YAY – No More Australian Departure Cards From Next Month!

If you’ve ever travelled before, you’ll know that you’ll have to fill out some type of paperwork at some point in the journey, most likely it’ll be an arrival or departure card. In Australia, we have both a departure card (green) and an arrival card (yellow). When you depart Australia you have to fill out this card and drop it in one of the marked boxes past immigration, many think they’re pointless but they’re just a way to collect passenger data.

Outgoing Green Card

I personally think they’re a waste of time and the government already knows too much but I still fill them out. Call me lazy but it’s just another piece of paper that doesn’t need to be done. If you’re going through the e-passport channels they don’t even check them so it’s understandable why people think they’re a waste.

Well, there’s some brilliant news for people who don’t like them, from next month (July 1st), you’ll no longer need to fill them out when departing Australia!

This is fantastic news and it will ultimately speed up the departure process when leaving the country. Travel Daily is reporting that you’ll still have to provide how much currency you’re taking overseas with you and also give your communication details, I’m just not sure how that will work. It’s also interesting to note that there will be a new yellow card introduced on the same day.

So now, all you need is your passport, your ticket, express passes & visa’s (if applicable) to get through Australian immigration and border protection!

When returning to Australia, the process remains the same as before. You’ll have to still fill out the yellow card and get it checked by an agent when leaving the airport.

This is a really positive change and a step in the right direction, let’s just now all hope that we get Global Entry sometime in the next few years!

H/T – Travel Daily & Australian Business Traveller