Guidance of Arrival and Departure cards for international tourists

When you travel abroad and pass through customs, you often have to fill in arrival and departure cards. However, sometimes these can be in Japanese, Korean, Thai, and other languages.

Here, we can offer you some guidance of filling in arrival and departure cards for Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Thailand and Australia to help prepare for you entry into the countries.

Photo credit: Thai Immigration Bureau

1. 0-2141-9889 , 081-412-9180.

2. HOTLINE 1178.

3. division1.immigration@gmail.com.

The minimum visa processing time for the submission by mail is the same as applying in person 3 – 5 Working Days excluding mailing time.

The HKSAR passport is valid for travel to all countries in the world. 168 countries and territories have granted visa-free access or visa-on-arrival to HKSAR Passport holders. The final consent to enter the countries concerned is, nonetheless, up to the relevant immigration authorities.

[Attention please: Due to the global pandemic of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), certain countries or territories have imposed various immigration control including entry visa requirements and/or quarantine measures on travelers. You are advised to check the up-to-date information on the official government websites or with the concerned authorities of your destination countries or territories before traveling.

Basically, the departure and arrival cards in Hong Kong require the same contents. Except that the name requires to be filled out in English, other items can be filled out in Chinese.

Hong Kong further eases COVID-19 measures for visitors entering the city. Inbound tour group travelers can enter designated tourist attractions and dine in designated catering premises as long as they are received by licensed travel agents with pre-registered itineraries while holding an Amber Code of the Vaccine Pass.

From November 21, people coming to Hong Kong will only undergo two RT-PCR tests – one at the airport and one during the second day of their 0+3 arrangement. But taking a daily RAT test will remain.

Hong Kong's arrangements for border control measures include quarantine-free entry.

1. Negative RAT results taken within 24 hours of boarding are mandated. Those entering the city are no longer required to get an RT-PCR test before boarding flights to Hong Kong.

2. Hong Kong residents do not need to be fully vaccinated to enter the city. Non-Hong Kong residents aged 12 or above are required to be fully vaccinated and show recognized vaccination records or obtain a medical exemption certificate.

3. Upon arrival, a PCR test will be conducted at the airport, but there will be no need to wait for the result before returning home or going to a hotel.

4. Travelers are required to download the Leave Home Safe app (available in Google Play and Apple Store) when they land in Hong Kong and undergo daily RAT tests and one more RT-PCR test on the second day after arrival.

Since April 1 2016, the Japanese Customs has made changes to the Disembarkation card for foreign passengers, and foreign passengers do not need to fill in the departure card when they leave.

Notes:

1. Passengers can only fill out the disembarkation card in Japanese or English.

2. Starting from December 20, 2021, eligible individuals who enters Japan could submit a digital disembarkation card.

The Japanese Disembarkation Card for Foreigners is a recto-verso form. It will be collected by the immigration services, whose officer will also put a stamp on your passport.

The purpose of the card is to provide information about your identity and your stay in Japan.

One of the most frequent questions is which intended address in Japan and telephone number to provide. As travelers may have booked several accommodations to fit their journey, they might be puzzled about how to answer.

You only need to write down the address and telephone number of the first hotel or apartment of your stay (make sure to have the information printed or readily accessible before your departure). For other travelers, it might be best to write down the address and telephone number of the place where they will stay the longest, even if it is not the first accommodation.

The back side of the card is also to be filled in carefully. You might undergo a thorough cross-examination in the following cases:

The Japanese Immigration Services Agency recently started the Trusted Traveler Program. This program allows, under certain conditions, expedited customs formalities for frequent visitors who can go through automatic gates.

However, this service is only accessible upon prior registration and is submitted to authorization upon the first entry in Japan.

The Japanese Immigrations Services Agency has provided information about this service on their Official Website (in English).

Photo credit: Immigration of Japan

Like Japan, foreign tourists only need to fill in the arrival card, and they don't need to fill in the departure card. In addition, passengers can only fill in the arrival card in Korean or English.

With South Korea travel restrictions easing up, foreign travelers can finally live out long-awaited South Korea adventures with quarantine-free travel into the country starting April 1 2022.

Photo credit: Sky Angkor Airlines

The Q-Code is a South Korea QR code that holds all your vaccination information needed for entry. The travel requirement was created to help shorten the time for quarantine inspection for foreign travelers entering the country.

Before registering for your Q-Code, you’ll definitely need to prepare the following information for your application:

It’s best to make sure you have all these ready before applying for a smooth process.

Have all your travel documents ready? If yes, head over to the Q-Code Application Portal to register! Once you successfully input and submit all the required information you’ll be issued with a Q-Code immediately.

Trip tips: Still unsure about flight or accommodation details? That's okay! The Q-Code application system has a temporary save function available. Just make sure you finalize your application and have your Q-code on hand before you board your flight.

The most important step is to remember to bring this QR code with you! The Q-Code is a required document and will be checked by Immigration and Quarantine Control officers once you arrive in South Korea, so make sure you have a copy of it on hand. If all information registered on your Q-Code is crystal clear and you don't have any complications with your information, you'll definitely be able to experience a quick and easy entry once you arrive.

A Q-Code is required for foreign travelers traveling to South Korea regardless of their purpose (i.e. tourism, visiting family, etc).

No, applying for a Q-code is free of charge!

The Q-code actually may not guarantee quarantine-free entry into South Korea. Once you arrive, the conditions of your entry and quarantine will be determined by the evaluation of the Immigration and Quarantine Control officers present.

In case you make any mistake to the information you input into your Q-Code application, you can restart from the beginning to receive a new Q-Code. Make sure you apply all the necessary changes before your arrival. If not, you may be required to quarantine during your trip.

Your Q-Code is valid only for single-entry and expires once you complete your immigration process. In case you plan to travel to South Korea again, you'll need to register for a new Q-Code.

Although there is a Chinese version of the arrival and departure cards in Australia, most of the cards are in English. It is recommended that you save the Chinese version of the Australian arrival and departure cards on your phone so that you could easily fill in the cards.

Photo credit: Australian Government – Department of Immigration and Border Protection

From 6 July 2022, travelers entering or leaving Australia will no longer need to provide proof they've had two doses of an approved vaccine.

Visitors don't need to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test to meet Australia's travel requirements. Some countries, airlines and vessel operators may require a pre-departure test result at check-in before you can board your flight or ship.

Although there is a Chinese version of the arrival and departure cards in Australia, most of the cards are in English version. It is recommended that you save the Chinese version of the Australian arrival and departure cards on your phone so that you could easily fill in the cards.