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Australia · eGates · biometric border control

SmartGate arrivals and departures programme

Under review Status as of 19 October 2026 · Funding type: State budget

Australia runs automated SmartGates at international airports. Vision-Box has supplied departure gates since 2015 and renewed support through 2026 in a 2019 agreement (company statement reported by ID Tech) 2. Amadeus, which owns Vision-Box, announced a multi-year extension in July 2025 covering ten airports and a mid-life upgrade 3. iTnews reported in November 2019 that a next-generation contactless arrivals trial was paused and that IDEMIA won a AUD 30 million five-year contract to refurbish arrivals gates 1. The ANAO is now auditing whether Home Affairs manages the SmartGate contracts effectively 4.

Key terms

Buyer
Department of Home Affairs (Australian Border Force)
Vendor
Departures: Vision-Box, now part of Amadeus. Arrivals: IDEMIA (Morpho) fleet, as reported
Vendor based in
Not confirmed
Signed
Vision-Box departures programme from 2015. IDEMIA refurbishment contract reported in 2019
Duration
IDEMIA maintenance and remediation contract: five years (reported 28 November 2019)
Value
IDEMIA arrivals refurbishment: AUD 30 million (reported 28 November 2019). AUD 94 million initiative to automate traveller processing, which AusTender notices showed had more than doubled, as reported by iTnews
Funding
state budget
Procurement route
Not published
System ownership
Not published
Data terms
Not published

Audits, courts, parliament and regulators

  1. 28 November 2019: iTnews reported that a Vision-Box contactless arrivals trial and roll-out had been paused pending review, and that IDEMIA received a AUD 30 million contract before the review was completed 1
  2. 2026: The Australian National Audit Office opened a performance audit, Management of the SmartGate contracts, assessing contract management and contractor performance, with public contributions accepted until 29 November 2026 4

Sources

  1. iTnews: Home Affairs purges public details on Australia's airport smartgate upgrade (28 November 2019)
  2. ID Tech: Vision-Box Renews SmartGate Partnership With Australian Government (26 September 2019)
  3. Airport Technology: Amadeus extends Departure SmartGates programme with Australian Department of Home Affairs (24 July 2025)
  4. Australian National Audit Office: Management of the SmartGate contracts, audit in progress (accessed 19 October 2026)

Fields marked "Not published" or "Not confirmed" could not be established from an official or reliable source. If you hold a document that fills a gap or corrects an entry, write to editor@bordercontracts.org. Last checked 19 October 2026.

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