Australia Quarantine Regulations
What can't I take into Australia?
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here to view FOOD
Click here to view ANIMAL PRODUCTS
Click here to view PLANT MATERIALS
Click here to view OTHER GOODS
Click here to view DAIRY & EGG PRODUCTS
Click here to view LIVE ANIMALS
Click here to view SEEDS & NUTS
Click here to view FRESH FRUIT & VEGETABLES
Nature made Australia unique - Quarantine keeps it that way.
Quarantine helps protect Australia. Food, plant material and animal products from overseas - including many common souvenirs - could introduce some of the world's most serious pests and diseases into Australia, devastating our valuable agriculture and tourism industries and unique environment.
Declare or Beware
You must declare for inspection all food, plant material and animal products on arrival in Australia to ensure they are free of pests and diseases.Some products may require treatment to make them safe.Other items that pose pest and disease risks will be seized and destroyed by AQIS. You can dispose of high-risk items in quarantine bins in the airport terminal.If you're not sure, ask a Quarantine officer.
These items must be declared and inspected on arrival for signs of insects, contamination or disease. Some may require treatment before being allowed in, but most will be permitted after they have been inspected by a quarantine officer.
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commercially prepared, cooked and raw food and ingredients
dried fruit and vegetables*
canned meat products
dairy products that contain less than 10 per cent dairy - as stated on manufacturers ingredients list
cheese - must be commercially prepared and packaged and originate from countries free from foot and mouth disease
fish and other seafood products*
instant noddles and rice
packaged meals
herbs and spices
herbal and traditional medicines, remedies, tonics and herbal teas*
snack foods*
biscuits, cakes and confectionery*
black tea, coffee and other beverages
infant formula (must be accompanying a child) |
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| ANIMAL PRODUCTS |
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feathers, bones, horns, tusks, wool and animal hair (must be clean and free from any tissue)
skins, hides and furs
stuffed animals and birds (taxidermy certificate required - some may be prohibited under endangered species laws)
shells and coral (including jewellery and souvenirs)
bee products including honey*, beeswax and honeycomb
used animal equipment including veterinary equipment and medicines, shearing or meat trade tools, saddlery and tack and animal or bird cages |
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| PLANT
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wooden articles and carvings including painted or lacquered items
items that include bark (will require treatment or removal of the bark)
artefacts, handicrafts and souvenirs made from plant material
mats, bags and other items made from plant material, palm fronds or leaves
straw products and packaging*
bamboo, cane or rattan basket ware and furnishings
potpourri* and coconut shells
Christmas decorations, wreaths and ornaments
dried flowers and arrangements
fresh flowers and leis (excluding flowers that can be grown from stems such as roses, carnations and chrysanthemums) |
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| OTHER
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biological specimens including tissue culture*
craft and hobby lines made from animal or plant material
used sporting and camping equipment including tents, footwear, hiking boots, golf equipment, bicycles and fishing equipment (need to be checked to ensure they are clean and free from soil contamination)
*Special import conditions may apply
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DECLARE OR BEWARE!
These items must be declared. They pose a high quarantine risk but nay be allowed if accompanied by an Import Permit (issued by AQIS prior to arrival), or with treatment* in Australia to make the item safe. Alternatively items will be seized and destroyed by AQIS, or you can drop them in quarantine bins at the airport.
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| DAIRY AND EGG PRODUCTS |
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dairy products (fresh and powdered) including milk, cheese and 'non-dairy' creamers - from countries with foot and mouth disease
airline food containing dairy including milk, yoghurt and sandwiches containing cheese
all wole, dried and powdered eggs, and egg products that contain more than 10 per cent egg as an ingredient, such as mayonnaise
homemade egg products including noodles and pasta that are not commercially manufactured
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| ANIMAL PRODUCTS |
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all uncanned meat including fresh, dried, frozen, cooked, smoked, salted or preserved - from all animal species
sausages, salami and sliced meats
airline food including sandwiches containing meat
pet food - including canned products and rawhide chews
rawhide articles and handicrafts including drums
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| LIVE ANIMALS |
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all mammals, birds, birds' eggs and nests, fish, snakes, turtles, lizards, scorpions, amphibians, crustaceans and insects
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| PLANT MATERIAL |
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all potted/bare rooted plants, cuttings, roots, bulbs, corms, stems and other viable plant material
flowers that can be grown from stems such as roses, carnations and chrysanthemums
banana products including food (fresh and dried) and souvenirs made with banana leaf
souvenirs made with or filled with straw, including Thai cushions
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| SEEDS AND NUTS |
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cereal grains, popping corn, raw nuts, pine cones, birdseed, unidentified seeds, some commercially packaged seeds, and ornaments including seeds
airline food/snacks
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| FRESH FRUIT OR VEGETABLES |
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| YOUR INCOMING PASSENGER CARD |
You will be given an Incoming Passenger Card before you land in Australia. This is a legal document. You must tick YES to declare if you are carrying any food, plant material or animal products. If you have items you don't wish to declare, you can dispose of them in quarantine bins in the airport terminal.All luggage is X-rayed or screened. If you fail to declare or dispose of any quarantine items, or make a false declaration:
• you will be caught;
• you could be fined $220 on-the-spot; or
• you could be prosecuted and fined more than $60,000 and risk 10 years' jail.
You will not be penalised if goods are declared. |
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| WHAT HAPPENS TO ITEMS I DECLARE? |
In many cases items you declare will be returned to you after inspection. However, anything that presents a disease risk or is found to contain insects or larvae will be withheld. Depending on the quaratine risk, you can:
• pay for the item to be treated to make it safe (for example fumigation, irradiation)*;
• store the item at the airport for collection when you leave Australia*;
• re-export the item*; or
• have the item destroyed by AQIS
Treatment may damage goods. AQIS makes every effort to minimise the risk of damage but does not accept liability for damage that may occur as a result of treatment.
*These options are subject to fees and special conditions may apply. |
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| DETECTOR DOGS |
| You may see a quarantine detector dog at the baggage carousel. They're screening luggage for food, plant material or animal products of quarantine concern. If you see a detector dog working close to you, please place your bags on the floor for inspection. A dog will sit next to your bag if it sniffs a target odour - even odours left from food you have had in the bag previously. A quarantine officer may ask about the contents of your bag and check you are not carrying items that present a quarantine risk to Australia. |
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