Prohibited & Restricted Items Into Australia

Packing for the move means you need to be aware of the items that are restricted or outright prohibited from bringing into Australia. There's a high chance that your luggage will be opened up for inspection especially if you've indicated that you'll be staying for a period of time. (All friends who went to Australia to study had their luggage inspected.) You may be fined or prosecuted for not declaring or adhering to the limits. On a smaller scale, my friends complained about having difficulty stuffing their belongings back into their luggage after it was ransacked.

I've picked out some of the common items that are applicable to us. According to the list, pet items including my pet clipper, Ton's toys, his leash & harness, wooden items like my wedding albums/frames are not allowed. Oh yeah, you have to wash your shoes if they're not brand new or risk it getting thrown away if they discovered that the sole is soiled.

1. Up to 5 lighters. Permit is required for quantities above 5.

2. Cosmetics containing more than 250 mg per kg of lead except for products used in hair treatment. (This will be difficult. It's not like this information will be indicated on the packaging.)

3. Dog collars that puncture or bruise an animal's skin. (I'm not sure about this. Perhaps spiky collars? Or it could mean prong & choke chain. Neither of which I'll be bringing.)

4. Permit is required for knives. (So I guess I'll just have to buy my kitchen knives when I arrive & hubs has got to leave his swiss army blade behind.)

5. Permit is required for laser pointers with an accessible emission level of greater than 1mW. (Hubs is a laser pointer collector. So his stash will have to be left behind too.)

6. Pencils & paintbrushes containing excess amounts of toxic compounds such as lead, arsenic & barium. (How do we know if they contain all these anyway?)

7. Therapeutic drugs & substances require you to produce a prescription & you're only allowed to bring up to 3 months' supply.

8. The department will not permit the importation of the following items as personal effects:

• fresh fruit and vegetables
• live plants and bulbs
• prohibited and restricted seeds
• unidentified seeds, which can include some foods, including spices
• live animals (including pets) that require an import permit
• biological products including some plant based, herbal medications
• unprocessed goods of plant or animal origin
• soiled items, or items containing organic residues
• items knowingly infested with pests or a disease

9. Click here for some more household items.