Products requiring an import permit are subject to charges as outlined in the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment Charging guidelines.
Lodgement of an import permit application
You can lodge an electronic import permit application through the Biosecurity Import Conditions (BICON) system. An application levy of $120 applies as outlined in the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment Charging guidelines.
Assessment fees
In addition to the application levy, an initial assessment fee must be payed upfront. The initial assessment fee is based on the category of the goods and relates to how long the assessment of the application is expected to take.
| Category | Initial Assessment Fee |
|---|---|
| Category 1 | $60 |
| Category 2 | $120 |
| Category 3 | $240 |
| Category 4 | $360 |
| Category 5 | $480 |
The department will not assess your import permit applications until full payment of the application levy and initial assessment fee is received.
Once payment is received, the department will assess your application and determine whether your product is suitable for import into Australia. It is important to note that applying for an import permit does not automatically result in an import permit being issued.
Categories of goods
The below menus detail the types of goods that fall under each type of permit application category. The initial assessment fee you will be charged depends on which category the goods fall under.
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Category 1 (Standard goods)
All goods requiring an import permit that are not listed under Category 2-5 below.
Category 2 (Non-standard goods)
- A product to which an approved arrangement applies
- A cell line derived from laboratory animals
- A cell line derived from a non-laboratory animal
- A fermented product that is not a veterinary therapeutic product or a stock food product
- A parasite
- Canned pet food
- Cats or dogs, other than the first cat or dog in a consignment
- Cosmetics
- Food items for human consumption
- Genetically modified plant material
- Herbarium specimens not infected or infested
- Hides or skins
- Human therapeutics (private and commercial)
- Human vaccines
- Laboratory material (proteins, DNA, animal sera)
- Microbes
- Microorganisms
- Natural fibres and fibre products
- Non-organic fertiliser (bulk)
- Nursery stock
- Plant material, seeds or grains, or both, for in vitro use
- Seeds or grains for processing or human consumption or both
- Soil samples
- Water
Category 3 (Non-standard goods)
- Herbal teas
- Herbarium specimens infected and infested plant material and seeds or grains for in vitro use (infected or infested)
- Plant pollen for in vivo use
- Aquaculture feed or bait
- Wood chips or charcoal for cooking or smoking food
- Wine barrels
Category 4 (Non-standard goods)
- Animal reproductive material
- Biological control agent
- Bird seed
- Live animals, including the first cat or dog in a consignment, but not subsequent cats or dogs in a consignment
- Plant-based stock feed
- Plant pathogens for in vivo or in vitro use
- Seed or plant material for processing into pet food
- Bulk culture (medium)
- Dried pet food
- Organic fertiliser
Category 5 (Non-standard goods)
- Biological material for in vivo use
- A single new master seed
- An additional new master seed which is part of a live or inactivated veterinary vaccine
- A single new veterinary vaccine that is live or inactivated with a single master seed
- A single veterinary vaccine renewal that is live or inactivated
More information on assessment fees can be found in the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment Charging guidelines.
Additional assessment fees
For each quarter hour, or part of a quarter hour, that an assessment exceeds the initial assessment period, a $30 fee for service charge will also apply.
Please ensure your import permit application is submitted accurately with all supporting evidence to reduce the likelihood of this additional service fee from being applied.
Variation charges
It is the importers responsibility to ensure the information held on an import permit is accurate, up-to-date, relevant and not misleading. If you need to vary your issued import permit, additional fees may apply. Please note, varied permits will retain the expiry date of the original permit. If your permit is due to expire we recommend applying for a new permit instead of applying for a variation.
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Variations to a permit
Variations may require a reassessment of biosecurity risk. A charge will apply to each permit amended at the request of the applicant. This includes changes to:
- details for importers, exporters or agents that are identified on the permit
- minor corrections to manufacturer details (e.g. spelling mistakes)
- breed of animal
- microchip number for Category 2 dog, cat and zoo animal permits
- number of animals in a consignment
- details of the commodity (e.g. species, product name, microchip number Category 3 dog/cat, end use)
- major change to manufacturer details (e.g. change of name, owner or location)
- Approved arrangement site details
- export country
- conditions, restrictions or requirements.
Contact the department if you would like further information on how much your variation will cost.
- Phone: 1800 900 090 or +61 3 8318 6700 (from outside Australia)
- Email: Imports
- The ‘Contact Us’ function within BICON
Note: Variation charges will not be charged if the change is caused by the department.