AUSTRALIAN TRAVEL TIPS

Australian Customs Laws

Wednesday, 17 December 2008

Be aware of what you can and can't bring into Australia. Australian Customs enforce their laws very strictly. Make sure you declare any items that are on the Customs arrival/departure cards that you fill in when you enter or leave the country.

Australian Customs Service manages the security if Australia's borders. Customs are responsible for keeping Australia safer by:

intercepting illegal drugs and firearms

preventing disease or bacteria from entering the country to harm Australian food production, people and native animals

Ensuring dangerous people are not able to enter the country

Ensuring that rare Australian plants and animals remain protected and safe from poachers and rare animal traffickers

Australian Customs provide a number of DO's and DON'Ts for travellers who wish to travel to or from Australia.

DO:

1. make yourself aware of Customs, quarantine (Agriculture), wildlife, currency and duty/tax free regulations listed in this brochure.

be aware that penalties for possession of drugs can result in heavy fines, imprisonment or even the death penalty in some countries.

2. ask a Customs officer if you are in doubt about any articles over your duty/tax free allowance on the Incoming Passengers Card, which will be given to you just before arriving in Australia.

3. pack goods to be declared so they are easy to access for Customs examination. This helps speed up your clearance.

4. arrange for sufficient medicines to meet your personal medical needs. Check with the embassy of the country you are visiting to ensure your medicine is legal there. Obtain a doctor's letter stating who the medicines are for, what they are, the dosage, and leave medicines in their original packaging.

DON'T:

1. carry goods for other people. If you do and the goods are prohibited or restricted, you will be held responsible.

2. believe you are "not the type". Customs officers may select people and their baggage for detailed examination for a number of reasons. Selection should not be seen as a reflection on a person's integrity or character.

3. provide false or misleading information to Customs. Penalties for false information (such as false receipts) are severe and may result in your goods being taken from you.

4. break the law in other countries. The power of the Australian Government is limited and you are subject to the laws of that country.

5. expect your unaccompanied baggage to receive the same duty/tax free concessions as goods you bring with you.

6. take prescription medicines subsidised under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) overseas, unless they're for your own use or the use of someone travelling with you. A $5000 fine and/or a two-year jail sentence is the penalty for dealing with PBS medicine in a way other than which it was meant.

7. bring back pirated and counterfeit goods. Copyright piracy and trade mark counterfeiting are illegal. In some circumstances pirated and counterfeit goods imported into Australia are liable to seizure by Customs and people importing such goods may be subject to civil litigation or criminal prosecution.

Customs Australia also manages Australia's Duty Free concession limits. Travellers are allows to make purchases of certain goods without paying "duty" or "tax" on them. However there are limits to the types of goods and the volume of goods that travellers are allowed to purchase without paying tax.

General goods

If you are aged 18 years or over, you can bring up to A$900 worth of general goods into Australia duty-free. If you are under 18 years of age there is a A$450 limit. General goods include gifts, souvenirs, cameras, electronic equipment, leather goods, perfume concentrates, jewellery, watches and sporting equipment.

Alcohol

If you are aged 18 years or over, you can bring 2.25 litres of alcohol duty-free into Australia with you. All alcohol in accompanied baggage is included in this category, regardless of where or how it was purchased.

Tobacco

If you are aged 18 years or over, you can bring 250 cigarettes, or 250 grams of cigars or tobacco products duty-free into Australia with you. All tobacco products in accompanied baggage are included in this category, regardless of where or how they were purchased.