Digital Arrival Card Guide: Australia & Southeast Asia

Most of Southeast Asia now asks visitors for an online arrival card, filed on a government site in the days before landing. That covers Thailand (TDAC), Singapore (SG Arrival Card), Malaysia (MDAC), Indonesia (All Indonesia) and, from 2026, Vietnam (Pre-Arrival Information). Australia is the exception. Most travellers there still complete a paper Incoming Passenger Card, while a digital version is being phased in.

None of these forms is a visa. They record who you are and where you're staying. Each one should only be submitted on the official government website listed below. Fees matter too: the Thai, Singapore and Indonesian authorities state the form is free, and the table keeps the exact wording for every country.

Key takeaways

• Thailand's TDAC site is titled "No Fees Required"; Singapore's ICA and Indonesia's Immigration Directorate General also say their cards are free.
• Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia all open submission 3 days before arrival.
• Vietnam's rules conflict: the Ministry of Public Security describes the pilot as optional, while the U.S. Embassy says mandatory.
• Australia still uses a paper card for most travellers.

Which countries need a digital arrival card?

According to the Thailand Immigration Bureau, Singapore's ICA and Indonesia's Immigration Directorate General, their card is free. Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam each run an online form, while Australia still relies mainly on paper. The table lists the form name, timing, fee wording and official site for every country.

If you see a fee anywhere in the process, stop and check the address in your browser against the table above.

What do arrival cards ask for?

Almost every form asks for passport data, your arrival date, the flight number of the flight that brings you in, and an address for your first night. The flight number is the usual stumbling block, so fill the card in only after your flight is booked.

Copy the number from your ticket, letter for letter. If you're still choosing flights, compare routes and dates first, then complete the arrival card once the booking is final.

How does each country's digital arrival card work?

According to each government's own pages, the rules differ more than the forms do. Thailand and Singapore count the arrival day in their 3-day window, Malaysia requires a new MDAC to fix mistakes, and Indonesia combines customs and health questions. Vietnam and Australia changed in 2026, so read those sections twice.

Thailand: TDAC

• Official URL: https://tdac.immigration.go.th
• When: within 3 days before arrival, counting the arrival date. The system does not send reminders.
• Fee: none. The official TDAC site carries the title "No Fees Required".
• Who: all non-Thai nationals, including children and infants, entering by air, land or sea. Transit passengers who do not pass through immigration are not required to submit.
• Key fields: passport details, flight number and arrival date, address in Thailand, travel purpose, health declaration and an email address to receive the card.
• Good to know: it is valid for one entry only, so submit a new one for every trip. After submission, the email states whether you may use the automated border control gate or must use a manual counter.
• Scam warning: third-party sites copy the TDAC look. The only official address is tdac.immigration.go.th, and no payment is required.

Singapore: SG Arrival Card

• Official URL: https://eservices.ica.gov.sg/sgarrivalcard/ (also in the free MyICA app)
• When: within 3 days before arrival, including the arrival day. If you arrive on 30 June, you can submit from 28 June.
• Fee: free. ICA says it does not support or endorse any company that charges to submit it for you, and that such companies are not affiliated with ICA.
• Who: all travellers, except people transiting without clearing immigration and certain residents using the Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints.
• Key fields: personal information, trip details and an electronic health declaration. Foreign visitors also receive their e-Pass by email, so use an email address you can open.
• Good to know: a false declaration is an offence. If your health status changes, use the "Update SGAC" feature.
• Scam warning: ICA publishes an advisory on fake or misleading websites. Start from ica.gov.sg only.

Malaysia: MDAC

• Official URL: https://imigresen-online.imi.gov.my/mdac/main
• When: the Immigration Department says you can apply as early as 3 days before arrival, and Malaysia's mission in Beijing says all foreign travellers must complete it before entry.
• Fee: the official portal and FAQ describe no payment step. If a site asks for money, treat it as unofficial and confirm on the government portal.
• Who: foreign citizens. The department's FAQ exempts Singapore passport holders, diplomatic and official passport holders, permanent residents and holders of long-term passes such as employment and student passes.
• Key fields: passport details, date of departure from Malaysia and an address or accommodation in Malaysia.
• Good to know: to correct a mistake, you must submit a new MDAC.
• Scam warning: many lookalike MDAC sites exist. Use only the imi.gov.my portal.

Indonesia: All Indonesia

• Official URL: https://allindonesia.imigrasi.go.id (website or app)
• When: from 3 days before arrival, and it can also be filled in on landing.
• Fee: free, according to the Immigration Directorate General.
• Key fields: one form combining immigration, customs, health and quarantine declarations. You must also use it if you carry animal, fish or plant products. At points where All Indonesia applies, passengers no longer need the separate electronic customs declaration.
• Good to know: the Directorate General made it mandatory at Jakarta, Surabaya and Bali airports and Batam's international port from 1 September 2025. Check the site for your entry point.
• Scam warning: this declaration is not an e-Visa and not a visa on arrival. If you need a visa, apply only through the official portal at evisa.imigrasi.go.id. Details are on our Indonesia visa requirements page.

Vietnam: Pre-Arrival Information (PAI)

• Official URL: https://prearrival.immigration.gov.vn
• When: up to 3 days before arrival. The U.S. Embassy in Vietnam's June 2026 notice says it is available on arrival by QR code or paper form at airports.
• Status: the Ministry of Public Security describes the system as piloted at Tan Son Nhat Airport from 15 April 2026 and optional at that stage. The U.S. Embassy's June 2026 notice describes it as mandatory at all Vietnamese airports for non-Vietnamese passport holders. Rules are moving, so confirm on the official site before you fly.
• Fee: none is mentioned in the official guide or ministry announcement reviewed. Do not pay anyone to file it.
• Key fields: name, date of birth, nationality, phone, email and visa details if applicable; then flight number, arrival checkpoint and accommodation. You receive a QR code to show at the checkpoint. Passport number, birth date, nationality and arrival date cannot be edited afterwards.
• Scam warning: Vietnam's Ministry of Public Security says it has detected fake websites impersonating the PAI system that may defraud applicants' credit cards, and tells travellers to use only prearrival.immigration.gov.vn.
• Not a visa: the ministry states the PAI is not used to receive or process visa applications. See Vietnam visa requirements.

Australia: Incoming Passenger Card and the digital pilot

• Official URL: https://www.abf.gov.au (Incoming Passenger Card and Australia Travel Declaration pages)
• Current status: the Australian Border Force says passengers entering Australia must complete a passenger card. Cards are provided on board or in the arrival terminal. The Australia Travel Declaration (ATD) is a digital alternative, piloted with Qantas: eligible passengers on selected Qantas flights into Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne complete it in the Qantas app, and passengers flying into Western Sydney International Airport can use a web form. Anyone not invited continues with the paper card.
• Next step: on 13 July 2026 the government announced it is rolling out digital passenger cards and funding $56.1 million over four years for traveller modernisation at airports. It did not give a date by which every airport will be digital in the sources reviewed.
• When: the paper card is completed before you reach the border. No pre-arrival window applies to it.
• Fee: the ABF pages reviewed state no charge.
• Key fields: name and passport number, flight number, intended address in Australia, whether you will live in Australia for the next 12 months, customs and quarantine declarations, country where you boarded, date of birth, occupation, nationality, contact and emergency contact details, and answers about migration, health and criminal history. Providing false information can affect a non-citizen's visa status.
• Scam warning: do not buy an "Australian arrival card" online. If you need a visa, use only the Department of Home Affairs. See our Australia visitor visa checklist.

Is an arrival card a visa?

No. According to Thailand's own guide, the card is "not a visa", and Singapore's ICA says the same. Vietnam's Ministry of Public Security states that its PAI isn't used to receive or process visa applications. A visa, visa exemption or e-Visa is your permission to apply for entry, and officers make the final decision at the border.

Some airlines and immigration officers also ask where you are going next. If your checklist or airline asks for proof of onward or return travel, a verifiable reservation is one way to document your plans; it is not a ticket and no authority is obliged to accept it.

Read our guide to hotel reservations for visa applications if the address field is the part you are unsure about.

What should you check before you fly?

Based on the official rules above, the sequence matters: confirm your visa position, book the flight, then file the card inside the allowed window. Vietnam and Australia both changed in 2026, so recheck their rules a few days before departure. The numbered list below puts the steps in order.

1. Check whether you need a visa for your passport. The arrival card does not replace it.
2. Book your flight, then copy the flight number exactly.
3. Have an accommodation address for your first night ready.
4. Open the official site by typing the address from the table, not by clicking an ad.
5. Submit inside the allowed window, then save the QR code or confirmation as a screenshot and keep an email copy.
6. Re-check the rules a few days before you fly; Vietnam and Australia both changed in 2026.

If you're juggling several countries in one trip, keeping every rule and deadline in one place helps.

For the general document side of a trip, see our visa document checklist.

What do you need on arrival: QR codes and mobile data?

According to Thailand's TDAC process, the confirmation email states whether you may use the automated border control gate or a manual counter, and Vietnam issues a QR code to show at the checkpoint. Keep both where you can open them offline, such as a screenshot.

Mobile data on landing helps you retrieve a confirmation email if you need it. Do you really want to be hunting for a signal at the immigration queue? Compare connectivity options before you fly.

How can you spot a fake arrival-card site?

According to Vietnam's Ministry of Public Security, fake websites impersonating the PAI system may defraud applicants' credit cards, and Singapore's ICA publishes an advisory on fake or misleading sites. Warning signs include a "processing fee" or "express service" charge, an unfamiliar domain, or a promise of guaranteed entry.

If you have already paid a copycat site, contact your bank and the relevant immigration authority.

FAQ

Is a digital arrival card the same as a visa?

No. A digital arrival card is a pre-arrival information form, not a visa. Thailand's TDAC guide and Singapore's ICA state this explicitly, and Vietnam's Ministry of Public Security says its PAI system does not process visa applications. Check separately whether your passport needs a visa for your destination.

Does Australia have a digital arrival card?

Partly. According to the Australian Border Force, most travellers still complete a paper Incoming Passenger Card, while the digital Australia Travel Declaration is piloted with Qantas on selected flights into Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne and via a web form at Western Sydney International. The government announced a wider rollout on 13 July 2026.

How early can I submit TDAC, SGAC, MDAC or All Indonesia?

From 3 days before arrival. Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia all allow submission from 3 days before arrival, according to their official sources. Thailand and Singapore count the arrival day within those 3 days. Indonesia also lets you complete the form on landing.

What if I make a mistake after submitting?

Rules differ by country. Thailand lets you update most fields but not name, nationality or date of birth. Malaysia requires a new MDAC to correct a mistake. Vietnam locks passport number, birth date, nationality and arrival date, so you must file a new declaration. Singapore offers an "Update SGAC" feature for health status changes.

Can GetDocuTrip submit my arrival card for me?

No. GetDocuTrip is not a government agency, so you must submit the card yourself on the official government site listed in the table above. For example, Thailand's only official address is tdac.immigration.go.th, and Singapore's ICA says it does not endorse companies charging to submit the card for you.

Disclaimer

Entry decisions belong to each country's immigration authority, airline and embassy. GetDocuTrip is not a government agency and does not guarantee entry, visa approval or acceptance of any document. Rules change; confirm on the official site before you travel.

Sources

• Thailand Immigration Bureau, TDAC user guide and FAQ: https://tdac.immigration.go.th/manual/en and https://tdac.immigration.go.th/manual/en/faq.html
• Singapore ICA, SG Arrival Card: https://www.ica.gov.sg/information-and-e-services/entry-and-departure/entering-singapore/sg-arrival-card-with-electronic-health-declaration
• Singapore ICA, Visiting Singapore: https://www.ica.gov.sg/about-ica/news-and-publications/public-advisories/visiting-singapore
• Malaysia Immigration Department, MDAC portal: https://imigresen-online.imi.gov.my/mdac/main
• Malaysia Immigration Department, MDAC FAQ: https://www.imi.gov.my/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/MDAC-FREQUENTLY-ASKED-QUESTIONS-281223.pdf
• Embassy of Malaysia, Beijing, MDAC notice: https://www.kln.gov.my/web/chn_beijing/post/malaysia-digital-arrival-card-mdac--5
• Indonesia official eVisa portal: https://evisa.imigrasi.go.id/
• Indonesia Directorate General of Immigration, All Indonesia press release: https://www.imigrasi.go.id/siaran_pers/penumpang-yang-tiba-di-tiga-bandara-internasional-dan-pelabuhan-di-batam-wajib-deklarasi-kedatangan-melalui-aplikasi-all-indones
• Vietnam Immigration Department, PAI portal and user guide: https://prearrival.immigration.gov.vn and https://prearrival.immigration.gov.vn/assets/UM/PAI_User_Guide_EN.pdf
• Vietnam Ministry of Public Security, PAI launch notice: https://en.mps.gov.vn/article/immigration-department-launches-pre-arrival-information-system-1778670404
• U.S. Embassy Vietnam, pre-arrival declaration notice (June 2026): https://vn.usembassy.gov/notice-implementation-of-pre-arrival-declaration-for-international-visitors-arriving-at-airports-in-vietnam/
• Australian Border Force, Incoming Passenger Card: https://www.abf.gov.au/entering-and-leaving-australia/crossing-the-border/at-the-border/incoming-passenger-card-(ipc)
• Australian Border Force, Australia Travel Declaration FAQs: https://www.abf.gov.au/entering-and-leaving-australia/australia-travel-declaration-faqs
• Minister for Home Affairs, digital passenger cards release (13 July 2026): https://minister.homeaffairs.gov.au/TonyBurke/Pages/digital-passenger-cards-to-streamline-australias-borders.aspx
• Minister for Home Affairs, Melbourne ATD expansion (26 May 2026): https://minister.homeaffairs.gov.au/JulianHill/Pages/digital-incoming-passenger-card-expanded-to-eligible-melbourne-bound-international-travellers.aspx

Last verified: November 2026

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