More countries now ask visitors to fill in an arrival card online before they travel, instead of on paper during the flight. Once it's sent, it's natural to wonder what happens next: does the card do anything at the airport, and is there still a queue at passport control? This guide explains what an arrival card is for at the border, what the immigration check usually involves, and what to keep with you. Thailand's arrival card, the TDAC, is the example throughout.
This is a general explanation, not legal advice. Each country runs its own border checks, and the rules for your trip depend on your passport and your purpose.
What an arrival card does
An arrival card gives the border authority your details in advance: who you are, how and when you're arriving, and where you'll stay. Sending it before you travel means the information is already there when you reach passport control, and you don't fill in a paper form in the queue.
What it doesn't do is give you permission to enter. An arrival card is not a visa. Royal Thai Embassies put it plainly about the TDAC: it's not a visa, and the visa rules and the visa exemption scheme are unchanged by it. If your nationality needs a visa, you still need one, and the card comes on top of it. Our guide to visas, ETAs and arrival cards explains how the different documents fit together.
You still go through passport control
Sending an arrival card doesn't replace the immigration check. When you land, or reach a land or sea border, you go to passport control as usual. Depending on the country and the airport, that may be a counter with an officer or an automated gate.
For Thailand, the TDAC FAQ says you can show the card's QR code on your phone or another device at the immigration checkpoint, and suggests printing a copy only if you won't have a device with you. The e-mail with your card may also say whether you can use the automated border control gates or should go to an immigration counter.
What the officer checks
The details vary by country, but an immigration officer is usually checking the same few things:
- Your passport. That it's valid and that it's yours.
- Your permission to enter. Your visa, or that your nationality can enter without one for the purpose of your trip.
- Your plans. Officers can ask how long you're staying, where you'll stay and when you're leaving.
- Supporting documents, if asked. Such as an onward ticket or proof that you can support yourself during your stay.
For Thailand, the Royal Thai Embassy in Brussels notes that immigration officers can ask for additional documents, and the Royal Thai Embassy in Nairobi says checks of funds are made at random, case by case. Thailand's Immigration Act B.E. 2522 lists the grounds on which a foreign visitor can be refused entry; one of them, as the Royal Thai Embassy in Moscow summarises it, is having no appropriate means of living on entering the Kingdom.
The officer makes the decision
A visa, an ETA or an arrival card lets you travel, but the decision to let you in is made at the border. Governments say this in their own words. GOV.UK says an ETA doesn't promise entry to the UK. The Government of Canada says the border services officer makes the final decision. U.S. Customs and Border Protection says its officers decide on admission when you arrive.
That's not a reason to worry. It's a reason to travel with your documents in order and to answer questions plainly. Most of what officers look for is already in your bookings.
What to keep to hand
Keep these where you can reach them in the queue, on your phone or on paper:
- Your passport, the same one you used for your arrival card and any visa.
- Your arrival card. For the TDAC, the card number and QR code from the e-mail. A screenshot helps if you won't have a signal when you land.
- Your visa, if you needed one.
- Your onward booking: a flight, bus, train or boat out of the country.
- Your accommodation details: the booking confirmation or the address.
If you never received the QR code for your TDAC, the FAQ's advice is to speak to an immigration officer at the checkpoint.
When the details don't match
Arrival cards work best when they match your passport and your trip exactly. A spelling difference in a name, a different passport number, or an arrival date that has moved can all slow things down at the counter.
If something changes before you travel, correct it before you arrive. For Thailand, the TDAC can be updated on the Thai site with the card number. Our guide to updating your TDAC explains what you can change and what needs a new card.
Changing planes and other borders
Arrival cards are for entering a country. For Thailand, travellers who change planes without passing through immigration don't need a TDAC, and neither do border pass holders. Arriving by land or sea is different from changing planes: if you cross into Thailand by road, rail or boat, you pass through immigration, and the same card applies as for air travel.
Other countries make their own rules for transit, so check each country on your route separately.
About calmvisa
calmvisa is an independent service, not affiliated with the Thai government or any other government. For now we help with one form, the Thailand Digital Arrival Card. You can also fill it in yourself at tdac.immigration.go.th.
Frequently asked questions
Does sending an arrival card mean I'll be let in?
No. An arrival card gives the border authority your details in advance. The decision to let you in is made by the immigration officer when you arrive.
Do I need to print my arrival card?
It depends on the country. For Thailand, the TDAC FAQ says you can show the QR code on your phone, and suggests printing a copy only if you won't have a device with you.
Will I still queue at passport control?
Usually, yes. The arrival card replaces the paper form, not the immigration check. Some airports have automated gates, and for Thailand, the e-mail with your card may say whether you can use them.
What if I made a mistake on my arrival card?
Correct it before you travel if the country allows it. For Thailand, you can update the TDAC on the Thai site with your card number. If you can't, speak to an immigration officer when you arrive.