Diwali
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PDF [81kb]Traditional Diwali gifts and quarantine risks
Diwali is an important festival that involves the exchange of gifts. Some gifts from overseas may contain quarantine risk items and could introduce exotic pests and diseases, having devastating effects for Australia's import and export markets.
The Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) manages quarantine controls at our borders to minimise the risk of exotic pests and diseases entering Australia. Part of AQIS's role is to check passengers' luggage and assess international mail arriving in Australia for items of quarantine concern.
What traditional Diwali gifts pose a quarantine risk?
During the Diwali festival, typical gifts that are a quarantine risk and could be detained include:
- Indian sweets such as barfi, ras malai, gulab jamun and pedas
- products containing dairy
- fresh and dried fruit
- nuts, seeds, herbs, spices and tea
- plants, flowers and plant material.
How can you help reduce the risk of pests and diseases entering Australia?
If you are expecting mail from overseas, familiarise yourself with what cannot be sent to Australia and advise family and friends not to send prohibited items.
If you, or your friends and family, are travelling to Australia, make sure you correctly fill in the Incoming Passenger Card before landing. You must mark 'Yes' if you are carrying any plant material, animal products or food including spices, seeds, nuts or sweets. This is a legal document and there may be penalties if you don't fill this in correctly.
If you have items you don't wish to declare, you can dispose of them in quarantine bins in the airport terminal.
What happens to declared items?
Most declared items will be returned to you after inspection. However, anything found to be a quarantine risk will be detained. Depending on the risk, you will be given the option to:
- pay for the item to be treated to make it safe
- pay to export the item
- have the item destroyed by AQIS
- store the item at the airport for collection when you leave Australia*. This is subject to fees and special conditions apply.
* This option only applies if you have brought items through an international airport.
What happens if I don't declare items?
At international airports, if you don't declare quarantine risk items, you could receive an on-the-spot fine of up to A$220. For serious breaches of Australian Quarantine laws, either at the airport or through international mail, you could be prosecuted and face a fine of over A$60,000 or 10 years imprisonment which may result in a criminal record.
More information about quarantine
- Travelling to Australia or mailing items to Australia
- Download or request a copy of the What Can't I take into Australia? and What can't be mailed to Australia? brochures
- Call AQIS on 1800 020 504 (free call in Australia).