Frequently Asked Questions
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What's the difference between Customs and Quarantine?
AQIS protects Australia from exotic pests and diseases, while the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service intercepts illegal goods, such as drugs and weapons. AQIS and Customs work together at airports, seaports and mail centres to detect and deter the unlawful movement of goods into Australia.
What can I bring to Australia through the airport and what do I need to declare?
Australia has very strict laws relating to the importation and/or possession of certain goods. This ensures that the quarantine risk to Australia's agricultural industries and unique environment is minimised.
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. When you declare these items they will be checked by an AQIS officer who will determine whether they are allowed into Australia.
Some products may require treatment to make them safe. Other items may be restricted due to pest and disease risks and will be seized and destroyed by AQIS.
When to tick 'yes' on your Incoming Passenger Card
You will be given an Incoming Passenger Card (IPC) 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 as well as any other articles that are covered on the card. All items of food, animal or plant origin must be declared on the IPC for the purpose of inspection by an AQIS officer. If you have items you don’t wish to declare, you can dispose of them in quarantine bins in the airport terminal. In signing the IPC, passengers are making a legal declaration and failure to answer all questions truthfully can have serious consequences.
On arrival your baggage may be X-rayed or inspected by AQIS officers or checked by a detector dog team. If you fail to declare or dispose of any quarantine items, or make a false declaration:
- you will be caught
- you could receive an on-the-spot fine of up to $AUD220, or
- you could be prosecuted and face a fine of up to $AUD66,000 or 10 years imprisonment which may result in a criminal record.
What happens to items that 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 quarantine 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.
What is classified as food?
Food includes anything you eat or drink such as processed foods, uncooked food, airline food, snacks and ingredients. For example this includes, but is not limited to, items such as: herbs, spices, food supplements, Chinese medicines, tea, etc.
Why can't I bring goods into Australia that are already available in Australia?
Overseas products are available for purchase in Australian shops as commercial importers must apply for, and be granted, an import permit prior to importing their products into Australia. The product is often subject to certain treatments and processes before it is permitted entry into Australia. AQIS will verify that these processes have been undertaken throughout the permit assessment process.
Why do I have to declare on my return to Australia items that I took overseas with me?
It may be possible for pests and diseases to infect your items while they are overseas. This is why AQIS officers must inspect certain articles arriving into Australia irrespective of where they originally came from.
Where do I go for more information on items to declare?
If you need more information on items that need to be declared or that require an Import Permit, visit ICON at www.aqis.gov.au/icon.
ICON is AQIS's import conditions database. It is a simple and convenient way to access information about Australian import conditions for more than 20,000 foreign plant, animal, mineral and human commodities. It can be used to determine if a commodity intended for import to Australia needs a quarantine permit and/or treatment or if there are any other quarantine prerequisites.
The information available on ICON is the same information that AQIS officers use when inspecting and clearing goods arriving into the country. Import conditions within ICON are regularly reviewed; please ensure you check the conditions close to your travel time.
Can I take food or other items from Australia through an airport to another country?
Each country has specific requirements as to items that are allowed to be imported. AQIS does not keep a record of other countries' requirements. For further information you should contact the relevant country's consulate or embassy in your nearest capital city.
Once I've cleared quarantine at an airport, can I take food or other items to another state within Australia?
Each state of Australia has specific requirements as to items that are allowed to be taken across state borders. AQIS does not keep a record of each state's requirements.
Why can it take so long to get through the airport?
AQIS organises its resources at international airports to match scheduled flight arrival patterns. However, a range of factors including airport infrastructure and baggage transfer arrangements can influence the time it takes for passengers to move through the baggage reclaim area and the examination area. The detection of undeclared quarantine materials in passengers' baggage can also have an impact on the time it takes to process passengers.
Why do dogs work for AQIS?
AQIS uses beagles not only for their friendly image, but because their sense of smell is said to be at least 100 times more sensitive than humans. When the beagles detect a target odour in luggage they simply sit next to the source and await their food reward from the handler. Other dog breeds work at international mail exchanges. They are trained to paw or nuzzle at a target item and are rewarded with a game of tug-of-war.
What will happen if there's an outbreak of a disease in Australia?
Australia is well prepared to handle any outbreak because of past experience, international connections, an excellent health system and well-tested emergency response plans. The Government regularly assesses its ability to manage an outbreak, sometimes holding pretend, or simulated, outbreaks that involve people at the highest level of both government and industry. This allows for an increased awareness of the complex and serious issues that would arise if there was a major national pest or disease emergency in Australia.
Why are we sometimes sprayed on international aircraft flying to Australia?
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), certain insects can act as transmitters or vectors of pathogens or parasites that are responsible for spreading a number of human diseases such as Dengue Fever, Yellow Fever, Ross River Fever and Malaria.
The inside of international aircraft may be sprayed when nearing Australia or on arrival to destroy insect vectors that may be in cabin baggage or cargo—this is called 'disinsection'.
Preparations of chemicals currently used in aircraft disinsection are based on two active ingredients, permethrin and d-Phenothrin, currently recommended by WHO. The difference between permethrin and d-Phenothrin is principally one of residual effect; permethrin is a residual pyrethroid and d-Phenothrin a non-residual pyrethroid.
To assist airlines with differing operational requirements, several options for achieving effective disinsection for cabins and holds are available:
- Residual (conducted in the absence of passengers)
- Pre-embarkation (conducted in the absence of passengers)
- Pre-flight and Top of Descent (conducted in the presence of passengers)
- On-arrival (conducted in the presence of passengers)
I want to buy something over the internet from overseas—what do I need to know?
AQIS screens all of the 150 million items of international mail sent to Australia each year through international mail centres, airports and seaports. Quarantine laws apply to goods ordered on the internet or through mail order and so you should check Australia's quarantine import conditions at www.aqis.gov.au/icon before placing an order. Any parcel you receive should not include prohibited food, plant material or animal products. Items seized are generally available for purchase in Australia, which have been imported under strict quarantine import conditions.
What can't be mailed to Australia?
Dairy and egg products
- cheese, milk, butter and other dairy products (some special conditions apply, contact AQIS)
- packaged meals and other foods containing more than 10 per cent dairy or egg (whole, dried and powered, for example cake mix, salad dressing
- mayonnaise or mooncakes containing egg
Dried plant material
- tea containing items such as seeds or fruit skin (for example citrus and apple peel)
- remedies and medicines containing herbs, seeds, bark, fungi and dried plant material
- popping corn and raw nuts
Handcrafts
- souvenirs, artefacts and goods made of unprocessed animal products such as rawhide, feathers, teeth and bones
- dried flower arrangements and potpourri
- handicrafts made from or containing seed, pine cones, bark, moss or straw
All fresh fruit and vegetables and dried fruit and vegetables containing seeds or fruit skin
Meat and meat products
Plants, seeds, soil
Laboratory material
What is the procedure and costs involved in importing my dog or cat to Australia?
Conditions for importing dogs and cats vary depending on the country of origin. However, all animals entering Australia require an import permit, issued by AQIS. To obtain an import permit, an application to import your pet must be completed and returned to the quarantine station of your choice. Your application must include your pet’s microchip number. The import permit contains Veterinary Certificate A and B which must be completed and endorsed by an official veterinarian in the country of export prior to the arrival of your pet in Australia.
The owner or importer must pay all quarantine fees associated with the import and quarantine accommodation of your dog or cat in Australia.
What is the procedure (including fumigation) for importing wooden items to Australia (including wooden crates and packaging)?
Timber/wood may be imported in a highly processed state such as high quality furniture, picture frames, tool handles, composite wood material etc. or as sawn timber or wood packaging (including dunnage). The latter represent a significant risk for the introduction of quarantine pests if not properly treated.
More about the importation of timber and timber products, or contact Timber Imports
Why do we import goods that we produce here in Australia?
Australia exports almost two thirds of its agricultural produce and promotes fair and consistent trading rules for all countries around the world. We cannot expect trading partners to take our produce if we are not prepared to apply the same rules to their products.
If we import goods, doesn't the risk of diseases and pests entering Australia increase?
The Australian Government takes a very conservative approach to quarantine and through Government policy aims to reduce the risk to a very low level, but not to zero. It would not be practical for Australia to take a 'zero risk' approach, as it would mean no tourists, no international travel and no trade with other countries. Other countries could then apply the same policy and our products would not be accepted overseas.
Can I bring protein powders to Australia?
Protein powders may be permitted entry into Australia for personal consumption without the requirement for an import permit provided the product is labelled with the individual ingredients including percentages of each ingredient adding up to 100 per cent . Alternatively the consignments may be accompanied by a manufacturer’s declaration listing the individual ingredients adding up to 100 per cent . Each of these ingredients must meet AQIS import conditions. It is the importer’s responsibility to provide sufficient documentation to satisfy AQIS that the product in each consignment is as stated.
Protein powders containing dairy derived ingredients such as Whey, Isolate and/or Caseinates must be labelled as ‘originating from’ and 'Manufactured in' one of the countries listed by the World Organization for Animal Health (formerly known as the Office International des Epizooties [OIE]) as free from foot and mouth disease (FMD) with or without vaccination. This information can be found on the OIE website. If the labelling of powder does not specify the country of origin and manufacture, or includes the phrase ‘made from local and imported ingredients’, a manufacturer's declaration will be required certifying that the milk component is sourced from an FMD-free country.
Protein powders containing egg will need to be labelled as containing less than 10 per cent egg to be exempt from requiring an import permit. There must also be no discernable pieces of egg in the product. If the labelling of the powder does not specify the egg content a manufacturer's declaration certifying that the egg component is less than 10 per cent (by dry weight) is required. Products with more than 10 per cent egg content and/or containing discernable pieces of egg require an import permit.
Protein powders containing animal derived ingredients such as enzymes eg. pancreatin, trypsin, rennet and insulin and bovine serum albumin have an associated quarantine risk and may require an import permit.
Highly processed substances that are listed as pharmaceutical excipients on the ICON database are not regarded as a quarantine risk in these products.
Import conditions can be accessed via the AQIS Imports Condition database (ICON). This database lists the Quarantine conditions under which various commodities may be imported into Australia.
Note: A non-commercial consignment is considered to be an item that is imported for non-commercial (personal) use in quantities of no more than 10 kilograms or 10 litres of the one type of item.
Can I bring health supplements into Australia?
Commercially prepared and packaged 100 per cent synthetic or mineral health supplements do not require an import permit to be imported to Australia.
Health supplements containing plant/herbal based ingredients do not require an import permit if they meet the following conditions:
a) The product is commercially prepared and packaged as pressed tablets or capsules
b) The product is for human consumption only
c) The product is imported into Australia (whether personally or by post) by a person who intends to use it for their own personal use
d) The product is imported in a quantity of no more than three months supply. Three months supply can be determined by, but is not limited to:
- The label dosage advice
- A letter in English from a medical practitioner, naturopath or alternative health provider
- A statutory declaration by the importer stating that the product is for personal use only and is less than three months supply
e) All material in the consignment must be labelled with full botanical names i.e. genus and species. Each package must be labelled
f) All material in the consignment must be thoroughly dried and not capable of propagation.
An import permit is required for all other organic chemicals including animal tissue extracts eg tallow derivatives and microbial fermentation products including antibiotics.