27 June 2025
Who does this notice affect?
All vessel owners, operators, masters and shipping agents who represent international commercial vessels, including cruise vessels preparing for arrival into Australian territory.
What has changed?
In December 2023, an Import Industry Advice Notice was published regarding changes to reporting disembarking crew from commercial vessels, including cruise vessels.
This information is re-published to clarify Australian biosecurity reporting requirements.
It is a requirement for vessel masters or agents to report crew and any travellers that will disembark a vessel at a FPOE and any subsequent ports while in Australian territory.
The Maritime and Aircraft Reporting System (MARS) must be used by commercial and cruise vessel masters and shipping agents to report intended disembarkations for every crew member planning to disembark in Australian territory, at a FPOE and any subsequent ports. This information should be reported:
- in the MARS Pre-Arrival Report (PAR).
- as a Disembarking Crew MARS Service Request where disembarkation was not originally notified on the PAR or where any disembarkation information has changed.
The vessel master or agent and crew must declare Yes or No to the following biosecurity questions in the MARS PAR or Disembarking Crew Service Request and complete the details of any goods being declared prior to disembarking.
Do disembarking crew have any of the following goods or activity to declare?
- Meat, poultry, fish, seafood, eggs, dairy, fruit, vegetables? (Y/N)
- Grains, seeds, bulbs, straw, nuts, plants, parts of plants, traditional medicines or herbs, wooden articles? (Y/N)
- Animals, parts of animals, animal products including equipment, pet food, eggs, biologicals, specimens, birds, fish, insects, shells, bee products? (Y/N)
- Soil, items with soil attached or used in freshwater areas e.g. sports/recreational equipment, shoes? (Y/N)
- Been in contact with farms, farm animals, wilderness areas or freshwater streams/lakes etc in the past 30 days? (Y/N).
The completed declarations allow biosecurity officers to conduct a biosecurity risk assessment, allowing for early intervention in regulatory decision making and determining whether a crew disembarkation biosecurity inspection will be required.
Where masters or agents fail to advise of crew disembarkations, biosecurity officers will lodge a non-compliance report for assessment and further action.
MARS notifications to agents for billing
Once a PAR or Disembarking Crew Service Request is submitted, the port, billing and crew agencies each receive an automated email from MARS stating they have been nominated by the master as agents for a particular vessel’s voyage. This is an agent’s first opportunity to contact the National Maritime Centre (NMC) or a biosecurity officer and update details in MARS. For example, where an agent has been incorrectly nominated by the master as the disembarking crew agent. Masters and agents are required to check this email to ensure that the nominated agents are correct.
Important note: The Australian Border Force (ABF) requires crew declaration reporting, using Form 465 of the Customs Act 1901. Form 465 is for ABF use and is separate to DAFF’s reporting requirements under the Biosecurity Regulation 2016.
Further information
Read the Disembarking Crew Quick Reference Guide QRG10: MARS communications and training materials – DAFF
Reminder to vessel masters and shipping agents
- Read and understand the Biosecurity Status Document (BSD) directions and conditions and keep a copy of the current document on board the vessel for the duration of the voyage in Australia.
- Any changes in circumstances during the voyage in Australian waters, particularly changes to the human health of crew/passengers, must be reported via MARS or reported to the National Maritime Centre (NMC) as soon as practicable.
- Ensure the correct port, billing and crew agencies are correctly entered in MARS for accurate billing at each disembarkation port.
- A failure to report accurately or comply with a requirement under the Biosecurity Act 2015 may result in penalties, including infringement notices, civil penalties or criminal prosecutions.
Contact the department’s National Maritime Centre (NMC) by email maritimenc@aff.gov.au or phone: 1300 004 605 (in Australia) or +61 8 8201 6185 (outside Australia).
View the Vessels webpages for information on Australia’s biosecurity reporting obligations and responsibilities.