Australian import info from Quarantine service, Dept of Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing

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enquiry -

my British & American friends were asking if they can send sweets or commercial biscuits/cakes as presents. I've tried searching AusPost, Customs & AQIS sites and can't find anything relevant to small presents, just large commercial shipments and forbidden & dangerous items.

sandra

answer -

Thank you for contacting the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service.

An Import Permit is not required.

Cooked cakes, biscuits, puddings (puddings with suet are prohibited) mailed to Australia that are shelf stable and do not require refrigeration to retain their freshness are all allowed by quarantine, subject to inspection on arrival.

Please Note: Biscuits and cakes containing custard or dairy based fillings that have been cooked with the cake (excluding cheesecakes, mooncakes, dairy puddings or vanilla slices) must be shelf stable to be exempt from quarantine. Import conditions for these products are listed under the ICON case "Dairy products excluding cheese - Uncanned" and "Dairy products excluding cheese - Canned".

There is a weight limit for food items of 10kg per consignment.

Information regarding import conditions for specific products can be found using AQIS's Import Conditions Database (ICON). ICON is a simple and convenient way to access information about Australian import conditions for many thousands of commodities. ICON can be used to determine if a commodity intended for export to Australia needs a quarantine permit, mandatory treatment or if there are any other quarantine requirements. ICON can be accessed via the internet at the following address http://www.aqis.gov.au/icon.

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