Australia has some of the strictest biosecurity controls in the world. No food, no soil, no plant material, no untreated wood. AQIS (Australian Quarantine Inspection Service) payment is mandatory per consignment. All items must be declared accurately on a detailed numerical inventory.
✈ Air freight to Australia: 5-9 working days, subject to space and flight availability with the carriers from UK door collection • ⚓ Sea freight: 8-14 weeks door-to-door (subject to your destination) • Price confirmed before we collect • Freephone 0800 096 38 39
These items are not automatically refused but face restrictions, duties, inspections or require specific documentation. Check before you pack.
All food items — fresh, dried, packaged or preserved. This includes spices, herbs, teas and food-based gifts.
Seeds, dried flowers, plants, cuttings, bulbs, bark, straw, bamboo and any plant-based packaging.
Any item with soil, sand or dirt. Hiking boots, garden tools, outdoor equipment must be thoroughly cleaned.
Hides, skins, feathers, bones, shells, ivory, horn or any item made from animal products not from an approved source.
Wooden items without a heat treatment certificate. This includes wooden carvings, furniture and packaging.
All dairy products and egg-based items regardless of packaging.
Strictly prohibited. No exceptions.
Prescription medicines require documentation. Some medications legal in the UK are controlled in Australia.
The following items are prohibited on all services — air freight, sea freight and door-to-door (subject to your destination). Do not pack them. Items found during inspection will be confiscated, and you may face penalties.
Customs clearance at destination is your responsibility as sender — who must also be the receiver for personal effects classification. Have these documents ready before we collect.
If customs or inspection issues arise at the destination — including holds, queries or inspections — you must respond promptly. Failure to respond, or submission of incorrect documentation, will result in storage charges accumulating at the destination warehouse at your cost.
You are liable for storage, inspection fees and any duties that arise where:
If you are unsure about any item, its declared value, or the documentation required for your destination — call us before you pack. We would rather spend ten minutes on the phone with you than have your shipment held at customs for two weeks while fees accumulate.
After more than two decades on this route, we know exactly what causes shipments to be held, delayed or refused at Australia customs. These are the practical tips that make the difference.
Pack your hiking boots and outdoor gear in sealed bags — inspectors look for soil contamination.
Declare everything. Items not declared and found at inspection are destroyed or returned at your cost.
No PBO on your inventory. Write "Clothing — 5 items, mixed colours" not "Personal effects."
Allow extra time during peak periods — AQIS inspections can hold shipments for several days.
Items that fail biosecurity may be treated, cleaned or destroyed at your cost.
“We collect your luggage ourselves. We check it is properly packed, wrapped and secured before it leaves your door. After 28 years we know what arrives safely and what doesn’t. That happens before the bag is in the air — not after.”
Your UK shipping quote does not include the following destination charges. These are levied by governing bodies and government agencies at the arrival country and are payable by you directly at destination:
These charges are mandatory, set by the destination country’s governing bodies, and outside our control. We will advise you of known destination charges for your route at the time of booking so you can budget accordingly. If you have questions about what to expect at your destination, call us on 0800 096 38 39 before you book.