Help protect Australia from foot-and-mouth disease. See our current advice.
We assess all mail articles arriving at Australia’s international mail centres. Our biosecurity officers and detector dogs look for risk goods such as food, plant material (including seeds, cacti and succulents) and animal products (including meat and pet food).
You must comply with Australian biosecurity laws when mailing goods to Australia. This applies to everyone, including:
- Australian residents buying goods online from outside Australia
- online sellers (business or individual) sending goods to Australian buyers
- family and friends sending a gift to someone in Australia.
Follow our advice when sending or ordering goods to avoid extra costs, loss of goods or delays.
Images on screen:
A plane is seen landing at an airport with an air traffic control tower in the background. In the foreground we see a building with a sign ‘International Mail Centre’ on it. A postal worker is seen unloading a package from their postal van onto a trolley.
SPEAKER:
Did you know Australia is at risk from pests and diseases arriving in mail from overseas?
Images on screen:
Scene changes to a view of a laptop showing an ecommerce online order form from a website titled ‘Toy-O!’. We see the item cost list showing line items ‘Robot Toy’, ‘International Shipping’ and ‘Total’. A cursor moves to and clicks on the button titled ‘Place order’.
SPEAKER:
Say you order something online.
Images on screen:
The laptop screen shuts and scene changes to a package with an air courier label on it. A rubber stamp stamps the name of the destination ‘Australia’ onto the package.
SPEAKER:
It might come from overseas, which means you might have to pay a little extra for postage.
Images on screen:
The package is then seen along with other mail on a conveyor belt going through an x-ray scanning machine. The scan reveals the robot toy in the package. The package that follows this is seen to have some kind of plants and seeds under the x-ray. Icons representing seeds/succulents, pet food, wooden face mask, meat, and a rawhide drum are seen.
SPEAKER:
But what are the real costs of ordering goods from overseas?
Images on screen:
The conveyor belt stops when the package with plants and seeds is identified. The symbol representing seeds/succulents is crossed and a warning tab appears on the scanner’s screen.
SPEAKER:
Some things can pose a biosecurity risk to Australia, like plant material and animal products.
Images on screen:
The seeds are zoomed into and it reveals pathogens growing on the seeds. The pathogen grows to cover the seeds as if invading space.
SPEAKER:
They could carry serious pests or diseases which could have devastating impacts on Australia’s agriculture, environment, and our way of life.
Images on screen:
Scene changes to show icons representing seeds/succulents, pet food, wooden face mask, meat, and a rawhide drum in a circle and a cross mask on them; on a sign with the title ‘BIOSECURITY ALERT!’
SPEAKER:
That’s why we have strict biosecurity laws that control the type of goods that can be sent to Australia.
Images on screen:
A detector dog with a red jacket with text ‘BIOSECURITY’ is seen on a conveyor belt inspecting international mail along with a biosecurity officer. The detector dog sniffs and wags its tail next to a package indicating it may contain potential risk items. The biosecurity officer appears to be concerned.
SPEAKER:
International mail is carefully screened at our border by X-ray and highly trained detector dogs.
Images on screen:
The biosecurity officer is seen closely inspecting the suspicious package with the detector dogs next to them.
SPEAKER:
Our biosecurity officers also inspect items to look for risk material.
Images on screen:
The scene changes to three wire cages with signs on top titled ‘TREAT’, ‘EXPORT’, and ‘DESTROY’. The biosecurity officer is seen carrying a potentially risky identified package and putting it into the wire case under the sign ‘DESTROY’.
SPEAKER:
Goods that don’t meet import conditions are either treated, exported, or destroyed as biosecurity waste, depending on the risk they pose.
Images on screen:
We transition to a split view showing four different individuals - a millennial, a farmer, an elderly person and a business person. Three of these receive their parcels and they seem delighted. However, one does not receive a package and appears to be disappointed.
SPEAKER:
Don’t waste your time and money. Check before ordering goods online and tell family and friends overseas about our biosecurity laws.
Images on screen:
The scene changes and we see a person holding a tablet showing the webpage for the Australian Government’s mail website. The person navigates through the information on the website.
SPEAKER:
Help protect Australia’s unique environment and agricultural industries from pests and diseases
Images on screen:
On a blue background we see the Australian Government crest and text ‘Australian Government’. Below it appears the text ‘agriculture.gov.au/mail’
SPEAKER:
Visit agriculture dot gov dot a u forward slash mail to learn more.
Check it is allowed
Check that the food, plant material or animal product is allowed into Australia.
Do this before you:
- buy goods online from sellers outside Australia
- send goods to someone in Australia.
Some goods pose a significant biosecurity risk and are not permitted entry into Australia. Other goods are only allowed if they meet import conditions. For example, the receiver may need to hold a valid import permit issued by us or pay for treatment on arrival to reduce the biosecurity risk.
Biosecurity
Check what is allowed into Australia:
- use our mail inquiry
- search our Biosecurity Import Conditions system (BICON)
- read our advice on sending or ordering goods for cultural celebrations and seasonal events.
Import conditions in BICON are reviewed regularly. Make sure you check the conditions each time you want to send or order goods.
Other border restrictions
Even if the goods don’t pose a biosecurity risk, they may be restricted under other laws.
You should also check:
- Department of Home Affairs
- Therapeutic Goods Administration
- Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority
- Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)
- State or Territory departments of agriculture.
Preparing to send goods
Make sure goods are prepared and packed properly. Declare items accurately.
Follow our advice to ensure goods aren’t delayed or stopped at the border.
Clean
If you are sending footwear, sporting, fishing or camping equipment ensure it is clean, dry and free from soil, seeds or plant material. Visit BICON for more information.
Pack
Do not pack goods in egg cartons, wooden boxes, or cardboard boxes that have been used to hold fruit, vegetables and meat or smallgoods. These packing materials are a biosecurity risk as live insects often hide in crevices.
Do not pack with straw or dried plant material. Use newspaper or foam to wrap fragile goods.
Declare
Fill out the postal declaration label clearly and correctly. Include a detailed description i.e. what is it and what is it made from. Descriptions such as ‘gift’, ‘present’ or ‘goods’ are not acceptable. Itemise everything inside the article, including any packing materials used.
How we assess goods
We use X-ray, detector dogs and manual inspection to assess all goods that arrive at the Australian border. Your article may be selected for random inspection, even if you don’t declare any risk goods.
If goods do not meet import conditions, they will be immediately destroyed or sent back to the overseas sender. Some goods may require treatment before they are permitted into Australia. The cost of treatment for an item arriving by international mail is A$75 per item, at the importer’s expense.
If any attempt has been made to conceal the goods, the importer may be subject to an investigation and possible criminal prosecution. An example of concealed goods is if the supplier packs goods in a manner designed to hide or make them hard to identify.
If our biosecurity officers determine that the mail does not pose a biosecurity risk, it is released for delivery by Australia Post.
Contact us
You can contact us for advice to make sure the goods you want to buy or send comply with Australian law.
Report a biosecurity concern
If you find live animals, insects, soil, plant material or other unsolicited biosecurity risk items in imported goods, report it immediately.