What’s on this page

• • What are Australian quarantine personnel inspecting for?
  • Goods/Possessions information table
    • Food
    • Animal Material
    • Plant Material
    • Other Material
  • Quarantine Services we offer at Overseas Packers & Shippers
  • Quarantine Inspection Failure

What are Australian quarantine inspectors searching for?

Anything that poses a risk – ranging from live insects like spiders or ants as well as soil and dirt contamination. Possessions such as garden equipment, golf clubs and camping items are commonly known to contain foreign materials. Even simple things like contaminants lodged in shoes can contain harmful bacteria or disease of which can have devastating effects on Australian crops and agriculture industries.

When relocating from anywhere, it’s imperative all your belongings are clean.

Services we offer

At Overseas Packers & Shippers to ensure a duty of care throughout the quarantining of your goods and belongings, we will provide a representative to ensure a smooth and detailed process. Our quarantine representative will monitor throughout to make sure your belongings are delicately and safely handled as they are unpacked, inspected and then repacked for delivery.

We comply with all Australian quarantine inspection procedures and legislation, cooperating with all necessary legal requirements to deliver for our customers.

Sending extra baggage home?

We offer a range of personalised excess baggage services to those wanting to send small shipments overseas. Find out more on our excess baggage page.

Prohibited Products

Prohibited unless accompanied by a valid Import Permit. Contact Australian Quarantine or find more information below.

Quarantine Inspection Failure

Any goods which fail Quarantine inspection will be separated from shipment and moved to a treatment area. Your assigned Imports Coordinator will then contact you in this circumstance to provide all options offered by Quarantine. These may include but not be limited by:

• Quarantine cleaning
• Disinfection treatments
• Fumigation (Methyl Bromide, Ethylene Oxide etc)
• Gamma Irradiation
• Destruction

Most of these options will be done directly in our approved Quarantine wash bay and fumigation area. There are additional costs for these treatments which will be advised at the time by your Imports Coordinator. The cost varies depending on the treatment and size. The list below can be used as a guide when deciding if you can bring various items into Australia. To find out more, review the full list at the Australian Government’s Department of Agriculture website.

Goods/Possessions Information Table

Legend
  Inspection Service for advice about importing these products
  Must Be Treated – In some cases there may be a treatment cost
  Inspection Required – will be inspected and treated if necessary. Some items in this class may be prohibited

Search below for specific rulings on different types of Food:

FOOD	RULES
BEANS, PEAS, CEREAL SEEDS includes handicrafts and souvenirs that contain or are made from these seeds
BISCUITS, CAKES, CONFECTIONERY includes chocolate, sweets, crisps, roasted nuts, pretzels
EGGS includes whole, dried, powdered and uncooked egg products
FRUIT and VEGETABLES – FRESH (cooked, dried, frozen, canned or bottled are allowed)
FRUIT and VEGETABLES – DRIED includes mushrooms, citrus peel or dried banana
HONEY includes royal jelly and propolis
BEE PRODUCTS includes honey comb and beeswax
MEAT- UNCANNED and ALL PORK PRODUCTS includes fresh, dried, frozen, smoked or salted
MILK and MILK PRODUCTS includes all products that contain milk ingredients (NZ dairy products and up to 1kg of baby formula per infant are allowed)
OTHER FOODS includes herbs and spices, breakfast cereals, Vegemite, flour, roasted coffee beans, jam, nutritional/dietary supplements
POPPING CORN, RAW UNROASTED NUTS includes raw peanuts, chestnuts (NZ chestnuts are allowed)
SALMON AND TROUT PRODUCTS ask about special import conditions
TEAS, COFFEE, KAVA, JUICE and OTHER DRINKS containing milk and/or eggs are prohibited

Search below for specific rulings on different types of Animal Material:

ANIMAL MATERIAL	RULES
ANIMALS – LIVE includes birds, birds’ eggs, fish, reptiles and insects
ANIMALS – STUFFED (some may be prohibited by environmental laws) must be prepared by a taxidermist and have a certificate
BONES, HORNS, FEATHERS, SEASHELLS must be clean and free of blood, skin, faeces or soil
RAWHIDE includes rawhide drums, shields, other artifacts
SKINS, HIDES must be professionally tanned or cured (some may be prohibited by environmental laws)
WOOL, ANIMAL HAIR wool must be scoured and hair cleaned

Search below for specific rulings on different types of Plant Material:

PLANT MATERIAL	RULES
FLOWERS – FRESH and LEIS (flowers that may be propagated – for example, roses, carnations and chrysanthemums – are prohibited)
FLOWERS – DRIED arrangements containing grape vine, pine cones, cereal/grain seeds, straw will be treated
HANDICRAFTS and CURIOS includes carvings, items woven from palm fronds or leaves (banana leaf items are prohibited)
PINE CONES includes wreaths, decorations and dried arrangements
PLANTS – LIVE includes cuttings, roots, bulbs, corms, rhizomes and stems
POTPOURRI
SEEDS small commercial packets, seed ornaments, necklaces (beans, corn and lettuce are prohibited)
STRAW OBJECTS includes corn dollies, wreaths and cereal grain decorations
WOODWARE, BAMBOO includes coconut carvings, cane baskets

Search below for specific rulings on Other Material:

OTHER MATERIAL	RULES
ANIMAL EQUIPMENT – USED includes saddles, bridles, bird cages, grooming and veterinary equipment
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS includes human & animal vaccines, veterinary therapeutics
HERBAL MEDICINES/REMEDIES (some may require a Permit)
HOLY WATER
PACKING MATERIAL/STUFFING includes fruit cartons, straw, raw cotton and raw wool (most other packing material is allowed)
SOIL, SAND includes items filled with soil or sand
THERAPEUTIC MEDICINES (some may require a Permit)
VITAMIN/MINERAL SUPPLEMENTS, NUTRITIONAL/DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS (some may require a Permit)