On 7 March 2025, Hungary provided official notification to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) of the detection of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) at a dairy farm in Kisbajcs near the border with Slovakia. This was the first detection of FMD in Hungary since 1973. An outbreak of FMD was reported in Slovakia on 21 March 2025.
The Australian Government has completed a biosecurity risk assessment and a detailed technical evaluation of the FMD status of both Hungary and Slovakia and is satisfied that both countries are now free from FMD. Hungary and Slovakia have now been added to the Director of Biosecurity’s FMD-Free Country List and other relevant commodity-specific lists. These changes take effect for Hungary from 10 September 2025 and for Slovakia from 31 October 2025.
Note that restrictions remain in place on the import of goods containing or derived from FMD-susceptible species sourced from and/or manufactured in Hungary from 3 February 2025 to 10 September 2025 and in Slovakia from 3 February 2025 to 31 October 2025, unless alternative risk management measures are in place.
Any changes or updates will be communicated to industry on this website and via Import Industry Advice Notices and BICON Alerts.
Managing the biosecurity risk to Australia
Australia has added Hungary and Slovakia to the:
Australia has also added Slovakia to the:
- List of countries approved for the import of camelid fluids and tissues
- List of countries approved for the import of cervine fluids and tissues
Exclusion Dates: Note Hungary maintains an exclusion period on FMD-susceptible goods from 3 February 2025 to 10 September 2025 and Slovakia maintains an exclusion period on FMD-susceptible goods from 3 February 2025 to 31 October 2025.
We are working with impacted importers to vary biosecurity import permits to reflect the new FMD status of Hungary and Slovakia.
Exclusion period for goods impacted by the outbreak
The Australian Government takes the biosecurity risk of FMD very seriously.
In response to the 2025 FMD outbreak in Hungary and Slovakia, both countries were removed from the Director of Biosecurity’s FMD-Free Country List and other relevant commodity-specific lists. Importation of goods containing or derived from FMD-susceptible species that were sourced from and/or manufactured in Hungary or Slovakia from 3 February 2025 were restricted.
Based on the findings of the department’s detailed technical evaluation of the FMD status of Hungary and Slovakia and accompanying biosecurity risk assessment, both countries have been reinstated on the Director of Biosecurity’s FMD-Free Country List and other relevant commodity-specific lists. The reinstatement of Hungary takes effect from 10 September 2025 and the reinstatement of Slovakia takes place from 31 October 2025.
As such, restrictions remain in place on the import of goods containing or derived from FMD-susceptible species sourced from and/or manufactured in Hungary from 3 February 2025 until 10 September 2025 and in Slovakia from 3 February 2025 until 31 October 2025, unless alternative risk management measures are in place.
Importers should refer to their biosecurity import permit or the Biosecurity (Conditionally Non-Prohibited Goods) Determination 2021 for the relevant import conditions for their goods.
Importing goods sourced from, manufactured in and/or exported from Hungary or Slovakia outside of the exclusion period
Goods containing or derived from FMD-susceptible species that were fully finished and/or exported from Hungary or Slovakia before 3 February 2025, or sourced from and/or manufactured in Hungary on or after 10 September 2025 or Slovakia after 31 October 2025 may now be imported, where all other import conditions are met. Biosecurity import permits will specify any evidence required to demonstrate that goods were sourced from and/or manufactured outside of the exclusion period.
Enroute shipment of goods sourced from and/or manufactured in Hungary between 3 February 2025 and 10 September 2025 or in Slovakia between 3 February 2025 and 31 October 2025
Goods will be assessed on a case-by-case basis, but it is likely that goods sourced from and/or manufactured in Hungary between 3 February 2025 and 10 September 2025 or in Slovakia between 3 February 2025 and 31 October 2025 will be deemed as posing an unacceptable level of biosecurity risk.
Goods that are assessed as having an unacceptable level of biosecurity risk will be subject to additional 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 for composite products containing dairy and the exclusion period
Where a composite product is manufactured in Hungary or Slovakia, the exclusion periods apply to both:
- the sourcing and/or manufacturing date/s of the dairy ingredients of a composite product, and
- the manufacturing date of the final product.
If a composite dairy product is manufactured outside of Hungary or Slovakia, the exclusion period applies only to the date when the dairy component of the goods was sourced from and/or manufactured in Hungary or Slovakia.
Products manufactured outside of Hungary or Slovakia, containing ingredients sourced from Hungary or Slovakia
If ingredients sourced from Hungary or Slovakia were imported to another FMD-free country for manufacturing, the dairy ingredients must have been fully finished and/or exported from Hungary or Slovakia before 3 February 2025 or sourced from and/or manufactured in Hungary on or after 10 September 2025 or sourced from and/or manufactured in Slovakia on or after 31 October 2025. Any evidence required to demonstrate this will be specified in biosecurity import permits.
Impacted Goods
Adding Hungary and Slovakia to the Director of Biosecurity’s FMD-Free Country List and other relevant commodity-specific lists impacts a wide range of goods that contain or are derived from FMD-susceptible species. These include, but are not limited to:
- Goods containing greater than 10% bovine dairy by dry weight where the dairy is sourced, manufactured or exported from Hungary or Slovakia, other than commercially prepared and packaged chocolate. This includes goods that contain more than 10% dairy by dry weight in total but less than 10% Hungarian or Slovakian dairy.
- Personal dairy and meat food items imported as passenger personal effects, or received through the mail into Australia from Hungary or Slovakia.
- Reproductive material derived from cattle and susceptible zoo animals (e.g., zoo bovids, giraffes and elephants) sourced or exported from Hungary or Slovakia.
- Veterinary therapeutics containing or derived from bovine, cervine or camelid materials sourced, manufactured or exported from Hungary or Slovakia.
- Pet food and stock feed containing or derived from bovine, cervine or camelid materials sourced, manufactured or exported from Hungary or Slovakia.
- Laboratory goods containing bovine, cervine and camelid fluids and tissues (including but not limited to test kits, animal fluids and tissues, culture media, foetal bovine serum, environmental samples and other laboratory materials) sourced, manufactured or exported from Hungary or Slovakia.
- Peat sourced, manufactured or exported from Hungary or Slovakia.
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 Hungary or Slovakia 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 relevant permit holders and permit applicants impacted by the FMD outbreak in Hungary or Slovakia. 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 Hungary between 3 February 2025 and 10 September 2025 or in Slovakia between 3 February 2025 and 31 October 2025.
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 Hungary or Slovakia. The goods still need to meet the relevant import conditions specified on BICON.
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.
Peat imports
Peat can continue to be imported into Australia from Hungary and Slovakia provided all biosecurity import conditions can be met. This includes the requirement that the peat not be sourced from an area:
- in which FMD has occurred in the past 12-months or
- within a three (3) kilometre radius of an FMD affected property.
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.