Guide · Arrivals and departures ·
SmartGate Australia: how to use the passport gates
This publication shares ownership with PeptaraLabs, Lab Ranked Agency, and Dental Link.
SmartGate Australia is the automated passport control system at the country's main international airports. It uses your ePassport and a camera to check who you are, so you can skip the queue for a border officer. It is open to many travellers, but not all, so check the rules below before you land.
This guide covers who can use the arrivals gates, how the two steps work, what to do if the gate does not open, and how departures differ. It follows the rules the Australian Border Force showed in early May 2025.
Sources for this section: Australian Border Force, SmartGates pages (archived 24 April to 3 May 2025).
What SmartGate is
SmartGate was launched to the public at Brisbane Airport in 2007, after trials with airline crew from 2002. A gate reads the chip in your passport, takes a photo of your face and compares the two. If they match and the database checks clear, the door opens. If not, you see a stop sign and meet an officer.
You need an ePassport, which has a small biometric symbol on the cover. Australia has issued only ePassports since October 2005, so every valid Australian passport has one.
Sources for this section: Wikipedia, SmartGate (archived 26 December 2024); Australian Border Force, Arrivals SmartGates (archived 3 May 2025).
Who can use arrivals SmartGates
The rules differ for Australian citizens and for other travellers.
| Traveller | Passport | Minimum age | Height |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australian citizen | ePassport with the biometric symbol | 10 years | 1.1 m |
| Non-citizen | ePassport from a listed country | 16 years | 1.1 m |
The list for non-citizens in May 2025 included Canada, China, France, Ireland, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States, among others. You cannot use the arrivals gates if:
- your travel document cannot be read by a machine;
- your passport is from a country not on the list;
- you are a domestic traveller on an international flight; or
- you are a child under 16 travelling alone.
The Border Force was also running a trial. It asked holders of ePassports from about 30 more places, including Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and Norway, to try the kiosk and gates so it could collect data. It said it was trialling wider rules for passports and ages, and would post updates on its page. Eligible airline crew can use the gates too.
Sources for this section: Australian Border Force, Arrivals SmartGates (archived 3 May 2025).
How the two steps work
Arrivals SmartGate is a two-step process. You do the first step at a kiosk and the second at a gate.
- Kiosk. Put your passport in the reader face down, with the photo page facing in. Push it all the way and leave it there while you answer the touch screen questions. Take off masks, hats, sunglasses and headphones first. If it works, the kiosk prints a ticket.
- Gate. Walk to a free gate, face the camera and follow the screen. Only one person can be in the gate at a time. If it sees more than one person, it stops. Stay in your own lane and keep your bags close.
If you are matched, the door opens and you can go on to baggage claim. Keep your ticket and your Incoming Passenger Card together. At the exit you hand both to a Border Force or Biosecurity officer.
Screens are in English, with 22 other languages to choose from, including Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese. The kiosks and gates are built to suit people who use self-propelled wheelchairs or have limited vision.
Sources for this section: Australian Border Force, Arrivals SmartGates (archived 3 May 2025).
What to do if SmartGate fails
A failed gate is not a problem in itself. It only means a person will check you instead. What you do depends on where it stops.
| Where it fails | What to do |
|---|---|
| At the kiosk | Go to Manual Passport Control. An officer will process you and may ask extra questions or do more checks. |
| At the gate, door stays shut | Read the screen. It gives instructions or sends you to the SmartGate Assistance Desk. |
| At the gate, no photo match | The barrier stays closed. Go to the SmartGate Assistance Desk. |
| You need help with a wheelchair | If you need a companion to push the chair, use the Airline Assisted manual desk. |
Masks, hats, sunglasses, headphones and bulky items round the neck can get in the way of the camera, so clear your face and neck and try as the screen says. If it still fails, ask an officer for help.
Sources for this section: Australian Border Force, Arrivals SmartGates (archived 3 May 2025).
Where the gates are and how departures differ
Arrivals SmartGates are at eight airports: Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin, Gold Coast, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney. The Border Force noted that Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney also have extra kiosks in the arrivals hall.
Departures are simpler. SmartGates for leaving Australia are at ten airports, adding Avalon and Canberra. People of any nationality can use them if they hold an ePassport or another machine-readable passport and can follow the steps without help. The Border Force asks families not to use the gates if a child needs help to follow the instructions.
Before you fly, check that your passport is valid and that you hold the visa or authority you need. SmartGate checks your identity. It does not replace a visa.
Sources for this section: Australian Border Force, SmartGates (archived 1 May 2025), Arrivals SmartGates (archived 3 May 2025) and Departure SmartGates (archived 24 April 2025).
Quick tips before you land
- Check the biometric symbol on your passport cover.
- Fill in your Incoming Passenger Card and keep it handy.
- Take off your hat, sunglasses and mask before the kiosk.
- Use one gate lane and do not crowd the person ahead.
- If a rule changes, trust the Border Force page over this guide.
Sources for this section: Australian Border Force, Arrivals SmartGates (archived 3 May 2025).
Sources
- Australian Border Force, SmartGates: abf.gov.au
- Australian Border Force, Arrivals SmartGates: abf.gov.au
- Australian Border Force, Departure SmartGates: abf.gov.au
- Wikipedia, SmartGate: en.wikipedia.org