Western Sydney International Airport opens to international travellers Oct. 25

SYDNEY · Western Sydney International Airport, also known as Nancy Bird Walton Airport, will open to international passengers for the first time on Oct. 25, 2026. The airport is located at Badgerys Creek, about 60 kilometres west of Sydney's central business district. It is Australia's first new international airport in 50 years and the first purpose-built international gateway in the country's history. International services from Jetstar, Singapore Airlines and Air New Zealand will begin on opening day.

The airport's IATA code will be WSI, distinct from Sydney's existing Kingsford Smith Airport, which uses SYD. The Australian Border Force will operate a new, purpose-built facility at the airport featuring the SmartGate biometric processing system. For many international travellers, entry will require an Electronic Travel Authority, or ETA, and a digital customs declaration submitted before arrival. Passport holders from the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and 34 other nationalities must obtain an Australian ETA before travel. The ETA is an electronic travel permission linked digitally to a passport, not a physical visa label or stamp. The only authorised application method is through the official Australian ETA app published by the Department of Home Affairs.

The government fee for the ETA is AUS$20, payable within the app, and processing typically takes minutes. The airline will verify the ETA electronically at check-in, and travellers without one will not be allowed to board. For U.S. citizens, the Australian ETA is separate from the U.S. Electronic System for Travel Authorization, or ESTA. Canadians who also hold British citizenship should apply for the ETA using the passport they intend to present at the Australian border, as the authority is linked to a specific passport number.

READ MORE: Alberta tourism minister promotes province to wealthy Mexican travellers

READ MORE: Air India launches Great Escape Sale for North American travellers

Citizens of European Union member states and several other European nations, including Norway and Switzerland, are not eligible for the ETA but can apply for a free Australian eVisitor online. Passport holders from countries not covered by the ETA or eVisitor arrangements, such as India, China and Brazil, must obtain a substantive Australian Tourist Visa in advance. All travellers, regardless of nationality, must also submit a Digital Passenger Declaration within 72 hours before landing in Australia. This digital form replaces the traditional paper incoming passenger card. The declaration is submitted through the Australian Border Force's Digital Passenger Declaration app or website.

The airport has been designed from the ground up to be a technologically advanced facility. The border processing will include biometric face scans that replace traditional passport stamps. The SmartGate system used at Sydney's existing airport will be extended to Western Sydney International from its first day of operation. Connecting passengers are advised that WSI and SYD are two separate airports 60 kilometres apart. Flight itineraries must use the same airport for connections, or travellers must allow significant transfer time between the two locations.

With files from Travel Tourister