Advice to Travellers - Bird Flu
When returning to Australia from overseas, you MUST declare for inspection any poultry meat and products (including raw or cooked chicken and duck), fresh or preserved eggs or egg products, feathers and items containing feathers, poultry vaccines, and any other animal products, plant material and food.
Birds, poultry meat and poultry products can carry serious diseases, including bird flu (avian influenza), exotic strains of Newcastle disease and infectious bursal disease which can devastate Australia’s poultry industry and harm native bird populations.
Poultry meat and products are not allowed into Australia and will be seized and destroyed.
All luggage is now screened or x-rayed. If you fail to declare or dispose of any quarantine items:
- you will get caught;
- you could be prosecuted and fined more
- than $60,000 and risk up to 10 years imprisonment; or
- you could be fined over $200 on-the-spot.
100 per cent of all international mail is also being screened.
- The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry website contains up-to-date information and answers to frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
- If you are about to travel to a high-risk country, read the country-specific travel advice on the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade website.
- The Department of Health website provides further information on bird flu including latest news and an information hotline.
- AQIS fact sheet on bird flu
- Information for international travellers, including the brochure 'What can't I take into Australia?'
Media Releases
Media releases and speeches by former Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries can be located at Pandora - Australia's Web Archive
- Bird flu risk real, but not high (10 March 2006)
- Australian quarantine strengthened (26 October 2005)
- High level discussions on Canadian pigeons (21 October 2005)
- Quarantine finds avian influenza (20 October 2005)