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Mail Order and Internet Purchases
Imagine surfing the Internet and coming across a great site that offers to mail you that exotic item you can’t find in Australia. It may be therapeutic goods, herbal teas, seeds for the garden or delicious looking food. You place your order, without realising that you might have taken the first step in the destruction of Australia’s native flora and fauna, as well as our agriculture and horticulture industries. The goods you ordered could carry foreign pests and diseases that would place Australia at risk.
With the rapid expansion of the Internet, the importation of goods purchased through the e-commerce mail order poses a significant quarantine risk to Australia. It is a problem that all Australians should be aware of.
AQIS screens 100% of overseas mail entering Australia. This screening utilises highly trained detector dogs and sophisticated X-ray machines at international mail centres around Australia.
Mail order items constitute a significant portion of the items seized. Therefore, before ordering goods from the Internet, make sure you do your bit to protect Australia by following the proper quarantine import procedures.
The Internet may make shopping easy... but it’s important to remember that just because it’s on the Internet doesn’t mean it’s safe or legal.
Tips for mail ordering goods from the Internet into Australia
- Check the Australian Import Conditions Database (ICON) to see if the product you want to import is allowed, and the conditions under which it can be imported. If the product isn’t listed on ICON or you are having trouble finding it, please email our friendly staff at International Mail. You can also check the brochure - What can't be mailed to Australia?
- The Commonwealth Government has quarantine regulations that everyone in Australia must adhere to, however it is also the importer's responsibility to ensure compliance with the requirements of all other regulatory and advisory bodies associated with importing commodities to Australia. Among others, these could include the Australian Customs Service, Therapeutic Goods Administration, National Registration Authority for Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals, and state departments of agriculture.
- Some goods for example, plants and some seeds, may require you to obtain an import permit before having the goods mailed to Australia. You can obtain an application for an import permit from the AQIS website or your nearest AQIS office.
- For further information about the regulations concerning your goods, please email us at: International Mail
Please note that there are severe penalties, ranging from fines to jail terms, for anyone who deliberately breaks Australia’s quarantine laws.