International Mail to Australia

138 million items of international mail were sent to Australia last year! DAFF Biosecurity officers work with X–ray machines and detector dogs and intercepted over 430,000 items of quarantine risk.

If you are sending international mail to Australia:

• do not send prohibited food, plant material or animal products
• make sure you fill out the declaration label clearly and correctly, itemising everything inside the package, including any packaging materials you’ve used
• do not pack items in egg cartons, wooden boxes, or cardboard boxes that have been used to hold fruit, vegetables or meat/smallgoods – this packaging is a quarantine risk and is prohibited
• do not pack with straw or dried plant material; use newspaper or foam to wrap fragile goods
• thoroughly clean all footwear, sporting, fishing and camping equipment to remove any soil, seeds or plant material.

Mail order and internet purchases constitute a significant portion of seized items. The number of seized items also increases during cultural and seasonal events. Before ordering goods or sending parcels from overseas, make sure you know What Can’t Be Mailed to Australia?

If you’re an international student it’s important to tell your friends and family overseas about Australia’s quarantine laws and ask them not to send prohibited food, plant material and animal products.