Australian customs regulations

Have you been traumatized by tv program “Airport Security” and thinking about departure you feel in panic? Don’t worry, you just need to pay more attention at the moment you are packing your luggages and when you get to the Australian Customs.

Since Australia has a unique ecosystem that could risk being altered and contaminated, every day there are rigid customs controls on goods imported from each passenger. For this reason, when you are on the plane, you need to fill in the Incoming Passenger Card (also available in Italian) and show it at the checkpoint with a valid passport and visa. All you have to do is to write your personal details and state to the Australian Customs the presence of certain objects in your luggage. So, let’s see what you can and cannot bring into Australia according to the Australian Customs regulations.

Food restrictions

You need to declare any type of food, cooked or raw, that you are carrying with you, such as pasta, dried fruits and vegetables, cakes and biscuits, tea, coffee, herbs or herbal medicines. When in doubt, better not to bring any food or drink.

Animal items

Mostly feathers, bones, horns, fangs, fur and leather of all kinds, stuffed animals, wool, shells and various animals equipment.

Vegetable restrictions

Try to remember what you put in your suitcase and declare every wooden article, handcraft made of plant material, straw products, bamboo or cane, potpourri, coconut shells, objects containing seeds, fresh or dried flowers.

Alcohol and cigarettes

Regarding the duty-free, alcohol and cigarettes, if you are over 18 years old you can import: up to $900 of generic duty-free items, up to 2,250 ml of alcohol, 50 cigarettes or 50 grams of tobacco and an open package of 25 or less cigarettes. If you exceed in all of these cases, you can leave the extra amount or pay the customs duties for Australia for all the purchases.

Drugs

Drugs are a separate topic: generally it is not required to declare to the Australian customs medications such as aspirin, paracetamol or drugs without prescription. For the medications with prescription you can bring a supply for personal use no longer than three months, with an English certificate or prescription written by your own doctor.

Prohibited Items

What is absolutely banned in Australia? All of these products must be thrown in the bins of quarantine at the airport customs. The complete list is available on the Australian Government website.

• Guns, fireworks, pepper spray and some types of weapons with blade;
• Any contaminated objects or filthy by soil, mud or clay;
• Fruits and vegetables;
• All kind of meats;
• Counterfeit products: clothes, DVDs, music, illegal porn;
• Steroids and drugs;
• Material related to terrorism.

If you don’t declare or throw these items deemed hazardous by the Australian customs, you might be fined (up to $340) or reported, received a fine of $66,000 and sentenced to 10 years in prison. But if you declare everything, you will not be penalized even if you have with you a prohibited items.