Australia Customs & Quarantine Prohibited Items

These are items that are not allowed through customs or that require special permission to do so. You can usually expect any of these to be seized by Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS).

• Homemade Food and Fresh Fruit

  As a general rule any food items that are not clearly labelled are not allowed and at risk of being seized.

  That includes but is not limited to homemade meals, cakes, and preserved products like jams as well as fresh fruit.

• Live Animals

  Importing live animals to Australia is only allowed under strict conditions. You may bring cats, dogs, horses, birds or rabbits provided they have undergone a number of checks and have been granted explicit permission to enter before arrival.

  Other live animals and pets are prohibited and cannot be imported into Australia. That includes fish, reptiles, amphibians, insects, exotic species and more.

• Live Plants

  The process for importing live plants is long, complex and usually reserved for agricultural or research importers. Your plants must be of an allowed species, free from soil or dirt, and packaged in new and clean bio-secure packaging.

  Don't try to bring your houseplants! That includes cuttings, roots and bulbs.

• Soil, Mud or Clay

  This includes animal feces and plant material like leaves and bark. Your garden equipment, camping tools, shoes, and any other items likely to carry soil or mud should all be thoroughly cleaned.

• Fake Designer Goods

  Fake or counterfeit brand name and designer goods like clothing, handbags, shoes, perfume, tech and more are strictly banned.

• Pirated Media

  Pirated or copied CDs and DVDs of music or movies are not allowed.

• Weapons

  Almost all weapons are prohibited. Both real and training or novelty versions of knives, daggers, machetes, swords, blowguns, batons, knuckle-dusters, nunchakus, throwing blades, pepper sprays, firearms and blowguns.

  That includes imitation firearms and even soft air (airsoft) weapons. Paintball guns are also banned and so are any electric shock devices.

• Fireworks

  Bringing fireworks on to an aircraft is strictly illegal and importing fireworks by sea requires extremely strict explosives import permits. If you aren't an industrial or mining corporation then don't bother!

• Rice

  Uncooked rice is not allowed in to Australia and will be seized destroyed by AQIS. Processed rice products may be allowed under certain import conditions. Refer to BICON for more info.

These are items that you can bring to Australia without declaring as long as they are commercially prepared and packaged, and for personal use. There may still be some quantity or weight restrictions in place.

• Cash

  You can bring cash to Australia with no limit but for amounts of 10,000 Australian Dollars or more (or any foreign currency equivalent) you must declare it to customs.

  You should know that you are obliged to disclose any negotiable instruments if asked by customs or police officers. That means promissory notes, traveler's cheques, personal cheques or money/postal orders.

• Coffee

  Roasted coffee, ground or instant coffee is free to bring in to Australia with a limit of 10 kilograms.

  Watch out! If your coffee is Kopi Luwak or Civet coffee then you must declare it, it must be commercially packaged, and are allowed only up to 1 kilogram.

• Chocolate and Sweets

  You can bring commercially prepared and packaged chocolate and confectionary such as boiled sweets, marshmallow, fudge and toffees in to Australia freely with a limit of 10 kilograms.

  Watch out! Be careful that your sweets or chocolate don't contain otherwise restricted ingredients like bacon, seeds or nuts! You may have to declare it or leave it at home if so.

• Commercial Baked Goods

  Biscuits, cakes, bread and pastries are allowed into Australia if they are commercially prepared, fully cooked, shelf stable, and contain no meat. Fillings or toppings should be cooked with the product.

  Sorry cheesecake lovers but these are prohibited.

• Cosmetics

  You can bring cosmetic products to Australia as long as they are commercially manufactured and packaged and with a limit of 10 kilogram or 10 litres.

  Careful, this includes products like soap and shampoo which can easily eat up your 10 kg allowance.