Australian customs clearance, and what it means for your shipment

Australia is the lane we know best, and it is also the one where the paperwork matters most. Clearing a shipment into the country is not one step but two: the customs entry, handled by the Australian Border Force (ABF), and a separate biosecurity inspection carried out by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF). Both happen after your container has sailed, which is why we would rather talk about them before it is loaded.

What we do

We prepare and file the export side ourselves, with our own brokers at Piraeus and at the airport, and we work with agents at the destination on the import entry and the inspection booking. You get one point of contact for both ends rather than a broker in Greece and a stranger in Australia.

Things to watch out for

Australia is an island continent with flora and fauna found nowhere else, and biosecurity is the most serious question hanging over any consignment. Almost everything that goes wrong on this lane goes wrong for one of these reasons.

• Soil is the single biggest cause of trouble. In plant pots, on garden tools, bicycles, hiking boots, sports equipment. Clean it off here, not there.
• Seeds, nuts in shell, plant material, straw and bamboo are inspected hard and often refused.
• Hides, hair, feathers and animal products are treated the same way.
• Vacuum cleaners and barbecues are opened. Anything carrying food or plant residue is a problem, and these two carry it more than most.
• Anything owned for less than twelve months must be declared separately on the B534. It is not prohibited; it is treated differently, and an undeclared new item calls the rest of the form into question.
• Timber crates need certified heat treatment or fumigation to the destination’s standards. Ours are treated as a matter of course.

An item that fails inspection can be treated, seized or destroyed, at the consignee’s expense. That is why we check before it goes into the container.

Official sources

Check these directly rather than taking anyone’s summary, including ours - the rules change, and only the regulator’s own page is current.

• ABF - Unaccompanied Personal Effects: how effects travelling separately from you are declared, with the B534 form - also published in Greek.
• DAFF - Importing goods: the biosecurity rules for imported goods.
• DAFF - Importing motor vehicles, motorcycles, tyres and machinery: cleanliness requirements for vehicles and machinery.

Other documents or procedures may be required, and each country’s laws can change without notice. Call +30 210 64 66 400 or email info@kanga.gr and we will give you an up-to-date briefing for your own shipment.