Last updated 1 July 2025
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Notice to Industry 18: Guide to import fees for horses (PDF 313 KB)
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The purpose of this Notice to Industry (NTI) is to clarify the fees that may be charged by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry for horse imports to Australia effective 1 July 2025. This includes examples of activities that apply for the fee types listed. Further details about the department’s fees and charges, including current cost recovery implementations statements, can be found on our website at: Fees and charges
All horses intended for import to Australia must have a valid import permit from the department. Import permit lodgement and assessment fees apply per consignment of horses.
| Import permit application | Applicable fees | Total min. cost AUD ($) |
|---|---|---|
| Importation of a consignment of horses, including an existing approved variation if requested with application | Online lodgement ($130) Minimum assessment fee – Category 4 ($473) | $603 |
| Importation of a consignment of horses, including request to vary biosecurity import conditions, which requires additional assessment (e.g. requests for equivalent disease testing or treatment requirements) | Online lodgement ($130) Minimum assessment fee – Category 4 ($473) Minimum assessment fee (variation) – Category 4 ($473) | $1076 |
| Import permit variations (application to amend an existing valid import permit) | Applicable fees | Total min. cost AUD ($) |
|---|---|---|
| Update personal information (e.g. importer/exporter name, address, phone number; horse details such as name/year/breed/microchip/add a horse) | Online lodgement ($130) In office fee ($40 per 15 minutes) | $170 |
| Vary biosecurity import conditions (e.g. requests for equivalent disease testing or treatment requirements, non-travelling horses) | Online lodgement ($130) Minimum assessment fee – Category 4 ($473) | $603 |
Note: Additional fees apply to all permit and variation application types if the assessment time exceeds 3 hours. Additional time is charged as an in-office fee of $40 per 15 minutes. For example, this may apply to shuttle stallion equine viral arteritis assessments.
Fees for import permit applications are required at the time of lodgement. An import permit will not be granted until payment is cleared. Payments do not process on the day the application is submitted. The lodgement fee is non-refundable once the application has been submitted. Once an import permit application or variation application has been assessed, regardless of the outcome, no refund can be issued. This is because the services provided by the department have been expended.
The clearance fees detailed in the table below include the time taken for departmental officers to assess documentation in-office as well as inspecting horses on arrival at the airport. The time taken to clear horse stalls and equipment are charged on a separate invoice. These invoices will be generated through the AIMS system.
| Service | Notes | AUD ($) |
|---|---|---|
| Assessment of preparation schedule (Listed under ‘additional comments’ as ‘+ X (number) units assessment of preparation schedule’ and charged under ‘Inspection – Horse Inspect’ on invoice) | Service code SQIA7H, fee per 15 minutes, charged per consignment | $40 |
| Inspection of horses at airport* including collecting hard copies of documentation (Listed as ‘Inspection - Horse Inspect’ on invoice and may contain additional detail in the comments section) | Service codes will include: | |
| SQIS23H: Fee For Service (FFS) entry processing horse imports, fee per 15 minutes, charged per consignment | $40 | |
| Service codes may include out-of-office inspection and out of hours (OOH) fees: | ||
| SQIS25H: Out of office FFS, fee per 15 minutes, charged per officer | $67 | |
| WD_OTC: OOH – Mon-Fri, continuous, charged per officer per 15 minutes in addition to SQIS25H when applicable | $18 | |
| WD_OTNC1: OOH – Mon-Fri, non-continuous, fee up to 30 minutes, charged per officer in addition to SQIS25H when applicable | $36 | |
| WD_OTNC2: OOH – Mon-Fri, non-continuous, charged per officer per 15 minutes (after 30 minutes) in addition to SQIS25H when applicable | $18 | |
| WE_OTNC1: OOH – Sat/Sun/Public Holiday – non-continuous, fee up to 30 minutes, charged per officer in addition to SQIS25H when applicable | $46 | |
| WE_OTNC2: OOH – Sat/Sun/Public Holiday, non-continuous, fee per 15 minutes (after 30 minutes), charged per officer in addition to SQIS25H when applicable | $23 | |
| Inspection of documentation e.g. health certificates and associated documents (Listed in ‘additional comments’ as X (number of) units VO charges for HC & doc assessment, X units HTF in office on invoice) | Service code SQIA7H, fee per 15 minutes, charged per consignment | $40 |
*Where the inspection of horses at the airport is for a consignment with multiple importers, fees are split according to the ratio of horses per importer.
An importation charge for all horse imports applies. The importation charge includes but is not limited to:
- Biosecurity officers time for routine requirements including between 5:30am – 10pm daily x 14 days PAQ, preparation of the compound including documents and compound set up, arrival, release day, forklift spotting
- Veterinary officers time for supervision for all routine testing, routine examinations, arrival and release
- Horse, Livestock and Bird Imports program technical advice, procedures, training, verification and support
- Support staff and overheads including security, HR and training
- Contractor expenses – e.g. forklifting feed and bedding; bunker rake operation and post intake repairs
- Utility costs - gas, electricity, and water
- General waste - including collection and distribution
- Biosecurity waste - including fuel surcharge and portion of monthly fee
- Consumables - towels, overalls, shampoo and conditioner etc
- Minor equipment - tools, rakes, shovels, kettles toasters, microwaves, etc
- Repairs and maintenance – e.g. surgery equipment, horse walker, float, gurneys, menage sand, decontamination equipment
- Vehicle lease - Polaris
The importation charge is comprised of a non-refundable reservation charge which will apply when booking a horse consignment at Mickleham Quarantine Post-Entry Quarantine Facility (MQF) and a confirmation of reservation charge which will apply prior to the consignment’s arrival.
Bookings and fees for the privately operated Approved Arrangements (AAs) for horses are not determined by the department and must be discussed with the individual operator of the AA.
A non-refundable reservation charges will be invoiced to the importer based on the number of horses confirmed to arrive within the consignment up to 22 days prior to their importation. Refer to Making a horse compound booking at the Mickleham Quarantine Facility for further details.
| Service | Notes | AUD ($) |
|---|---|---|
| Reservation charge | Service code SPHFRES2307, fee per animal | $1048 |
The confirmation of reservation charge will be invoiced to the importer based on the number of horses within the consignment due to arrive from overseas. This invoice will be issued approximately 1-2 business days prior to their importation.
| Service | Notes | AUD ($) |
|---|---|---|
| Confirmation of reservation charge | Service code SPHLIMP2307, fee per animal | $4193 |
Additional charges that may be incurred during the quarantine period will be invoiced upon release of the consignment from MQF.
| Additional charges – if required | Service codes may include (depending on activity, in/out of office hours): | AUD ($) |
|---|---|---|
| MQF official veterinary inspection additional charges (includes supervision of non-inducted personnel, additional testing, examinations, surgery) | Service code SPCFFIO2507, fee per 15 minutes | $40 |
| MQF additional charges (includes but is not limited to inspection of excess horse equipment, biosecurity officer time for out of hours supervision e.g. for surgery, hand carry of fast-track samples, attending outside normal rostered hours for emergencies such as colic etc.) | SPCFINSPIOQ2507, fee per 15 minutes | $40 |
| SPCFFIOWE2507, fee per 15 minutes (applies if officer continues on after shift has ended OOH on a weekend) | $23 | |
| SPCFFIOWENC2507, fee for first 30 minutes (If an officer is called in on a weekend/PH separate to their shift) | $126 | |
| MQF miscellaneous (lump sum for specific items, such as nasopharyngeal swabs, additional special sampling equipment including eskies, cost of deep burial for a deceased horse) | Service code SQQMH, fee charged according to cost to department | As required |
| MQF overstay fee (horses that overstay the initial 14-day period | SPHFDOHUS2507, fee per animal, per day, after the minimum 14 days | $47 |
Fees are subject to change without notice. It is the importer’s responsibility to keep up to date with changes to fees, policies and procedures.
For queries about fees and payment, please email the MQF horse manager.