On 16 December 2025, the department received preliminary reports of outbreaks of FMD in Boğaziçi village, Ayios Sergios and Lapithos on the island of Cyprus. The department is actively monitoring the outbreaks and has, for precautionary reasons while we continue to gather information, decided to remove Cyprus from the List of FMD-Free Countries.
Managing the biosecurity risk to Australia
Australia has removed Cyprus from the:
- List of FMD-Free Countries
- List of countries for natural casings derived from bovine, caprine, ovine or porcine animals
- List of countries approved for the import of camelid fluids and tissues
- List of countries approved for the import of cervine fluids and tissues
We are working with impacted importers to vary biosecurity import permits to reflect the new FMD status of Cyprus, and to restrict the importation of high-risk goods that were sourced, manufactured or processed in Cyprus after 8 November 2025.
Goods impacted by the outbreak
The detection of FMD in Cyprus will have impacts for a wide range of goods that contain or are derived from FMD-susceptible species. These include, but are not limited to:
- Dairy* that is sourced, manufactured or exported from Cyprus.
- Halloumi that is not ripened for 30 days and reaches a pH of 6 or below that is sourced, manufactured or exported from Cyprus.
- Personal dairy and meat food items imported as passenger personal effects or through the mail into Australia from Cyprus.
- Reproductive material derived from cattle, sheep, goats, zoo bovids, giraffe or elephants sourced or exported from Cyprus.
- Veterinary therapeutics containing ingredients derived from bovine, porcine, ovine, caprine, cervine or camelid animals domiciled in Cyprus.
- Pet food and stock feed containing or derived from bovine, porcine, ovine, caprine, cervine or camelid materials sourced from animals domiciled in Cyprus.
- Laboratory goods containing cervine and camelid fluids and tissues (including but not limited to test kits, animal fluids and tissues, culture media, environmental samples and other laboratory materials) sourced from Cyprus.
*Note: solid chocolate (including imitation chocolate), ripened cheese and goods containing less than 10% dairy for human consumption can continue to be imported into Australia from the island of Cyprus.
Any goods in transit will be assessed on a case-by-case basis and potentially subject to biosecurity measures. Assessment may include consideration of whether the product or ingredients were fully finished or exported from Cyprus before 8 November 2025.
Goods that pose an unacceptable biosecurity risk may be subject to biosecurity measures such as export, treatment or destruction. Importers and brokers who are unsure of the status of their goods should contact imports@aff.gov.au for advice before arranging the export of any goods from Cyprus to Australia. We are committed to ongoing trade where it is safe to do so.
Goods NOT impacted
Goods that do not require country freedom from FMD, include but are not limited to:
- Goods containing less than 10% dairy by dry weight and no other ingredients of biosecurity concern for human consumption.
- Lactose, solid chocolate (including imitation chocolate), and ghee for human consumption.
- Collagen, with a permit, for human consumption.
- Retorted dairy, meat and petfood, with a permit.
Impacts on import permit holders
To manage the biosecurity risks to Australia, we have initiated contact with permit holders and permit applicants impacted by the FMD outbreak in Cyprus. We are now working with importers to vary import conditions to reflect the change in FMD-status.
It is expected that the changes to import conditions will restrict the entry of high-risk goods to Australia containing or derived from FMD-susceptible species sourced, manufactured or processed in Cyprus after 8 November 2025.
Importing goods sourced, manufactured or processed in Cyprus before 8 November 2025
Importers may continue to import goods containing or derived from FMD-susceptible species that were fully finished and packaged for export or exported from Cyprus prior to 8 November 2025 and where all other import conditions are met. Importers/brokers will still need to supply evidence of the date of sourcing, manufacturing or processing before goods can be released from biosecurity control. The additional requirements may cause delays in releasing your goods from biosecurity control.
En route shipment of goods sourced, manufactured and processed in Cyprus after 8 November 2025
The goods will be assessed on a case-by-case basis, but it is unlikely that the goods will be deemed as posing an acceptable biosecurity risk.
Goods that are assessed as having an unacceptable level of biosecurity risk may be subject to biosecurity measures such as export, treatment or destruction.
Importers and brokers that are unsure of the status of their goods should contact imports@aff.gov.au for advice before arranging for the export of any product to Australia.
Clarification of composite products and the 8 November 2025 cutoff
The 8 November 2025 cutoff date refers to the date when the dairy component of the goods was sourced, processed or manufactured in Cyprus.
Viable FMD virus could be introduced into dairy products if contamination with raw milk or other dairy ingredients sourced from infected animals occurs during processing. Accordingly, products manufactured in Cyprus after 8 November 2025 may not be permitted entry into Australia and may be directed for export, treatment, or destruction.
Dairy ingredients sourced from Cyprus before the cutoff
If dairy ingredients sourced from Cyprus were imported to another FMD-free country for processing, the importer or broker will need to be able to demonstrate that the dairy ingredients were fully finished and packaged for export or exported from Cyprus before 8 November 2025 and link the ingredients to a consignment. This may include evidence such as commercial documentation specifying when the dairy goods were sourced, processed and/or manufactured in Cyprus. An import permit is required to import these types of dairy goods.
Regionalisation agreements
Australia does not have established regionalisation agreements for imports from any country for FMD.
To be recognised as FMD free the Australian Government will undertake an evaluation according to the existing policy which outlined in Evaluation of animal health status of countries, zones and compartments for imports of animals and products of animal origin, available on our Import request page.
Chocolate and goods containing dairy
Goods containing less than 10% dairy by dry weight and solid chocolate, including imitation chocolate, for human consumption, can continue to be imported into Australia from Cyprus. The goods still need to meet the relevant import conditions specified on BICON.
Impact on Imports of Halloumi
Halloumi will only be permitted to be imported with a valid import permit. For halloumi that has been sourced or processed on or after 8 November 2025, permits will only be issued if the halloumi has been ripened for 30 days and obtained a pH of 6 or below before and after ripening. Importers that wish to import halloumi that meet these conditions can apply for a permit via BICON through the FMD cheese pathway of the dairy case.
Extruded pet food
Extrusion is not generally considered an acceptable heat treatment to inactivate FMD virus. All import permit applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis to determine the effectiveness of heat treatments.
Dairy foods for medical purposes
Foods for special medical purpose (FSMP) and special medical purpose products for infants (SMPPi) are critical for vulnerable people and trade in these products will continue where safe. We are conducting risk assessments on these types of products and will issue bespoke import permits, provided the biosecurity risk is acceptably low. Only SMPPi and FSMP as per Standard 2.9.1 or 2.9.5 respectively, of the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code (Food Standards Code) are being prioritised and considered for the bespoke import conditions at this time.
Double pasteurised or ultra heat-treated dairy goods
Double pasteurisation or UHT is not considered acceptable treatment to inactivate FMD virus. Dairy products from countries that are not considered free from FMD by the Director of Biosecurity are required to be retorted. Retorting is a process where the goods are sealed in a hermetically sealed container and then heat treated at extreme temperatures for a period to render the goods commercially sterile, achieving an F0 value of 2.8. Standard retort process parameters include achieving a core temperature of 121.1°C for 2.8 minutes. Retorting is a process that has been proven to inactivate harmful pathogens of concern including FMD virus.
Testing products
Testing products for FMD is not considered an acceptable alternative to sourcing, processing and manufacturing goods in countries that are approved by the Director of Biosecurity as being FMD free.