SmartGates are the automated passport-control gates run by the Australian Border Force (ABF) at Australia's major international airports. On arrival, the gate reads your passport, takes a photo, and matches your face to it. If it succeeds, it prints a ticket and you walk through.
Who can use arrival SmartGates
- You are travelling on a valid passport
- You are at least 1.1 m tall
- You are at least 7 years of age
- Children under 16 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian
Until recently you needed an ePassport (the chip symbol on the cover). The ABF is now trialling arrival SmartGates for all passports, so a non-chip passport may work too. The ABF does not publish a list of nationalities: the criteria above are about the passport and the traveller, not the country that issued it.
Your eVisitor or ETA and the SmartGate are separate things. The visa lets you board and enter; the SmartGate is simply how your passport is checked. Using the gate does not change your visa conditions.
The Incoming Passenger Card still applies
Most passengers must complete a paper Incoming Passenger Card (IPC). It is handed out on the plane or in the terminal and must be completed in English. The ABF publishes translated sample cards — including German, French, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Korean and Chinese — so you can understand the questions, but the card you hand in is answered in English.
At the exit, you give your SmartGate ticket and your Incoming Passenger Card to a Border Force or biosecurity officer. A digital alternative (the Australia Travel Declaration) exists only as a pilot, for invited passengers on selected Qantas flights into Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne via the Qantas app. Everyone else uses the paper card.
Languages on the screens
Arrival SmartGate screens are in English, with 22 other languages to choose from, including German, Dutch, French, Italian, Spanish, Korean and both simplified and traditional Chinese. Departure SmartGate screens are in English, Japanese, Korean and Mandarin.
Leaving Australia
Any traveller with a valid machine-readable passport can use the departure SmartGates. You cannot use them if you are travelling with someone who needs help to follow the instructions, such as a baby or small child.
Source: Australian Border Force — Who can use arrival SmartGates
Source: Australian Border Force — Departure SmartGates
Source: Australian Border Force — Incoming Passenger Card
Common questions
Can German, Korean or Chinese passport holders use SmartGate?
The ABF does not publish a nationality list. Arrival SmartGates are open to travellers on a valid passport who are at least 7 years old and 1.1 m tall, and the ABF is trialling the gates for all passports.
Do I still need the Incoming Passenger Card if I use SmartGate?
Yes. You hand in your SmartGate ticket together with the completed Incoming Passenger Card at the exit. The card must be filled in in English.
Can my 5-year-old use SmartGate?
No. Arrival SmartGates require travellers to be at least 7 years old. Families with younger children are processed by an officer.
More on the eVisitor
After you land
Your visa gets you on the plane. What comes after — SmartGate, cash, tax refunds, healthcare, driving, emergencies — checked against official sources.
At the border
Immigration, customs and biosecurity are three separate checks with different questions. Knowing which is which makes the queue much shorter.
Biosecurity
Undeclared biosecurity goods can bring a fine of up to twelve penalty units — and for visa holders, cancellation and a three-year exclusion.
Children
Every traveller needs their own visa, including infants. Children are not covered by a parent's eVisitor, and the application is made the same way.
Liquids in hand luggage
On international flights from Australia, liquids, aerosols and gels must be in 100 mL containers in one clear bag. Inorganic powders are limited too.
Money, cards and tipping
Prices include 10% GST, card surcharges are banned from 1 October 2026, and tipping is optional. Cash of AUD 10,000+ must be declared.