Commercial vessel - Pre-arrival, arrival and inspection, and post-arrival processes

Pre-arrival

All vessels are required to submit 1-2 forms prior to entering Australian waters.

If a vessel intends to enter a non-proclaimed port as their first port of call or subsequent port of call, it must apply for permission to enter that port by completing the Application for permission to enter an Australian non-proclaimed first port of entry and/or subsequent port of call (20AA) form. This must be submitted at least 10 working days before the intended date of arrival.

Installations are considered a non-proclaimed port under the Quarantine Act 1908.

Vessels visiting a proclaimed port do not need to submit a 20AA form. However all vessels must submit a Quarantine Pre-arrival Report (QPAR) 12-96 hours prior to arriving in an Australian port.

The QPAR provides important information to AQIS so that a quarantine risk assessment of the vessel can be conducted prior to arrival.

If the vessel is eligible for Pratique Documentary Clearance, pratique may be issued in advance of the vessel arriving. Otherwise an inspection is required once the vessel berths.

Ballast water summary sheets must also be provided prior to any ballast discharge in Australian waters. Written approval to discharge ballast will be provided once the vessel ballast summary sheets are approved.

The Maritime National Coordination Centre manages all pre-arrival matters relating to vessels entering Australian waters.

Arrival and Inspection

Once the vessel has submitted a QPAR (and 20AA if applicable) it will receive an Approval to Berth which outlines the conditions a vessel must comply with whilst in Australian waters.

The quarantine officer will board the vessel and interview the Master to verify their claims on the QPAR and any other relevant paperwork. The interview is also an opportunity for the Master to declare if anything may have changed. The quarantine officer will then request to be escorted around the vessel by a crew member to undertake a physical inspection.

The inspection involves looking at food stores, the galley, the freezer, mess rooms, the deck, waste storage area and accommodation areas.

The quarantine officer will provide written instruction to the Master on remedial action if required and issue a Certificate of Pratique once satisfied that the risks are minimal and contained.

Post-arrival

Quarantine officers will also conduct random, follow-up or targeted inspections to ensure compliance with all quarantine directions. A core function of quarantine officers is surveillance at ports and vector monitoring for things of quarantine concern.