From 1 July 2017, the paper-based passenger card will be removed as part of a move towards a more efficient and streamlined process for travellers.
The Minister for Immigration and Border Protection Peter Dutton said the Government is committed to improving the traveller experience, reducing regulation and strengthening border security.
“The automated process will add to existing state-of-the art passenger processing technology at our border and will help reduce queuing times and get travellers to their destination more quickly,” Mr Dutton said.
“Removal of the outgoing passenger card further supports the move towards a more seamless, secure and simplified border clearance process.”
The information previously gathered via paper-based outgoing passenger cards will now be collated from existing government data and will continue to be provided to users. Re-using data in this way is just one of the measures being taken by the Government to reduce the burden on citizens and international visitors to provide the same information multiple times.
In 2015-16, the Australian Border Force processed more than 40 million international travellers across the Australian border with the number of people travelling in and out of Australia estimated to rise up to 50 million by 2020.
While arriving travellers will still be required to complete the orange incoming passenger card, the removal of the outgoing passenger card is critical to ensuring the continued smooth passage of increasing traveller numbers departing Australia.
