Brisbane Airport Arrivals
Arrival procedures vary widely between international and domestic arrivals. Domestic arrivals are very straightforward and international arrivals has lots of scrutineering.
International Arrivals
When flying into Brisbane Airport on an international flight, you will be given an incoming passenger card on the plane. This must be filled in with your details, flight number, a health declaration, where you will be staying and how long for. You must also state if you are bringing in certain goods, which are declarable. Goods that should be declared can be found here.
On arrival at the international terminal, you will generally leave the aircraft at the front door and enter the terminal building via an airbridge. In some cases, the plane might have to park away from the building, in which case you may have a short walk or a bus transfer.
Help is available for people with reduced mobility or special assistance needs, but this must be requested by your airline at the time of booking and no less than twenty-four hours in advance.
Passport Control
Unless you are transferring to a connecting international flight, you will be directed to immigration where you will be required to show a passport that is valid for the duration of your stay. If you have a biometric passport you can use the automated entry system, otherwise, you will have to go to the customs kiosk.
Baggage Reclaim
From passport control, you will be directed to the baggage reclaim hall. The information screens will show details of flight numbers and which baggage carousel has been assigned to your flight. Each carousel has its own monitor which displays the airline, flight number, origin and the baggage handling agent.
If any of your bags are damaged or do not appear, contact your airline immediately and they will liaise with the baggage handling agent. In the event of your bags being damaged, take photos for evidence.
Immigration
Once you have all your bags, proceed to immigration where a customs officer will inspect your passport, your visa if needed, and your completed passenger card. Visa requirements for Australia can be found on the government website.
If you have declarable goods you will be directed to another desk where you may have to open your bags for inspection. You might have to do this even if you don't declare anything. There are heavy penalties for not declaring items that you should, so if in doubt ask a customs officer.
Arrivals Hall
When you have cleared immigration, you can follow the signs to the exit, on the way to which there is a duty-free shop where you can buy alcohol, cigarettes, perfume and gifts. If you've arranged for someone to meet you, whether it's friends or a transfer driver, the arrivals hall is where they should be. There are also designated meeting points. The car rental offices are also located here.
Alternatively, if your ride is in the pick-up waiting area, you should phone them to meet you at the pick-up point. Head to the ground level and follow the clear signs for "Passenger Pick Up".
Should you have to wait for your transport, or if you're meeting someone, there are food and drink outlets and shops. If you need to freshen up after your journey, there are free showers on level 2. Free Wi-Fi is available and other facilities include ATMs, currency exchange and information desks.
Domestic Arrivals
Arriving at the domestic terminal is more straightforward as you don't have to deal with passport control and immigration. The northern end of the domestic terminal is exclusive to Qantas passengers, the southern end for Virgin Australia and the central area is for all other airlines. Each area has its own baggage reclaim halls.
When you have collected your luggage, you pass through to the arrivals hall where anyone meeting you should be. If you've arranged to be met outside you should ring the driver to meet you at the pick-up point which is directly in front of the terminal.
Car rental desks are in the arrivals hall and there are similar facilities to those in the international terminal.