’t feel seemless. Paper might still be easier.

But can’t understand why the author had to amend their declaration because they bought chocolate containing nuts? That is not a declarable item unless it also contained meat such as bacon (according to the border force website)

Well this is annoying

Keep in mind that those using the digital Australia Travel Declaration must use SmartGate upon arrival into Australia. You can’t have a digital declaration and be processed via a staffed desk. This means travellers with small children, APEC Business Travel Card holders, diplomats and those requiring manual processing should still use paper forms for now.

 

[Mwenenzi]

From the point hacks article compared to the NZ system the AU system seems bizarrely complicated and clumsy.

Presenting the digital landing card at the Australian border

Remember that those using the digital Australia Travel Declaration must use SmartGate upon arrival into Australia. You can’t have a digital declaration and be processed via a staffed desk. This means travellers with small children, APEC Business Travel Card holders, diplomats and those requiring manual processing should still use paper forms for now.

As for SmartGate, get your ticket and proceed across the border as normal. But when it comes time to present your declaration, the process is a little different with the ATD. When you’ve completed the declaration electronically, it’ll generate a QR code. Present this QR code on your device and SmartGate ticket when requested.

In fact, keep your eyes peeled for a specific exit path for Australia Travel Declaration holders. In Brisbane, those using ATD are currently invited to exit via the channel normally designated as the Express Path and crew exit. In my case, this means bypassing a line of around 200 people in the main queue. Instead, I have only five people in front of me. Winning!

At the checkpoint, my phone remains in my hand while I scan the QR code. Given my earlier declaration, I’m directed to biosecurity, as expected. The biosecurity officer scans my code again here but also asks for my passport. It’s the first time I’ve needed to present my passport at this step, and apparently, it’s only because I’ve used the digital pass.

With my hands already trying to juggle my checked bag, cabin bag, my phone and my SmartGate ticket, fishing around for my passport is an unexpected request that slows things down. Especially so, when the modern SmartGate ticket has my photo on it, captured when my passport was scanned upon arrival. But soon enough, I’m pointed towards the exit.

In NZ at customs present the paper card or if used digital declarations your passport. Officer will swipe the passport and look on the screen.
And NZ immigration smartgate with passport is a 1 step process and not like the AU 2 step/2 machine (non)smartgate process with another bit of paper printed.

 

[SYD]

From the point hacks article compared to the NZ system the AU system seems bizarrely complicated and clumsy.

In NZ at customs present the paper card or if used digital declarations your passport. Officer will swipe the passport and look on the screen.
And NZ immigration smartgate with passport is a 1 step process and not like the AU 2 step/2 machine (non)smartgate process with another bit of paper printed.

NZ is still technically two steps - everyone still goes through Customs screening. Even “Nothing to Declare” they’ll look at your form (or Express sticker from earlier screening*).

*arriving in AKL the other day, you scan you PP and then on the way to baggage claim there’s two signs pointing left and right (two the right is direct access to the baggage claim and then conga lines to get through Customs). To the right, you line up in a smaller conga line to get processed for “Nothing to declare” Express pass and then exit to collect bags and out the “Express lane” (where they look again at your pass - so actually three interventions).

If you skip the “Express processing”, there’s still a non Express “Nothing to Declare” line…

Simples…

 

[CaptJCool]

Meanwhile in Morocco

You can conga line 6-8 times …. Just sayin’

Gotta love how govt immigration can’t give up its paper based regime without replacing it with some form of physical “card” slip

Old habits die hard

It almost as if they deliberately engineered the IT TO look like it’s modernised without it actually being 2024 solely digital

 

[Mwenenzi]

Gotta love how govt immigration can’t give up its paper based regime without replacing it with some form of physical “card” slip
Old habits die hard
It almost as if they deliberately engineered the IT TO look like it’s modernised without it actually being 2024 solely digital

The NZ immigration and customs process is paperless and no secondary Q code.
AU has extra 1st/2nd bit of physical paper and generated electronic Q code even for the "new digital" experience.

 

[Mattg]

The Qantas App ATD trial has now been expanded to cover flights from all NZ destinations to Brisbane.

 

[Lynda2475]

I flew AKL-BNE last Sunday HLO and used the new digital arrival card via QF app.

Completing the declaration super simple, but BNE arrivals could do with an express entry for those with the QR and nothing to declare.

Was 4th off plane, but due to others detouring to toilets or duty free, I was first to a machine to do immigration declaration (4 people in front from an earlierflight), paper slip in hand, was able to skip the large queue of those who didnt/couldn't use machine, scan paper and into baggage claim quickly (within 10mins from existing the plan, as it was a long walk from a distant gate).

As I had no need to. Collect bags, went straight to exit to customs. Herein lies the poor planning at BNE. At SYD nothing to declare is a separate queue from the get go, at BNE everyone was forced into a single queue which took almost 20mins to get to a person to check your declaration.

From this point if you had a papercard they either let you exit or directed to a secondary queue for further inspection. But that first checkpoint can't do QR so you are then sent to another guy to left who can scan (thankfully no queue)..

Given there was only 1 manned location that could scan QR they could have easily had a dedicated queue for that lane. Signage visisble just before the first check suggested that there should have been but it wasn't happening.

I also used the electronic declaration entering nz. Used smart gate, but even with no bags to collect and nothing to declare you still have to go to a booth, handover passport, where they put a sticker on back and then show that sticker to someone else to exit.

Fastest is still UK, use gate, grab bags and leave.

 

[jrfsp]

Herein lies the poor planning at BNE. At SYD nothing to declare is a separate queue from the get go, at BNE everyone was forced into a single queue which took almost 20mins to get to a person to check your declaration.

Can’t say I’ve noticed a separate queue at SYD, I don’t go through regularly but certainly at MEL and PER it’s also one queue for customs.

The UK and even most Asian countries are much quicker

 

[Lynda2475]

SYD especially early morning when a bunch of the US flights arrive, will typically have someone directing nothing to declare left and something to declare right.

They also have roaming staff that direct you to far right for xray if you have been to certain countries in past x days.

The single line at BNE is the longest I've experienced anywhere.

Im all for the electronic Arrivals cards but all checkpoints should be able to process them..