Passport control

The Australian Border Force (ABF) play a vital role at Perth Airport, as part of their responsibility to detect the illegal movement of people across Australia's border and the unlawful movement of prohibited, restricted or regulated goods into Australia.

To enter or leave Australia, you will be required to clear an Australian Border Force customs point. You must present an incoming or departing passenger card, your passport and any visa documents.

Inbound passport control

If you are an arriving international passenger, you must declare items on the incoming passenger card as instructed by the Australian Government Department of Agriculture.

Arrivals SmartGate allows eligible travellers to self-process through inbound passport control using ePassport data and face recognition technology to perform checks usually performed by a Border Force officer.

After you pass through inbound passport control, you can collect your baggage. Your baggage may be checked by Australian Border Force and/or Department of Agriculture biosecurity officers, who work together to detect prohibited, restricted or dutiable goods, and biosecurity risk items such as animal and plant material.

Outbound passport control 

Departures SmartGate is a secure and simple system for departing travellers that automates the checks usually conducted by a Border Force officer. All travellers over 120cm in height travelling with a machine readable passport (ePassport or non ePassport) can present to a gate. 

Travellers who cannot use Departures SmartGate, such as families with young children, may be directed to a Border Force officer for manual processing.

After you pass through outbound passport control, you then progress through the security screening point.

For more information about entering or leaving Australia, visit:

• the Department of Home Affairs website
• the Department of Agriculture website.