Guide · Arriving in Australia ·
Bringing food into Australia: biosecurity rules to know
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Bringing food into Australia is allowed in some cases, but you must declare it on your Incoming Passenger Card or put it in a bin before you reach the officer. The rule is simple: if you carry food, say so. Some items pass after a quick look. Others are taken and destroyed. Saying nothing is the one choice that can cost you money.
This guide explains what the card asks, what happens when you declare, which common foods are usually fine, which are not, and what can happen if you skip the step.
Sources for this section: Department of Agriculture, Travelling to Australia; Australian Border Force, What food can you bring in?
Declare it or bin it
Before you land, your airline or cruise crew hands you an Incoming Passenger Card. The Department of Agriculture calls it a legal document. You must fill it in correctly. For food, animal products and plant material, you have two choices.
- Declare it. Mark YES on the card and carry the goods to the clearance point. A biosecurity officer checks them.
- Dispose of it. Put the items in the bins in the terminal or at the sea port before you reach the officer.
If the officer finds the food is safe, it is handed back to you. If not, it may be sent for treatment, sent back out of the country, or destroyed. The Australian Border Force adds that even small amounts of food, and cooking ingredients, need to be declared.
Sources for this section: Department of Agriculture, Travelling to Australia; Department of Agriculture, Bringing or mailing goods to Australia; Australian Border Force, What food can you bring in?
Why the rules are strict
Australia is an island with farms, forests and wildlife found nowhere else. A pest or disease carried in a sandwich or a piece of fruit could harm them. The department says harmful pests and diseases may arrive with travellers, so it screens air and sea passengers and their bags. It uses X-ray machines, detector dogs, physical checks and questions.
The law behind this is the Biosecurity Act 2015, passed by Parliament in 2015. It replaced most of the old Quarantine Act 1908 from 16 June 2016. It takes a risk-based approach to what crosses the border.
Sources for this section: Department of Agriculture, Travelling to Australia; Federal Register of Legislation, Biosecurity Act 2015; Wikipedia, Biosecurity Act 2015
Food that is usually allowed
Many packaged foods can come in for personal use if they meet set conditions. These examples come from the department's list of common items. They are not the full list, so check each item before you pack it.
| Item | What the department says |
|---|---|
| Biscuits, bread, cakes | Allowed for personal use if fully cooked, shelf stable and free of meat. Cheesecakes and other cakes need a check. |
| Cheese, butter, dairy | Allowed if commercially packaged, made in an approved foot-and-mouth-free country, and up to 10 kg or 10 litres. Must be declared. |
| Chocolate and sweets | Allowed if commercially packaged and free of meat. |
| Roasted coffee | Allowed for personal use, up to 10 kg. |
| Juice and soft drink | Allowed if commercially prepared and packaged. |
| Maple syrup | Allowed. |
| Honey | Allowed in most states, but an officer must inspect it. Western Australia has extra rules. |
| Nuts | Packaged roasted, fried, boiled or blanched nuts, or tightly vacuum sealed shelled nuts, can come in. Declare them. |
Even when an item is allowed, you still declare it. The officer decides whether it meets the rules. Anything that fails is exported or destroyed at your cost.
Sources for this section: Department of Agriculture, Bringing or mailing goods to Australia (food and drink list); Australian Border Force, What food can you bring in?
Food that is high risk
Fresh and unprocessed foods are the main problem. The department tells travellers who want faster clearance not to carry fresh fruit or vegetables, plants, seeds, meat, or animal and wood products.
- Meat. Import rules are strict and can change fast when a disease breaks out. Canned meat that is shelf stable and made in an approved country may be allowed. Other meat needs a check of the department's import conditions system, called BICON.
- Fish. Canned fish is allowed up to 10 kg. Fresh or uncanned fish must be in a set consumer-ready form and under weight limits.
- Fruit, vegetables and seeds. These can carry pests and soil. Declare them or bin them.
- Homemade food. Items that are not commercially packaged get a closer look.
If your food is not on the department's short list, search BICON before you travel. Import conditions can change, so the department says to check each time, even if you travel often.
Sources for this section: Department of Agriculture, Travelling to Australia; Department of Agriculture, Bringing or mailing goods to Australia
What happens if you do not declare
Giving false or misleading information on the card, or not answering an officer's questions, has real penalties. The department says you may face any of these.
- An on-the-spot infringement notice of up to A$6,260.
- Civil penalty proceedings.
- A criminal prosecution.
- Cancellation of your visa, and refusal of entry. If that happens, you cannot apply to come to Australia again for up to three years.
The exact fine amount is set by law and can change, so read the department's page for the current figure. Most travellers who declare honestly face nothing worse than a short inspection.
Sources for this section: Department of Agriculture, Travelling to Australia
A simple checklist
- Before you pack, check the food list and BICON for each item.
- Choose sealed, commercially packaged food over homemade or fresh food.
- On the plane, answer the card with care. When in doubt, tick YES.
- Keep receipts or labels that show the country of origin.
- Check that shoes, bags and sports gear are clean of soil, since dirt also counts.
- If you are not sure at the airport, use the bins before the officer.
Moving between states can add rules too. Some states do not let you bring goods in from other parts of Australia. Western Australia, for one, has its own limits on honey.
Sources for this section: Department of Agriculture, Travelling to Australia; Department of Agriculture, Bringing or mailing goods to Australia
Sources
- Department of Agriculture, Travelling to Australia: agriculture.gov.au
- Department of Agriculture, Bringing or mailing goods to Australia: agriculture.gov.au
- Australian Border Force, What food can you bring in?: abf.gov.au
- Federal Register of Legislation, Biosecurity Act 2015: legislation.gov.au
- Wikipedia, Biosecurity Act 2015: en.wikipedia.org