What are the rules around passenger cards and customs when entering Australia?

In Plain English

When you arrive in Australia, you usually need to fill out a passenger card. This card asks for your personal details, like your name, date of birth, citizenship, and flight information, as well as health and criminal history questions. You must provide this card to a clearance officer.

However, there are some exceptions:

  • If you've submitted an Australia Travel Declaration (ATD) and received confirmation, you might not need to fill out a passenger card, UNLESS a clearance officer can't access your ATD or suspects the information is inaccurate.
  • Crew members on non-military ships, or their family members, might not need to fill out a passenger card.

You might also need to show evidence of your identity and visa status. Keep in mind that providing false or misleading information can lead to penalties.

Detailed Explanation

Here's a breakdown of the rules based on the provided legislation:

  1. Passenger Card Requirement: Generally, anyone arriving in Australia must complete a passenger card and provide it to an officer (Migration Regulations 1994, regulation 3.01). The card requires information such as name, date of birth, citizenship, passport number, flight details, and intended address in Australia (Migration Regulations 1994, regulation 3.01). It also includes questions about tuberculosis and criminal convictions (Migration Regulations 1994, regulation 3.02).

  2. Australia Travel Declaration (ATD) Exemption: If a person has submitted an Australia Travel Declaration and received electronic confirmation, they are generally exempt from completing a passenger card (Migration Regulations 1994, regulation 3.03AB). However, a clearance officer can still require a completed passenger card if:

  3. Maritime Crew Exemption: Crew members on non-military ships, or their family members, entering Australia may be exempt from passenger card requirements (Migration Regulations 1994, regulation 3.03AA).

  4. Evidence of Identity and Visa:

    • Australian citizens may provide their passport or other prescribed evidence of identity and citizenship (Migration Act 1958, section 166). An image of a person’s face and shoulders is prescribed as other evidence of the person’s identity and Australian citizenship (Migration Regulations 1994, regulation 3.03).
    • Non-citizens must provide evidence of identity and any visas held (Migration Act 1958, section 166). The Migration Regulations 1994, regulation 3.03 outlines specific requirements for different visa types, including presenting passports, images of face and shoulders, or other specified evidence.

  5. Compliance: A person must comply with paragraphs 166(1)(a) and (b) of the Migration Act 1958 in a prescribed way (Migration Act 1958, section 166(3)).

  6. Penalties: Providing false or misleading information or documents can result in offences or civil penalties (Biosecurity Act 2015).