Vessel Pratique

The International Health Regulations 2005 defines vessel pratique as “permission for a ship to enter a port, embark or disembark, discharge or load cargo (goods) or stores; Pratique ensures risks to human health can be identified and managed before the vessel is unloaded or disembarked.

The Department’s Pratique Framework

The Pratique Framework outlines the department’s approach to identifying and managing human health risks relating to vessel arrivals to Australian territory.

The department performs human health functions on behalf of the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing at Australia’s international seaports and airports. For more information refer to the Dept of Health's role in biosecurity.

What is pratique?

Pratique is defined as permission for things to be unloaded from or loaded onto a vessel, or permission for any person to disembark from or embark a vessel. Pratique processes ensure biosecurity risks to human health can be identified and managed before the vessel is unloaded or disembarked.

Once the vessel has pratique, pratique cannot be revoked.

Pre-arrival reporting (PAR)

Under Section 193 of the Biosecurity Act 2015 (the Act), the operator of a vessel must submit a Pre-Arrival Report (PAR) where:

• the vessel intends to enter, or enters, Australian territory on a voyage that commenced outside of Australia
• the vessel is exposed to another conveyance while outside Australian territory.

The PAR provides details of any ill travellers who have shown signs and symptoms of a Listed Human Disease (LHD) or if there has been a death on board, which determines the pratique status of the vessel. And it provides the department with specific information to perform a biosecurity risk assessment of the vessel prior to arrival.

Commercial vessels must provide a PAR in writing, via the Maritime and Aircraft Reporting System (MARS).

Non-commercial vessels must provide a PAR in writing (electronically via the department’s preferred reporting method), the non-commercial vessel web portal, or orally to a biosecurity officer or customs officer.

IMPORTANT: From 27 February 2026, non-commercial vessels must only provide a PAR in writing (electronically) using the non-commercial vessel web portal.

The Biosecurity Regulation 2016 (the Regulation) stipulates how and when a PAR should be submitted.

Failure to provide a PAR in accordance with the Regulation may contravene subsection 193(4) of the Act. Where non-compliance is identified, biosecurity officers complete a non-compliance report.

The pratique process

A vessel is subject to either positive pratique or negative pratique when entering Australian territory. 

Pratique may be granted by force of the Act (positive pratique) or by a biosecurity officer (negative pratique). 

The type of vessel and the information provided in the PAR determines the process used. Once the vessel reaches the point of arrival (which, for biosecurity purposes, is when the vessel enters Australian territory, generally 12 nautical miles (NM) from the Australian coast, at the first arrival port precinct. Pratique is granted either automatically via MARS (positive pratique) or manually by a biosecurity officer (negative pratique).

Commercial vessels

Commercial vessels are not granted pratique at the time of submission of the PAR. The vessel is subject to the positive or negative pratique process until arrival, which, for biosecurity purposes, is when the vessel enters Australian territory, generally 12 nautical miles (NM) from the Australian territory coastline, at the first arrival port precinct.

• Pratique is granted automatically via MARS on arrival where there are no human health issues (positive pratique process)
• Where human health issues are reported, pratique is not granted until a biosecurity officer has assessed the biosecurity risk (negative pratique process).

Once a vessel has arrived (within 12 NM), subsequent Human Health Updates do not change the pratique process. 

• If pratique has been granted via the positive pratique process and a listed human disease or death on board is subsequently reported, pratique cannot be revoked.
• If pratique has not been granted and a subsequent Human Health Update reports no listed human disease or death on board, a biosecurity officer must grant pratique manually via the negative pratique process. 

Cruise and non-commercial vessels

Cruise and non-commercial vessels arrive subject to the negative pratique instrument, under the Biosecurity (Negative Pratique) Amendment (2022 Measures No. 1) Instrument 2022.

A vessel being subject to negative pratique does not mean that ‘pratique is not granted’, but rather a biosecurity officer needs to grant pratique manually. In some limited circumstances a human biosecurity officer may advise that pratique can be granted subject to specific management action, even when there is a LHD risk on board.

Travellers are not allowed to embark or disembark, and no thing is allowed to be loaded or unloaded, until a biosecurity officer manually grants pratique under subsection 49(4) of the Act. However, under s5(2) of the Negative Pratique Instrument, a biosecurity officer, chief human biosecurity officer or human biosecurity officer may request a thing to be loaded or unloaded or a person to embark or disembark the vessel.

The Biosecurity Status Document

Biosecurity Status Documents (BSDs) are the single source of information for biosecurity directions and advice to the master, and shipping agent, for each vessel’s voyage. BSDs are automatically generated in MARS and version controlled to reflect any reported changes to directions or status occurring during a voyage.

Each BSD uses a traffic light system as a visual cue to alert the master about the vessel status and any associated directions or advice issued by the department. The BSD provides directions to the master regarding pratique status and human health requirements, and which international code of signals should be displayed.

Biosecurity directions specified in each BSD are legally binding. For more detail on BSDs, refer to the:

Download Understanding the Biosecurity Status Document (BSD).

• Quick reference guide Understanding the Biosecurity Status Document (PDF 56 KB) 

If you have difficulty accessing these files, contact us for help.

As a result of the PAR or Human Health Update report submitted by the master or shipping agent, Biosecurity Status Documents (BSDs) are created by MARS and emailed to the master and shipping agent.

BSD conditions have been revised to reflect the positive and negative pratique processes and the timing of the granting of pratique.

Vessel tracking and granting of pratique

Vessel operators are required to keep their Automatic Identification System (AIS) on to transmit Position Reports in accordance with the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), 1974 Chapter 5, Regulation 19.2.4.

Vessel operators must report any malfunction of the vessel’s AIS equipment to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) Australia in accordance with Section 186 of the Navigation Act 2012. 

• Marine Order 63 (Navigation Act 2012) makes the provision of Position Reports mandatory for foreign vessels from the arrival at its first port in Australian territory until its departure from its final port in Australian territory, and
• all regulated Australian vessels whilst in the Modernised Australian Ship Tracking and Reporting System (MASTREP) area.

Berthing conditions

Vessel berthing conditions in Australian territory ports are provided on the BSD after meeting reporting requirements. Vessel pratique does not affect a vessels permission to berth in Australia.

A vessel subject to the positive pratique process by virtue of the Biosecurity Act 2015 will have permission to embark or disembark travellers (all passengers and crew), discharge or load waste or cargo.

A vessel subject to the negative pratique process by virtue of the Act does not have permission to embark or disembark travellers (all passengers and crew), discharge or load waste or cargo.  Access to the vessel is restricted to personnel who are authorised under the Act or another Australian law until pratique has been granted by a biosecurity officer.

Where a vessel operator intends to enter an Australian territory and requires people to disembark the vessel to an Australian territory outside the 12nm range, they are required to submit a Crew Change application or report through the PAR in MARS prior to crew disembarkation.

There are no biosecurity restrictions on crew joining a vessel. The reporting requirement is not required for pilots of vessels. Pilots can embark and disembark under the Navigation Act 2012.

Vessel operators should be aware that the potential transfer of goods onto an onshore supply vessel outside the 12nm range could result in the onshore supply vessel being considered as an exposed conveyance and subject to Biosecurity control. Vessel operators or shipping agents must contact the Conveyance Maritime team for further advice and refer to the Offshore installations and exposed conveyance webpage.

While pratique has been granted for the vessel, the cargo and some persons or goods may continue to be subject to biosecurity control. The submission of additional documentation or inspection by a biosecurity officer may be required.

The following documents provide further information and a visual guide of the pratique process across non-commercial and commercial vessels, including cruise vessels.