Arriving in Australia: declaring food, medicines, duty-free goods and cash

Everyone who arrives in Australia completes an Incoming Passenger Card. If you carry food, plant material, animal products or traditional medicines, you must declare them honestly. Declaring is free and brings no penalty; if you do not declare and officers find the items, you can get an infringement notice of up to A$7,280, and visa holders may have their visa cancelled on the spot. Commercially packaged mooncakes without meat are allowed, but sausages, ham, fresh fruit, whole eggs and raw rice are not. Adults have a duty-free allowance of A$900 in general goods, 2.25 litres of alcohol and 25 cigarettes. Cash of A$10,000 or more must be declared to AUSTRAC before you reach customs.

Key facts

What the law says you must declare

You must declare certain food, plant material and animal products. Shoes, clothing and equipment that you wore or used in rural areas or near animals must be cleaned thoroughly and declared. If you prefer not to declare food, plant or animal items, you can put them in the disposal bins in the terminal.¹

What happens if you do not declare

If officers find a biosecurity risk item that you did not declare or dispose of, you may get an infringement notice of up to A$7,280 and may be prosecuted. Your visa may also be cancelled; if it is, you will be refused entry and may not return to Australia for up to 3 years.²

Infringement notice amounts (from 1 July 2026 one penalty unit = A$364)

The minimum airport biosecurity infringement notice is 2 penalty units, A$728. If the undeclared item is high risk, it rises to 6 units (A$2,184) or 12 units (A$4,368). Deliberately concealing goods is 20 units, A$7,280. The amounts are set by law: officers cannot reduce them, and you cannot pay in instalments or in part.³

Meat, whole eggs and raw rice

Uncanned meat from any country other than New Zealand (ham, bacon, salami, sausages, including vacuum-packed) is not allowed without an import permit. Canned (retorted) meat must come from a country free of foot-and-mouth disease, be labelled with its country of origin and be shelf-stable. Pork jerky and pork biltong are not allowed; other dried meat must come from a disease-free country, be sealed and weigh no more than 1 kg. Whole eggs are not allowed without an import permit. Raw rice is not allowed and will be destroyed.¹

Dairy products

Cheese, butter and other dairy products for personal use are allowed if they are commercially packaged, come from a country free of foot-and-mouth disease (the label must show the country of origin) and weigh no more than 10 kg or 10 litres. You must declare them for inspection.¹

Fresh fruit and vegetables (DAFF's festival gift list)

Do not bring or mail: fresh pomelo, star fruit, taro or any other fresh fruit or vegetables; fresh and dried citrus, persimmon, lychee and longan; fresh bamboo shoots and banana leaves; chicken eggs, duck eggs and products containing egg; milk, yoghurt and other dairy products.²

Mooncakes

Commercially packaged mooncakes that contain no meat are allowed, including those with egg yolk and chocolate mooncakes. Mooncakes with meat filling or bird's nest cannot be brought in or mailed.²

Supplements, vitamins and traditional medicines

Vitamins, supplements and therapeutic goods for human use are allowed if they are for your own use, carried by the person who will use them, commercially packaged (capsules, tablets, liquids, powders and so on) and no more than 3 months' supply. Herbal dietary supplements and natural medicines, and dried fungi such as reishi (Ganoderma), Poria cocos and Cordyceps, must be checked in BICON first. Prescription and over-the-counter medicines are regulated by the TGA and the ABF.¹

Tea and dried red dates

Pure black and green tea (including flavoured tea) is allowed from any country if it is in new, clean, unopened packaging with no live insects. Herbal tea may contain plant ingredients only, must be thoroughly dried, and is limited to 1 kg per blend. Dried red dates (jujubes) must be thoroughly dried and in new, unopened packaging; dates with the stone must be an approved variety labelled with the scientific name.¹

Duty-free allowance (ABF)

If you are 18 or over: A$900 in general goods (A$450 for children), 2.25 litres of alcohol, and 25 cigarettes or 25 grams of tobacco. Families travelling on the same flight can combine their allowances, for example 2 adults and 2 children share A$2,700. If you go over the allowance, you pay duty and tax on all goods of that type, not only the excess. If you are not sure, declare it; not declaring can lead to penalties.⁴

Cash declaration (AUSTRAC)

If you bring A$10,000 or more in cash or bearer negotiable instruments (Australian and foreign currency combined, converted to Australian dollars) into or out of Australia, complete AUSTRAC's online declaration before you go through customs and keep the receipt. There is no limit on how much you can carry, but not declaring it can lead to a fine or imprisonment. Splitting the money between family members to avoid declaring (for example having a child carry A$9,950) is called structuring and is illegal.⁵

Prescription medicines (TGA traveller exemption)

You can bring medicines only for yourself or an immediate family member travelling with you, not for anyone else. Keep medicines in their original packaging with the pharmacy label. For prescription medicines, carry the prescription or a letter from your doctor stating the medicine name and the quantity you carry. Bring no more than 3 months' supply, and take any leftover medicine with you when you leave. Herbal and traditional medicines must stay in their original packaging; those containing endangered plant ingredients need a permit.⁶

Who is this for, and what are the requirements?

• Every traveller arriving in Australia completes an Incoming Passenger Card and must declare honestly, including Australian citizens and permanent residents.
• If you enter on a visa (visitor, student, work or other), the risk is higher: besides an infringement notice, you may be referred to the ABF and have your visa cancelled on the spot.
• The same biosecurity rules apply to parcels sent to you from overseas. The postal declaration label must be filled in honestly; items that do not meet the conditions are treated (at your cost), destroyed or returned.
• The duty-free allowance for alcohol and tobacco applies only to people aged 18 or over. The cash declaration has no age limit, but you cannot avoid it by having a child carry the money.

How do I do it? Steps and process

1. Check before you leave whether you can bring it

   Check DAFF's Bringing or mailing goods list. For items not on the list, look up the import conditions in BICON (Biosecurity Import Conditions). If you are not sure, leave it at home or declare it when you arrive.

2. Get proof for your medicines ready

   Keep prescription medicines in their original packaging and carry the prescription or a doctor's letter stating the medicine name and quantity, with no more than 3 months' supply. Traditional medicines and supplements should also be commercially packaged and in personal-use quantities; check BICON first if they contain fungi such as reishi or Cordyceps, or animal ingredients.

3. Fill in the Incoming Passenger Card honestly

   If you carry any food, plants, animal products, traditional medicines or equipment used in rural areas or near animals, tick Yes on the Incoming Passenger Card. You must also declare alcohol, tobacco and goods above the duty-free allowance, and cash of A$10,000 or more. The card is a legal document; giving false information is an offence.

4. Cash of A$10,000 or more: declare online first

   Before you go through customs, complete AUSTRAC's online form Travelling into or out of Australia with money and keep the receipt. If you cannot complete it online, ask the ABF or the police for a paper form.

5. After landing, go through the declaration channel for inspection

   Take the items you declared to the inspection point. Biosecurity officers may X-ray them, use detector dogs or open your bags. Items that pose no risk are returned to you; items that need treatment can be treated at your cost, and items that cannot be treated are destroyed or sent back. If you prefer not to declare something, put it in the disposal bins in the terminal.

6. Pay duty on goods over the allowance

   If you exceed A$900 in general goods, 2.25 litres of alcohol or 25 cigarettes, declare the goods and show your purchase receipts. The ABF calculates duty and tax on all goods of that type.

What documents do I need?

• Passport and a completed Incoming Passenger Card
• Prescription medicines: the prescription or a doctor's letter (stating the medicine name and quantity), and the medicine in its original packaging
• Cash of A$10,000 or more: the receipt for your AUSTRAC online declaration
• Goods over the duty-free allowance: purchase receipts
• Items containing endangered animal or plant ingredients (CITES): a permit

What should I watch out for?

• The rule is simple: if in doubt, declare it. If you declare an item that turns out not to be allowed, you are not fined; at worst it is held or destroyed. Infringement notices are only for undeclared items that officers find.
• Meat-filled mooncakes, sausages, ham and pork jerky are the items most often seized. Do not bring or mail them. Mooncakes with egg yolk are allowed, but they must be commercially packaged and declared.
• Traditional medicines and supplements are treated as vitamins, supplements and therapeutic goods for human use: for your own use, in original packaging, and no more than 3 months' supply. Dried fungi such as reishi, Cordyceps and Poria cocos, and traditional medicines with animal ingredients, have separate conditions. Before Lunar New Year, DAFF specifically warns travellers not to bring traditional herbal medicines containing reishi or Cordyceps.
• Infringement notice amounts are set by law. Officers cannot reduce them, and you cannot pay in instalments. A 2-penalty-unit notice (A$728) must be paid before you leave the airport, or you must ask the officer for an extension. Notices of 6, 12 or 20 units give you 28 days to pay. Once you pay, you will not be prosecuted for the same matter.
• The alcohol and tobacco allowance is only for people aged 18 or over. If you go over an allowance, tax is charged on all goods of that type, not only the amount over the limit.
• The cash declaration is a declaration, not a limit: you may carry any amount, but not declaring A$10,000 or more is an offence. Splitting the money between family members, or across several trips, is also an offence. Money sent through a bank or remittance company does not need to be declared.
• Parcels from home: the same biosecurity rules apply, and the declaration label on the parcel must be filled in honestly. AUSTRAC's cash declaration rules also apply to money sent by post or courier.
• This page is a plain-English summary of public information. Whether you can bring a specific item depends on the BICON result and the border officers' decision on the day. This is not immigration or legal advice.

What has changed recently?

• 2026-07-01
  The Commonwealth penalty unit changed to A$364. Airport biosecurity infringement notices are now 2 units (A$728), 6 units (A$2,184), 12 units (A$4,368) and 20 units (A$7,280).Source: agriculture.gov.au ↗

Common questions

Where can I check the official information?

1. Bringing or mailing goods to AustraliaDepartment of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry · agriculture.gov.au
2. Cultural and seasonal events (Lunar New Year, Mid-Autumn Festival)Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry · agriculture.gov.au
3. Infringement notices at the airportDepartment of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry · agriculture.gov.au
4. Can you bring it in? Duty freeAustralian Border Force · abf.gov.au
5. Moving money overseasAUSTRAC · austrac.gov.au
6. Entering Australia (travelling with medicines and medical devices)Therapeutic Goods Administration · tga.gov.au

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