What Can't I Take when Moving to Australia? The Ultimate Guide to Biosecurity & Customs Clearance

When you move your life to the other side of the world, one of the most critical parts of the journey is clearing your belongings through Australian Biosecurity and Customs. Getting this wrong can lead to serious delays, unexpected costs, or even the destruction of your goods.

This guide is part of our Complete guide to Removals from the UK to Australia, focused on helping you understand the customs clearance process and avoid costly mistakes.

The Australian Biosecurity System for importing household goods

The protection of Australia's unique environment, agriculture, and industries from invasive pests and diseases is the primary focus of its border control. This system is managed by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF). 

Every single shipment of household goods (known as Unaccompanied Personal Effects, or UPE) that enters Australia (whether by air or sea freight) will be assessed by DAFF before it can be released for delivery.

Your Responsibility as the Shipper: You must provide a detailed inventory of your goods and declare any items of potential biosecurity concern (this can be produced by your International Removals Company). If DAFF identifies a risk, they may require an inspection, order treatment (such as fumigation), or, in the worst case, seize and destroy prohibited items. As the importer, you are financially responsible for all associated costs, including inspection time, treatment fees, and destruction or re-export charges. Knowing the rules is the only way to protect yourself.

Common items of biosecurity concern when importing household goods into Australia

The Department of Agriculture and Water Resources has two main areas of concern:

1. Any item that originated from an animal or a plant (including timber, wood and natural fibres) or contains part of one.
2. Any item that has been in contact with animals, plants, water, food or soil and may cary organic residue. 

For specific import conditions on any item you can check the list of common items of biosecurity concern provided by DAFF. 

Prohibited goods (Do Not Pack) 

You will not be allowed to import the following items as personal effects for international shipping when shipping to Australia:

• Fresh fruit and vegetables
• Live plants and bulbs
• Prohibited and restricted seeds
• Unidentified seeds, which can include some foods, including spices
• Live animals (including pets) that require an import permit
• Biological products including some plant-based, herbal medications
• Unprocessed goods of plant or animal origin
• Soiled items, or items containing organic residues
• Items knowingly infested with pests or a disease

If you are in doubt of an item and want to determine if the item is prohibited by the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources check the Biosecurity import conditions database - BICON. BICON identifies if an item is permitted entry, any treatment/permits required and any additional concerns.

How to Protect Your Shipment: The "Check, Clean, Dry, Declare" Rule

Preparation is the single most important step in ensuring a smooth biosecurity clearance. The key is to ensure every item of risk is cleaned, dry, and accurately declared. Using a professional international removals company to pack your belongings will reduce the risk of any problems during your inspection and your crew should be trained to identify and rectify any potential issues. As a rule, you should always:

1. Check the items you want to ship

As your mover or review items you're concerned about against the list of common items of biosecurity concern and make sure you aren't planning to ship any restricted or prohibited items as listed above. 

2. Clean & Dry your belongings.

Any item that has been in contact with food, soil, plants, or animals must be thoroughly cleaned and completely free from contamination. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Equipment and machinery - drain all standing water, and ensure the equipment is clean and free from contamination
• Footwear - clean shoes, boots, football boots etc. thoroughly 
• Garden furniture, tools and implements - make sure all soil, animal and plant debris are removed and all surfaces are thoroughly cleaned. Ensure BBQs are completely clear of traces of food. 
• Outdoor toys - ensure any traces of sand, soil, etc. are removed
• Animal bedding and grooming equipment - wash and vacuum animal bedding, and clean grooming equipment to ensure all residual pet hair has been removed
• Waste bins, brooms, vacuum cleaners - make sure all waste is removed and the equipment is thoroughly cleaned
• Sporting equipment - make items like bikes are completely clean and free from traces of soil or dirt. For freshwater sports equipment be sure reservoirs are completely drained and dry, and that equipment is dry on arrival, including wetsuits, gumboots and fishing tackle.
• Camping equipment - ensure completely free of traces of soil or dirt.
• Rugs/mats - thoroughly vacuum before packing.

Other tips:

• Check surfaces of your timber items for any signs of insect infestation (sawdust-like powder, fresh holes, chewed timber or tunnels).
• If you find signs of insect infestation, consider either leaving the item behind or thoroughly treating it for timber pests prior to shipment.
• Kitchen goods - do not pack half-opened packages of dry foods, herbs and spices that may be harbouring insect pests that are difficult to see.
• Consider whether you really need to ship any natural plant or animal product that has not undergone some form of a manufacturing process. These items may need expensive treatments, at your own cost, to mitigate quarantine risks on arrival in Australia. Cheap tourist souvenirs made of untreated plant or animal products can end up costing more than you would expect when they end up being treated by Customs in Australia.

Documentation and Declaration

You will be required to provide a detailed inventory of your shipment including clear labelling. If your removals company are providing packing services they will complete this on your behalf and provide you with a copy.

If you are doing this yourself ensure you label your boxes and reference these on the inventory with a list of items contained in each box.

If you have identified any items that the department may be interested in it is a good idea to pack these items together and separately from the rest of your items that are not of concern. This way the inspectors do not need to unload/unpack your entire shipment to perform their inspection.

If you are using your own packing boxes be sure that these do not pose a concern on their own – for example, used food packaging that may have been in contact with organic substances and do not use straw/sawdust or wood products for packing or filler.

Ensure any previous labelling on boxes is removed or covered if you are using second-hand boxes to avoid misunderstandings or confusion during an inspection.

The Process

On arrival of your belongings in Australia, your removals company will handle the process of clearing customs and quarantine inspections on your behalf, using all the correctly completed paperwork. Once this is complete your goods can be delivered to your new home.

Quarantine fees and charges

Many international removal companies will not include biosecurity fees in your quote because they are not fixed. Your final fees depend on your goods and DAFF's final assessment.

More information on Quarantine fees associated with the clearance of personal effects can be found in the DAFF charging guidelines

Common Fees include:

• Upfront Charges: Manual quarantine entry creation and documentation screening charges.
• Quarantine Inspection Fees: Based on the time it takes a DAFF officer to inspect your goods (usually charged in half-hour units).
• Handling Charges: Your destination agent’s labour costs to facilitate the inspection (unloading, opening, presenting, repacking, and reloading your goods).
• Treatment Charges: Additional charges if fumigation, steam cleaning, or other treatment is required.

Quarantine inspection fees are based on inspection time. Your final quarantine inspection fee will be dependent on the time it takes for a department officer to inspect your goods. Additional charges will apply if your goods require treatment prior to release. Our Destination Agents will also need to cover the labour cost required to facilitate the inspection which includes the attendance of Quarantine-accredited staff to unload, open, present, repack, and reload your goods in coordination with the inspecting officer. This can be a multi-person, manual process necessary for all Unaccompanied Personal Effects (UPE) shipments.

How can I keep costs down?

The inspection charge is based entirely on the time it takes. You can keep this time, and thus the cost, to a minimum by:

1. Do Not Pack Prohibited Items: Avoid anything that is strictly banned.
2. Clean Everything Thoroughly: The cleanest items are cleared fastest. Any visible soil, dirt, or organic residue will trigger a longer, more expensive inspection and possibly mandated treatment.
3. Declare Accurately: A precise and honest B534 form and inventory expedite the documentary assessment process.
4. Isolate Risk Items: Pack all items of biosecurity concern together in one or two clearly marked boxes. This means the officer only needs to open those specific boxes instead of the entire container.
5. Use a Professional Remover: An experienced international removal company, like Bournes, can provide expert guidance on pre-shipment preparation and handle the complex coordination with customs on arrival, significantly reducing your risk of expensive delays.

Should I use an international removal company for my move to Australia?

As experts in International Removals companies like Bournes will guide you through the process of preparing to move to Australia, including guidance on what you can and can't take with you and how to prepare for quarantine examinations and importing household goods.

Using moving companies or a specialist international removal company will significantly reduce the risks involved when importing goods to Australia as you will be given all the advice needed with an online quote to guide you through the packing and preparation process.

You’ll also be given help to fill in all the essential paperwork and documentation.

Check out the Ultimate Guide On How To Move Your Belongings Overseas to find out everything you need to know about finding and using a professional overseas mover.