What Can't You Take When Moving To Australia?

Biosecurity And Australia

is a big deal in Australia because they know invasive pests and diseases can be catastrophic to livelihoods and ecosystems. They’ve been through all this before with toads and don’t want to repeat history. Cane toads were brought into the country to control cane beetles in the 1930s. While that endeavor worked, the toads went wild and multiplied and are now a major problem. As well as displacing native animals, they are poisonous to anything that tries to eat them, which has decimated native populations. Environmentalists have reached a point of using exposure therapy-style treatments to teach animals to avoid cane toads.

The dedication to protecting Australia’s ecosystem means that border control is strict about what you can import into the country. There are some things that can come in with the right waivers, but others are banned outright. There are also rules to consider when you finally relocate to Australia. For example, it’s wise to be careful about what you carry in with you by cleaning shoes and clothes carefully before traveling. You should also declare all items that you have on you on arrival. The easiest approach is to leave all potentially harmful materials behind or to get approval where possible.

Restricted Items Requiring Approval When Relocating To Australia

Let’s start with some of the items that you can bring in with approval from the proper authorities. There are some animal and plant products here, although most are banned, as you’ll see below. Generally, plant materials can come in if they are treated and in the form of furniture. However, it’s always best to get approval for any bamboo and wicker items, just in case. The same goes for any animal products, including furs, skins, and ivory. They come into the country with a CITES certificate, so be sure to get that arranged well in advance of moving to Australia. It also helps to work with someone who can provide professional removals to Australia from the UK who is fully aware of border control laws. It will save you a lot of hassle.

It’s a different matter with live animals, however. There are concerns about bringing any animals into the country, and some pets aren’t allowed at all. Thankfully, that isn’t the case with cats and dogs from the UK. As long as you go through the proper process and have an intended for import to Australia that must be identified by a microchip detectable by an ISO-compatible reader, you should be OK. Recent changes in the law mean that these pets can go through a new identity check process, with compliant animals taking part in a 10-day post-entry quarantine. It’s far from ideal. But if it gets your beloved pet into the country, it’s worth doing right.

Away from the animals and plants – living or dead – there are also possible exemptions for medication and therapeutic drugs if you need to bring a prescription with you before setting up with a doctor in Australia. There is also the chance to get a waiver for dangerous weapons like firearms and knives, this is also true for any hunting weapons.

Prohibited Items You Can’t Take With You To Australia

Then, there are all of the different items banned in Australia that you need to consider. Understandably, live plants and plant materials are on this list. There is the concern that bringing in anything that has seeds may lead to environmental issues. This goes for dried floral arrangements, too. There’s also the fear that some of these plants will be toxic in some way. That’s why there is a separate notice about the importation of pine cones. Not only are pine cones hazardous due to their oils, but they can house pests and parasites that could get into local ecosystems. Australian border control officials advise against bringing in any form of plant or untreated wood.

Then, there’s the ban on bringing in food. There are specific warnings about bringing in meat and whole eggs, but this generally refers to any food that could pose a risk in some form. Therefore, it’s best to not even try and import anything. Border agents are also insistent that travelers can’t bring in food they got on the plane.

It should also go without saying that illegal materials that are banned at home are also going to be banned in Australia. Border agents do end up dealing with counterfeit items and other contraband a lot, and you don’t want to be part of that statistic because of some pirated DVDs or fake watches.

Finally, it’s worth taking a look at the border control website to learn more about some of the additional items and novelties that can’t come into the country. One that stands out is the ban on scented erasers that look like food, purely because it’s so specific. The reason for this is the chemicals used to create them. There are bans on importing anything with high levels of toxic materials, especially anything with lead. This can refer to some toys and painted figures, such as old money boxes. So, it’s best to err on the side of caution and check.

Don’t Get Caught Out

The best thing to do before moving to Australia is to talk to expert relocation teams and research the border control laws in full. There may be some unfortunate restrictions that affect your plans. Still, it’s better to know now and avoid future issues than to end up in a difficult situation over in Australia. Prepare yourself, get the right waivers and paperwork as needed, and make the process easier for yourself.

Teleport Plaque Address (TPA): The core protocol of Spatial Computing.

The prospect of moving to Australia can be as terrifying as it is exciting.

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