Before landing in Australian territory, you must comply with our requirements for aircraft clearance.
The Biosecurity obligations for aircraft arriving in Australian territory outlines the mandatory obligations at each stage of aircraft clearance.
Here we’ve reproduced the section on arrival in Australia.
Pratique
Pratique is the permission granted to an aircraft arriving in Australia to disembark travellers and their goods after determining human health risks within the aircraft have been managed to an acceptable level.
Aircraft entering Australia operate under a system of free pratique, meaning you access positive pratique on arrival (passengers disembarkation and unloading of goods permitted) unless one or more of the following circumstances applies.
The aircraft operator has reported information via the pre arrival report that includes:
- details of any person on board who has, or had, signs or symptoms of a listed human disease
- details of any person on board who died during the flight
- if an incoming flight has not completed its required disinsection measures before arriving at its first landing place in Australian territory
- the Director of Human Biosecurity has given a direction, before the aircraft has landed, that the aircraft will be subject to the negative pratique process
- a biosecurity officer advises the aircraft operator, before or after the aircraft arrives, that they are not satisfied that the aircraft is free from infection
Aircraft in the above circumstances will be subject to negative pratique controls and be met by biosecurity officers on arrival. No person (including crew and airline representatives) will be permitted to embark or disembark the aircraft, and no goods can be loaded or unloaded, until pratique has been granted by a biosecurity officer under ss49(4) of the Biosecurity Act 2015 (the Act). Failure to comply is an offence that may result in the penalties outlined in Table 9, unless the aircraft movements are exempted per Table 10.
| Entity | Penalty | Legislation reference |
|---|---|---|
| person in charge of the aircraft | 300 penalty units | Biosecurity Act 2015, section 48 |
| operator of the aircraft | 1,000 penalty units | Biosecurity Act 2015, section 48 |
| body corporate | 1,500 - 5,000 penalty units | Biosecurity Act 2015, section 48 |
| Impacted entity | Impacted movement | Legislation reference |
|---|---|---|
| aircraft operating in the domestic network | actual or intended movement between the Torres Strait and the remainder of Australian territory |
|
On-arrival disinsection announcement
If you have not undertaken the mandatory disinsection measures before you arrive in Australian territory, you must deliver the approved on-arrival disinsection announcement to inform passengers of the upcoming spray on-arrival disinsection treatment.
Upon notifying crew, a passenger with a serious medical condition that may be affected by the on-arrival disinsection measure is permitted to disembark before the treatment commences. Their personal belongings, however, must remain on board the aircraft.
The mandatory announcement is located within the Schedule of Aircraft disinsection procedures for flights into Australia and New Zealand and must NOT be edited.
Disinsection verification
To ensure disinsection has occurred in accordance with the WHO requirements, a biosecurity officer may attend your aircraft to assess and verify the disinsection certificate and accompanying exhausted, or partly used, cabin and hold disinsection cans where applicable.
The applicator is responsible for ensuring a certificate detailing the treatment is completed for each section of the aircraft that has been treated. You, your representative, or ground handing agent are responsible for maintaining certification records and ensuring they are available on request for a period of twelve (12) months. Disinsection certificates can either be maintained in hardcopy or electronically.
If you have entered into a formal arrangement with either the Department or MPI NZ to perform residual or pre-embarkation disinsection methods, your arrangement will outline how disinsection is verified. Find out more on aircraft disinsection procedures for flights into Australia and New Zealand.
If disinsection has not occurred or cannot be verified, biosecurity officers will supervise a spray on-arrival treatment. This is a chargeable activity in Australia. You, your representative or ground handing agent are responsible for the provision of cans to complete the on-arrival disinsection.
On-arrival medical announcement
You must deliver the approved on-arrival medical announcement when biosecurity officers or border officials are required to board an aircraft to screen and assess a traveller with signs and symptoms of a listed human disease, or a traveller who has died in-flight. The approved announcement must NOT be edited.
The purpose of this announcement is to advise travellers there may be delays disembarking the aircraft while border officials complete screening to assess the human health risk.
You and your crew are responsible for facilitating the biosecurity officer as they board the aircraft and complete screening to assess the risk. The aircraft will be subject to negative pratique controls until pratique is granted by a biosecurity officer.
Traveller announcement resources are available.
Biosecurity waste
Biosecurity waste may be derived from:
- cabin and galley waste such as unconsumed foods
- sweepings from the holds of aircraft or materials used to pack and stabilise imported goods
- animal waste or carcasses and plant materials, including floral arrangements
All cabin, galley and hold waste on board the aircraft must be collected, transported, stored, and/or treated by either a service provider that has entered an Approved Arrangement with the department, or under the department’s supervision on a fee for service basis.
Failure to comply with an approved arrangement may result in the penalties outlined in Table 11.
For more information on approved service providers, contact Approved Arrangements.
| Entity | Penalty | Legislation reference |
|---|---|---|
natural person
|
| Biosecurity Act 2015, section 428 |
| body corporate | 5,000 penalty units | Biosecurity Act 2015, section 428 |
Release from Biosecurity Control
In accordance with s191 of the Act, all international aircraft arriving in Australian territory are subject to biosecurity control. Aircraft operators intending to transition to the domestic flight network after arrival MUST request the release of their aircraft from biosecurity control prior to doing so.
NOTE: This requirement does not apply to aircraft departing Australia immediately after arrival.
This protocol ensures that, before an aircraft operates within Australia’s domestic flight network, the department has assessed and appropriately managed any potential biosecurity risks, ensuring an acceptable level of protection.
An international aircraft can only be released from biosecurity control, consistent with s218 of the Act, when:
- a biosecurity officer informs the owner or operator that the aircraft has been released from biosecurity control, or
- the aircraft departs Australian territory
Once an aircraft is released from biosecurity control and subsequently departs Australia, it will again be subject to biosecurity control upon its return to Australian territory.
Find out more on entering the domestic network after arriving in Australia.
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See the full document to find out more on entering the domestic network after arriving in Australia.
Biosecurity obligations for aircraft arriving in Australian territory
Updated November 2025
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