Customs, Quarantine and Visas

To enter Australia you will need a current passport valid for the duration of your stay and a valid Australian tourist visa issued in the your own country and entered into the passport before the travel date. New Zealand visitors are exempt from these requirements and are granted an entry permit on arrival.

Visa applications are made to the Australian Embassy, Consulate or High Commission, as applicable, in your home country, although is is now possible for Australian visa applications to be made online. Make sure you apply for the correct visa type. For example, if you plan to work, you will need to apply for a work permit which is generally limited to single under 25's and which only allows for casual work to be performed for up to 3 months.

Tourist visas are generally valid for a stay of 3 or 6 months. At the time of making your visa application you will have to sign an undertaking that you have an outward bound ticket and sufficient funds for the duration of your stay.

No duty is payable on personal effects. Adults may carry up to 250 cigarettes and 1 litre of alcoholic liquor in their personal effects provided it is carried with them.

Duty and sales tax is applied to dutiable goods exceeding A$400. Strict regulations apply to narcotics and controlled substances.

When entering Australia you will have to surrender all fresh food, animal and plant products and any unprocessed foodstuffs. You will be required to sign a declaration to this effect. This is a quarantine requirement to prevent the entry of foreign organisms that may have a harmful effect on Australia's native vegetation, wildlife and farming products.

Strict regulations apply to the import and export of protected wildlife and items made from protected species. Any such items will be seized by customs officials upon arrival.