Arrival card

An arrival card is a legal document used by immigration authorities to provide passenger identification and a record of a person’s entry into certain countries.^[1] It also provides information on health and character requirements for non-citizens entering a particular country.^[2] Some countries such as the United States and Singapore attach the card to a departure card where the latter is retained in the alien's passport until his eventual departure. The arrival card can also be combined with items found in a customs declaration card which some countries require incoming passengers to fill out separately. However, some other countries like Malaysia,^[3] do not require any departure or arrival cards to be completed. The procedure of compiling information from immigration cards was no longer required following the introduction of the biometric recording system by the Immigration Department.

An arrival card may also be known as an incoming passenger card, landing card or disembarkation card.

Information on the card itself

The information requested varies by country. Typically the information requested on the departure card includes

• Full name
• Nationality
• Date of Birth
• Passport number, place of issuance and expiry date
• Flight number or name of aircraft, ship or vehicle
• Purpose of trip: vacation, education/study, visiting relatives/families, business, diplomatic
• Duration of stay
• Destination (next stop of disembarkation)
• Address in country
• Information on items being bought into the country which may be of interest to customs and quarantine authorities

Travelers are generally required to sign, date, and declare the information is true, correct, and complete.

Passengers on international flights are often required to complete the cards and are often required to present the cards and their passports at immigration checkpoints. Some countries, most notably those in the Schengen Zone don't require aliens to complete this card.

See also

References