Leslie Massey
Australia has strict biosecurity measures in place to protect its agriculture, tourism industries, environment, and way of life. Certain foods, plant materials, and animal products are banned from entry into the country as they could introduce pests and diseases that may be devastating to Australia. Food items that do not meet import conditions are treated, exported, or destroyed at the importer's expense. Travellers to Australia are required by law to declare any food, plant material, or animal products in their possession, which will be assessed and may be inspected by a biosecurity officer.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Seeds | Banned unless accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate and commercially packaged and labelled with the full botanical name |
| Green coffee | Allowed, but must be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate and declared and inspected on arrival |
| Canned bony fish and fish products | Allowed for personal use (10 kilograms or less per traveller) if able to meet personal use conditions |
| Whole or ground pepper | Allowed but must be declared and may be inspected on arrival |
| Pet food, treats and chews | Require an import permit and/or an official government veterinary certificate or manufacturer's declaration |
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What You'll Learn
Certain seeds are banned from entry
Australia has strict biosecurity measures in place to protect its borders and enable legitimate trade and travel. These measures include import controls on certain seeds to prevent the entry of exotic insects, plant diseases, and other biosecurity risk materials.
From 28 April 2022, Australia strengthened its import requirements to address the risk of the Khapra beetle (Trogoderma granarium) entering the country. Most seeds imported into Australia must now be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate. Additionally, some seeds are not permitted entry due to their potential weed risk to Australia, while others may require specific testing and certification to ensure they are free from pathogens of concern.
Before importing seeds into Australia, importers must comply with the import conditions for seeds for planting. These conditions vary depending on the seed species and the country of import. It is essential to know the scientific name of the seeds, commonly referred to as the botanical name (genus and species), and to check the full list of conditions that need to be met. A biosecurity officer will review the documentation to ensure the seeds meet Australia's import requirements.
From 1 July 2025, an import permit will be required for Brassicaceous seeds requiring treatment and Cucurbitaceous seeds requiring testing and/or treatment for sowing purposes. Importers will be able to apply for these permits through BICON from 1 April 2025.
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Food items must be declared
Australia has strict biosecurity measures in place to protect its agriculture, tourism industries, environment, and way of life. Certain food items, plant materials, and animal products from overseas could introduce pests and diseases that could be devastating. Therefore, it is important that food items are declared.
When travelling to Australia, you are required by law to declare if you are carrying certain foods, plant materials, or animal products. You can take these declared goods with you to a clearance point, where they will be assessed by a biosecurity officer and may be inspected. You can also voluntarily dispose of food, plant material, or animal products in bins located in the terminal.
Some food items that must be declared include green coffee, which must be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate and will be inspected on arrival. Canned bony fish and fish products can be imported for personal use (10 kilograms or less per traveller) if they meet the personal use conditions in the BICON case. These include being retorted (a specific cooking process) and not requiring refrigeration or freezing before the package is opened.
Whole or ground pepper must also be declared and may be inspected. Seeds must be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate and be free of live insects, soil, disease symptoms, non-permitted seeds, and other contaminations. Certain seed species that are hosts of the khapra beetle are banned from entry into Australia. All pet food, treats, and chews made from or containing animal or plant-derived materials require an import permit and/or an official government veterinary certificate or manufacturer's declaration.
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Canned fish rules
Australia has strict biosecurity measures in place to protect its unique environment and thriving agriculture industry. Travellers entering the country are required by law to declare any food, plant material, or animal products in their possession. These goods will be assessed and may be inspected by a biosecurity officer. Alternatively, travellers can voluntarily dispose of these items in bins located within the terminal.
Canned fish, a popular non-perishable food item, is subject to specific rules and regulations for import into Australia, whether for personal or commercial use. Canned salmon, a commonly traded fish product, can be imported for personal use under certain conditions. Passengers are allowed to bring in up to 10 kilograms of canned salmon, provided it meets the personal use conditions outlined in the Biosecurity Import Conditions (BICON) system.
One critical condition for importing canned salmon is that the product must be "retorted". Retorting refers to the process of cooking the fish in a hermetically sealed container for an extended duration and at a high temperature to ensure commercial sterility. It is important to note that vacuum-packed salmon products do not fall under the category of retorted goods. The container in which the retorting process occurred should remain unopened since the goods were retorted to ensure product integrity.
Additionally, imported canned salmon must not require refrigeration or freezing before opening the package. These requirements help ensure the safety and longevity of the product during transport and storage. It is essential for travellers to carefully review and comply with these conditions to avoid any issues when bringing canned salmon into Australia.
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Pepper import conditions
Australia has strict biosecurity laws to protect its unique environment, wildlife, economy, and the health and safety of its people. As such, there are specific import conditions for bringing food into the country.
Dried pepper is classified as a risk food by the Australian government, as it presents a potential medium or high risk to public health. This includes whole, crushed, or ground dried pepper, as well as products containing small quantities of dried pepper, such as refillable spice racks.
To import dried pepper into Australia, importers must comply with the Biosecurity Import Conditions system (BICON). This includes providing a written declaration and undergoing analytical testing, including microbiological testing for Salmonella. Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has advised on the risk of dried pepper regarding Salmonella contamination.
Importers should also be aware of the specific HSN codes for pepper products, which are used to classify and clear goods through customs. These codes include HSN Code 09041200 for crushed or ground pepper, and HSN Code 200190700000, HSN Code 09041130, HSN Code 09041190, and HSN Code 200190200000 for other pepper products.
Volza, a website that provides import data, reports that in July 2024, India, Turkey, and Vietnam were the top three countries from which Australia imported pepper.
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Pet food import rules
Australia has strict rules and regulations for importing goods into the country to protect its border, agriculture, environment, native and domestic animals, and people. An import permit from the Department of Agriculture is required for bringing in goods, including pet food.
To obtain an import permit, an application must be submitted to the department, along with the relevant animal feed checklist. This process incurs fees payable to the Department of Agriculture under the Biosecurity Charges Imposition (General) Regulation 2016 and Chapter 9, Part 2 of the Biosecurity Regulation 2016. The BICON (Australian Biosecurity Import Conditions) website provides guidance on the requirements for importing pet food and its ingredients.
For importing cats and dogs, Australia has specific measures in place. These animals must be identified with a microchip that can be read by an ISO-compatible reader, and accurate recording of microchip numbers is essential. Additionally, cats and dogs must be imported directly from an approved country and undergo veterinary preparations and certification before arrival in Australia. A new identity check process for cats and dogs travelling to Australia will be introduced in the United Kingdom from 4 November 2024.
It is important to note that non-commodity concerns, such as container cleanliness, packaging, and destination, may also be subject to inspection and treatment upon arrival in Australia.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, certain food items are banned from entering Australia. Canned fish and fish products, for example, can only be imported for personal use in quantities of 10 kilograms or less per traveller if they meet the personal use conditions in the BICON case. Green coffee is allowed into the country but must be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate and be declared and inspected on arrival.
Yes, certain seed species that are hosts of the khapra beetle are banned from entry into Australia.
All pet food, treats, and chews made from or containing animal or plant-derived materials require an import permit and/or an official government veterinary certificate or manufacturer's declaration. There are no small quantity or personal pet exemptions.
