Christmas: Important biosecurity information

The end of year festive season is a time when family and friends get together to celebrate. It is also a time when you may be sent gifts from overseas, purchase gifts online from overseas vendors, or family or friends may bring you gifts from overseas through our airports or seaports. To prevent the possibility of your goods being held up or confiscated it is important that you and your overseas family and friends are familiar with Australia’s biosecurity system.

Australia’s biosecurity system protects our plant, animal and human health by managing the risk of unwanted pests and diseases arriving in the country, and it is everyone’s responsibility.

All incoming mail and cargo, as well as passengers and their luggage arriving through airports and seaports, may be x–rayed, checked by detector dogs or inspected by quarantine officers. To help protect Australia from items that could be a risk to our biosecurity status, remind overseas friends and family that some things should never be mailed or brought into Australia.

Some gifts that are commonly intercepted during this time of year include:

• pine cones
• spruce cuttings
• mistletoe
• fruit and vegetables
• cheeses
• raw nuts
• salami and other meats
• straw Christmas decorations including packaging
• any items with bark, including nativity sets

Make friends and relatives overseas aware of Australia’s strict quarantine laws. Tell them that all animal, plant and food items must be declared when filling out the postal declaration label or the incoming passenger card.

Items and materials that need to be declared include:

• all food, spices, herbs, meat, and products containing dairy, egg or tea
• anything made from wood, plant or animal material
• all packing material including straw, egg cartons and used fruit boxes.

What happens when I send mail items to Australia at Christmas?

Gifts and online shopping purchases from overseas that arrive through the post are subject to quarantine intervention. Most items selected for inspection will be released. However, if any items are found to be a quarantine risk they will be held and the recipient will be notified. Depending on the risk, the recipient will be given three options:

• pay for the item to be treated to make it safe and it will then be sent to you
• pay to export the item back to the sender
• have the item destroyed at no cost.

Items will only be held for 30 days, so it is important that all declarations on mail parcels and incoming passenger cards are true and provide sufficient detail about the goods inside. If you fail to declare it could result in a fine or possible prosecution.

What happens when I bring items into Australia through the airports or seaports?

Items such as food and gifts made from animal or plant material brought into Australia through airports or seaports must be declared on the Incoming Passenger Card (IPC). An AQIS officer will inspect your goods to determine the level of risk. Many items are able to be released after inspection. Some items may require treatment to make them safe. Other items that pose an unacceptable pest and disease risk will be seized and destroyed. You can dispose of high–risk items in amnesty bins located in the airport terminal. If you are departing a cruise ship, you can either leave items that may be a biosecurity risk onboard the ship or deposit them in amnesty bins available as you disembark. If you fail to declare you may be issued with an on the spot fine, more serious cases can result in prosecution through the courts.

Should you have specific questions regarding what cannot be sent or brought into Australia, you should contact International Mail, Airports or Seaports by email, or view the additional resources below.

To find out what you can and cannot mail to Australia:

• view information on What can't be mailed to Australia
• view the Christmas mail factsheet   PDF [176kb]
• view information in languages other than English  
• within Australia call 1800 020 504
• email: International Mail.

To find out what can and cannot be brought into Australia through airports and seaports:

• view information on What can’t I take into Australia
• view information in languages other than English 
• within Australia call AQIS on 1800 020 504
• email: Airports or Seaports.

Above and below are some examples of items that are commonly sent or brought into Australia over Christmas and are considered a threat to Australia’s biosecurity. 

Note: These photos are suitable for use by media outlets but must be credited to the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.