Can you bring it in? List of items you can and can't bring in

Items that do not pose a biosecurity risk and are permitted:

• cooked Christmas cakes and puddings
• chocolates
• confectionary
• toys not containing animal or plant material.

Do not bring or send:

• bark or straw based goods
• fresh or dried conifer
• fresh fruit and vegetables
• fresh or dried holly
• fresh or dried mistletoe
• hampers (containing certain food, meat or plant material)
• pine cones
• potpourri
• raw nuts
• salami and other meats
• toys containing seeds and sand
• wreaths.
  

For more information, see ​Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry​.​​

​Items that do not pose a biosecurity risk and are permitted:

• artificial flowers
• fabric, gold or silver beads and coins
• personalised photo items.

Do not bring or send:

• dried fruit
• flowers and other plant material
• fresh fruit
• herbs
• products containing dairy
• raw nuts
• seeds
• spices
• sweets (mithai) such as burfi, ras malai, rasgulla and pedas
• tea.
  

For more information, see ​Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry​.​

Items that do not pose a biosecurity risk and are permitted:

• artificial flowers
• chocolate
• personalised photo items
• cooked cakes
• biscuits
• buns.

Items that may require treatment at your expense:

• blown or painted egg shells
• dried plant material, such as grapevines or straw.

Do not bring or send:

• fresh fruit or plant material
• raw or cooked whole eggs
• uncanned animal products, including cooked lamb and pork
• used egg cartons.

For more information, see ​Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry​.

Canned bony fish and fish products can be imported for personal use (10 kilograms or less per passenger) if it is able to meet the personal use conditions in the BICON case: Retorted goods.

The goods must:

1. be commercially manufactured and packaged,
2. be retorted and the container in which the goods were retorted has not been opened since the goods were retorted,
3. not require refrigeration or freezing before the package is opened.

Retorting refers to the process of cooking food in an unopened, hermetically sealed container for a duration, and to a temperature, sufficient to make the contents commercially sterile. Vacuum-packed products are NOT retorted.

Uncanned bony fish and fish products are permitted to be imported for personal use if they are able to meet the consumer ready or personal use conditions in the BICON case: Finfish (excluding Salmonid) for human consumption.

Consumer ready forms include:

1. cutlets (including the central bone and external skin, and excluding fins), each weighing no more than 450 grams, or
2. skinless fillets (excluding the belly flap and all bone except the pin bones) of any weight, or
3. skin-on fillets (excluding the belly flap and all bones except the pin bones) each weighing no more than 450 grams, or
4. eviscerated, headless ‘pan-size’ fish, each weighing no more than 450 grams, or
5. fish that is headless and eviscerated which has been salted, dried or smoked, of any weight, or
6. products that are processed further than the stage described in points (1) to (5), including commercially canned products and finfish based flavourings such as sauces, noodle flavourings, seasonings, soup mixes or similar products (excluding fish oil) that are manufactured from one of the stages described in points (1) to (5).

These goods will be inspected upon arrival to ensure they are in one of these permitted consumer ready forms.

To be classified as personal use finfish, the goods must meet be either:

1. Eviscerated (gutted), or further processed, and in an amount of up to 5 kilograms per passenger or,
2. Able to be stored at room (or ambient) temperature, not requiring refrigeration or freezing before the package is opened and in an amount of up to 10 kilograms per passenger.

Import conditions for shark and other cartilaginous fish can also be found in the BICON case: Finfish (excluding Salmonid) for human consumption. These products must be clean and free of other plant or animal material and must only be used for human consumption. You may require a wildlife trade permit and/or other approvals from the Wildlife Trade Regulation section. More information is available on the International wildlife trade webpage.

Child abuse material (any depiction of children in a sexually explicit manner) is illegal.

Publications, films, computer games and any other goods that describe, depict, express or otherwise deal with matters of sex, drug misuse or addiction, crime, cruelty, violence, terrorist acts or revolting or abhorrent phenomena in such a way that they offend against the standards of morality, decency and propriety generally accepted by reasonable adults are not allowed. This includes bestiality and sexual violence.

Penalties

Child abuse material – up to 10 years imprisonment.

Other illegal pornography – lose your goods, on the spot fine, prosecution and large financial penalties may apply.

Examples

​Offensive fetishes in publications such as offensive fetishes, bestiality, child abuse material, sexual violence.

Exceptions

​None

You are not allowed to import imitation firearms into Australia without the required permission.

Imitation firearms are articles, of any material or colour, which are a copy or reproduction, or have the appearance of a firearm, and could reasonably be taken to be a firearm. These conditions apply even if the imitation is a computer game controller, novelty product, replica or toy. The importation of imitation firearms into Australia is prohibited under the Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulations 1956.

Permission to import

To bring imitation firearms into Australia you need approval from your state or territory police.

The import permission must be presented to the Australian Border Force at the time of importation.

​Goods that cannot be mistaken for a real firearm can be brought into Australia without permission. You should check with your state or territory police about local restrictions before importing them.

Penalties

Penalties could apply if the required permission is not obtained before the goods arrive in Australia. This could include loss of your goods, on the spot fine, prosecution and large financial penalties.

Noodles or pasta made from plant material only

Noodles or pasta that are commercially manufactured and packaged and contain only ingredients of plant origin are permitted.

Noodles/pasta that are not commercially prepared and packaged will be inspected. If biosecurity risk material is found, it will be exported or destroyed at the importer’s expense.

Instant noodles/pasta

Commercially prepared and packaged noodles are permitted if they:

• are for instant use
• are shelf stable (do not require refrigeration).

Note: Noodles that contain ingredients derived from cattle, goats, sheep or pigs must have a manufacturer’s label stating that the product was manufactured in an approved FMD-free country.

Nunchakus are weapons with handles made of any hard material and are joined by chain or rope.

Penalties

Lose your goods, prosecution and large financial penalties may apply

Examples

Nunchaku, nunchakus, martial arts

Exceptions

If you have state/territory police approval on a B709B form. You may be required to get a state/territory licence.

​If you are interested in importing pet birds, horses and rabbits, reproductive material, laboratory animals or aquarium fish visit
importing live animals and reproductive material.

​All pet food, treats and chews made from, or containing, animal or plant derived material, require an import permit, and/or an official government veterinary certificate or manufacturer’s declaration. There are no small quantity or personal pet exemptions. Examples of products that require an import permit or documentation include rawhide chews, pigs’ ears, biscuits, kibble, canned pet food, jerky strips and ‘chocolate’ drops for pets. Products that are not accompanied by a valid import permit will be exported or destroyed.

Note: Pet toys made from nylon, rubber or plastic are permitted into Australia without an import permit. For more information please see BICON.​

​Red dates are not permitted, unless the following import conditions are met:

• the dates must not contain seeds (deseeded) and no seeds in the package
• the full botanical name must be provided on a label or invoice (e.g. Ziziphus ziziphus)
• the products must be thoroughly dried
• the products must be packed in clean and new packaging that is unopened
• each package will be inspected to ensure no biosecurity risk material is present.

If the product does not comply with the conditions above it will be exported or destroyed at the importer’s expense.

There are various import conditions that must be met for seafood, including crustaceans (crabs and lobsters) and molluscs (abalone, octopus, squid). For more information, please see BICON case: Seafood (excluding finfish) for human consumption.

Crustaceans (excluding prawns) and molluscs (excluding oysters and snails) for personal use must be dead and must be clean and free of other plant and animal material. All imports will be inspected upon arrival to ensure the goods are dead and clean of other risk material.

Oysters in full shell are not permitted.

Half-shell oysters from New Zealand can only be imported in volumes of up to 10 kilograms per person and will be inspected upon arrival to ensure they are in half-shell form and do not contain any other plant or animal material.

Oyster meat (no shell) must be commercially packaged and prepared and must be accompanied by a statement that the product contains no shells.

Snails that are sourced from the land (terrestrial) or freshwater systems must only be imported in retorted form. Retorting refers to the process of cooking food in an unopened, hermetically sealed container for a duration, and to a temperature, sufficient to make the contents commercially sterile. Vacuum-packed products are NOT retorted. When imported for personal use, the goods must;

1. be commercially manufactured and packaged,
2. be retorted and the container in which the goods were retorted has not been opened since the goods were retorted,
3. not require refrigeration or freezing before the package is opened.

Marine snails including conch, that are sourced from the ocean or other marine ecosystems, must be accompanied by a declaration from the manufacturer of the product stating that:

1. the goods are approved species of marine snails
2. the goods are clean and free of other plant and animal material
3. the goods are non-viable.

The approved list of marine snail species can be found in the BICON case: Snails for human consumption.

Cnidarians (sea anemones, sea corals and jellyfish), echinoderms (sea cucumbers, sea stars, sea urchins and New Zealand Kina), tunicates (sea squirts) and poriferans (sea sponges) must be dead and must be clean and free of other plant and animal material. All imports will be inspected upon arrival to ensure the goods are dead and clean of other risk material.

Palolo worms for personal use (2 kilograms per passenger including any sea water the goods are imported within) are permitted if they meet the following conditions. They must:

1. be palolo worms only, which may be imported in water (the water is included in the 2 kilogram weight limit),
2. be for human consumption only,
3. be dead,
4. not contain biosecurity risk material, and
5. be accompanied into Australian territory.

Please see more information in the BICON case: Cnidarians, echinoderms, tunicates, poriferans, sipuncula and palolo worms.

Most seashells (excluding oyster shells), sand, rocks and fossils are allowed into Australia if they are free from insects, soil, and animal and plant material. The items must be inspected on arrival to ensure they are free from infestation and contamination.

If items do not meet these import conditions they must be treated, exported or destroyed at the importer’s expense.

If the goods are identified as soil, an import permit will be required, refer to
BICON.

Seashells from endangered and protected animal species

Some seashells (e.g. Queen Conch) may be subject to control under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Imports of items containing CITES-listed species are generally subject to permit requirements. Items known to be considered to be covered by CITES that do not have a valid permit, and are not subject to an exemption, will be seized.

If you are unsure whether the item you wish to bring into Australia is of CITES concern please check the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water's information on non-commercial wildlife trade.

Fossils or Cultural Heritage significance

Cultural heritage items are an important part of a nation's identity. Many countries have laws that regulate the export of cultural property, including some fossils. Before you bring a fossil to Australia, you must ensure you have complied with relevant cultural property laws in the country of origin.

Related websites

• 
  Prohibited goods
• 
  Wildlife trade
• 
  Movable cultural heritage

​Seeds can be sent or brought to Australia if they meet the following requirements:

• Seeds must be a permitted species. Search for the species you wish to import in
  BICON to confirm if it has been assessed as being permitted entry into Australia.
• Seeds must be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate issued by the government of the exporting country to verify freedom from species of Trogoderma in
  Australia’s list of Trogoderma species of biosecurity concern.
• Seeds arriving through the mail, air courier or passenger baggage will need to be commercially packaged and labelled with the full botanical name (genus and species). Certain seed species are hosts of khapra beetle and are banned from entry into Australia. See
  BICON for more information.
• Seeds must be free of live insects, soil, disease symptoms, non-permitted seeds, other plant material (e.g. leaf, stem material, fruit pulp, pod material), animal material and any other contamination.
• If the seeds require an import permit from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, the sender must sight a copy of the import permit to ensure that they can meet the conditions for sending seeds to Australia and include a copy of the permit in the consignment.

Read more about importing seeds for planting.​​

Seeds that do not meet the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry's import requirements will be exported or destroyed at the importer’s expense.

​Don’t track dirt back to Australia. Make sure your shoes and other equipment is free from soil, mud, clay, animal faeces or plant material like leaves and bark.

Penalties

Dirty equipment must be treated at your expense.

Examples

Hiking boots, camping and sporting equipment including bike tyre.

Related websites

Department of Agricultur, Water and the Environment.​

Cumin, coriander and fennel are not permitted and will be destroyed, unless they meet the exclusions listed on the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry's urgent actions to protect against khapra beetle webpage.

Dried chillies/capsicum are not permitted and will be destroyed, unless they meet the exclusions listed on the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry’s urgent actions to protect against khapra beetle webpage.

You must refer to BICON to get the most up to date conditions.

Other dried, ground spices and spice mixes may be allowed into Australia if they meet the following import requirements:

• the spices must be made from dried and ground plant material and must not contain ingredients of animal, microbial or fungal origin
• each consignment must be packed in clean and new packaging
• the goods must be clean and free of contaminant seed, soil, animal and plant debris and other biosecurity risk material prior to arrival in Australian territory
• following inspection and provided all of the above conditions have been met, the consignment may be released from biosecurity control by a biosecurity officer.

If the spices do not comply with the conditions above it will be treated, exported or destroyed at the importer’s expense.

Plain black or green teas and plain black or green teas with flavouring

These teas are allowed into Australia from any country if the tea is in clean and new packaging (unopened) and free of live insects and other contamination.

Herbal tea bags

Herbal tea bags are allowed into Australia if:

• they are commercially prepared, packaged and labelled
• the tea contains ingredients of plant origin only
• all material in the tea is thoroughly dried
• the weight of each product (blend) within the consignment is no greater than 1 kilogram per blend.
  

For consignments containing fungi (dried mushrooms) including Ganoderma, Poria cocos and Cordyceps, refer to the BICON case mushrooms for human consumption.​

If you are importing tea with seeds, animal, other fungal or microbial products, you must search BI​CON for each individual ingredient to determine the conditions that apply.

Any publications, video, films or games that directly praise, instruct in or urge the doing of a terrorist act.

Penalties

Prosecution and large financial penalties may apply

Examples

Terrorism material, terrorism DVD, terrorism training material