landing card

Meaning

A physical document or form that international passengers must fill out before or upon arrival in a foreign country. It collects personal details, flight information, and travel purposes for immigration control.

Examples

• The flight attendants began distributing the landing cards about an hour before we touched down.

  The flight attendants began distributing the landing cards about an hour before we touched down.

• Please ensure that your landing card is fully completed before you join the immigration queue.

  Please ensure that your landing card is fully completed before you join the immigration queue.

• I had to borrow a pen from my neighbor to fill out my landing card on the plane.

  I had to borrow a pen from my neighbor to fill out my landing card on the plane.

• The border control officer examined my passport and collected my landing card.

  The border control officer examined my passport and collected my landing card.

• If you make a mistake on your landing card, you can ask the cabin crew for a fresh copy.

  If you make a mistake on your landing card, you can ask the cabin crew for a fresh copy.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ I need to write my landing ticket before we arrive.

  ✓ I need to fill out my landing card before we arrive.

  'Landing ticket' is incorrect. The official document is called a 'landing card' or 'arrival card'. Also, we 'fill out' or 'complete' forms, rather than 'write' them.

• ✗ The officer asked for my landing paper.

  ✓ The officer asked for my landing card.

  Although it is a paper document, referring to it as a 'landing paper' is non-standard. Use the official term 'landing card'.

Related Expressions

Practice

• The airline crew handed out a ___ to every passenger on the international flight.

  💡 A paper form filled out before passing through border control

  Show answer

  landing card

• Make sure you write your passport number clearly on your ___.

  💡 The official arrival form collected by customs

  Show answer

  landing card