Australian Customs, Quarantine, and Biosecurity: What You Need to Know When Moving

As you plan your move to Australia, you’ll quickly discover how serious Australia is about customs, quarantine, and biosecurity procedures for incoming household goods.

As a trusted Australia mover, we work closely with our customers to ensure their shipment complies with the regulations of the Australia’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Forestry. Those who violate these regulations—even unintentionally—can end up paying thousands of dollars. (And dealing with significant delays!)

To help you minimize the potential for issues, we’ll explain the Australia customs, quarantine, and biosecurity rules below. We’ll also show you how to save money and minimize stress, setting the stage for a smooth move to Australia.

Securing Duty-Free Clearance into Australia

The first thing we’ll cover for your Australia move is paving the way for duty-free clearance of your household goods.

Used personal effects and belongings that ship separately to Australia (also called “unaccompanied items” or “unaccompanied personal effects”) can generally clear duty-free. You will need to complete Form B534—the Unaccompanied Personal Effects (UPE) Statement. We’ll cover paperwork in more depth later.

But, first, let’s talk about the items that can cause problems in your household goods shipment to Australia.

Biosecurity & Quarantine Restrictions: What to Leave Out of Your Shipment to Australia

To protect Australia’s unique ecosystem, the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry will be on the lookout for items that could carry diseases, parasites, and pests that could harm the plants and animals in Australia.

All shipments of household goods will be subject to some form of biosecurity inspection. The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry is specifically looking for:

Items that originated from an animal or a plant, such as:

• Wooden items, including toys, furniture, and kitchenware (Note: Commercially manufactured items that have already been chemically treated will likely not create issues on import. However, if you purchased a hand-carved mask during a trip to Uruguay, it could present a problem.)
• Live plants and cuttings
• Unidentified seeds, including spices
• Some plant-based herbal medications

Items that contain part of an animal or plant, such as:

• Beads or jewelry made of plant/animal material—coconut-shell jewelry or shell necklaces
• Art pieces made out of natural materials, like a Christmas wreath made out of pinecones
• Furniture or décor made with bamboo, banana leaf, cane, rattan, wicker, etc. (Double-check before packing these!)

Items that been in contact with animals, plants, water, food, or soil, such as:

• Shoes, golf clubs, tires, bicycles, camping gear, etc.
• Patio furniture and outdoor equipment, like barbeques, lawn mowers, garden furniture, outdoor toys, etc.
• Surfboards, boogie boards, beach chairs, and other beach equipment, especially if they have sand or seaweed on them
• Animal hair on dog or cat beds, in animal cages, or on grooming tools
• Spider webs (and spiders or other bugs!) on furniture or other household items
• Carpets and rugs
• Cleaning equipment, including trash cans, vacuum cleaners, and brooms

In all of these cases, it’s critical to thoroughly clean and/or vacuum anything that’s come in contact with animals, plants, water, food, or soil before packing it in your shipment. This is where hiring professional movers can come in handy. An experienced Australia moving company will know what needs thorough cleaning before it gets packed.

Keep in mind that these are just examples of what inspectors will be looking for in your shipment. When it doubt:

• Reach out to your moving company. Our international relocation team has deep experience with Australia moves, and we’d be happy to answer questions. Get in touch with us.

• You can also check the Biosecurity Import Conditions system (BICON) for additional information.

Customs Restrictions: Items Prohibited for Import to Australia

In addition to items restricted for biosecurity purposes, the Australian Border Force also restricts and prohibits certain items for entry to Australia. For example, cultural heritage goods, weapons, and even certain types of consumer products are regulated or restricted.

Check the Australian Border Force website for a complete list—or talk with your moving company.

Documentation for Australia Customs, Quarantine, and Biosecurity Procedures

Next, let’s talk about the paperwork you’ll need to ensure your household goods shipment moves as smoothly as possible through Australia customs, quarantine, and biosecurity procedures.

Your moving company will help you gather your documentation for moving to Australia. The two most important pieces of paperwork will be:

• A Packing List – You’ll need to create a detailed packing list that describes the belongings you’ll be moving to Australia. It’s important to describe your items accurately so the inspector understands exactly what’s in your shipment. For example, rather than writing “bed frame,” it’s better to write “wooden bed frame.”

• B534 Form – This is the Unaccompanied Personal Effects Statement mentioned earlier. You’ll need to fill it out completely and provide any necessary additional documentation, as required by the form.

Biosecurity & Quarantine Procedures: What to Expect on Arrival in Australia

Finally, let’s walk through the process your household goods will go through when they arrive in Australia, so you know what to expect.  

Every shipment to Australia will go through biosecurity/quarantine inspection, which comes with fees. To avoid any surprise charges during your Australia move, make sure any quotes you receive include this cost up front.

Once your household goods arrive, expect to wait 3-4 weeks for the inspection to be complete. When you decide what to ship to Australia and what to carry with you, keep this timeline in mind.  

If the inspection officers do find something during their inspection, you’ll have three options:

1. Treatment
2. Export from Australia (i.e., sending the item back to your former home, if practical)
3. Disposal

There’s a cost associated with all of these options, which is why it’s so important to avoid these issues in the first place. A little extra preparation up front—and the help of an experienced moving company—can make your move to Australia that much easier.

Making a Smooth, Simple Relocation to Australia

Nearly every move to Australia is a long-distance one, and long-distance moves come with a lot of moving parts. However, by understanding Australia’s customs, quarantine, and biosecurity requirements up front, you’ll be that much more prepared for an easy relocation to any of Australia’s amazing destinations.

Our experienced Australia move experts would be happy to help you make a simple relocation to your new home in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth—or anywhere you want to go in Australia. Simply reach out for a no-surprises, all-in quote to get started.