As Danny and I slowly prepare our 2020 Australia – New Caledonia – Vanuatu – Fiji cruise with Princess Cruises, it is a good thing to look at what you can bring into Australia.

Although I don’t talk to my Aussie friends as much as I used to – blame life – I intend to see them and bring them goodies from Belgium such as biscuits (cookies) and chocolate.

So I mailed the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources. The answer was to surf to their online search tool called BICON.

BICON

“The importation of some products is, by law, subject to certain biosecurity import conditions. Some products are not permitted entry while other products are only allowed into Australia subject to meeting import conditions that mitigate the biosecurity risk. This may include a requirement for an import permit.”

“You can use the Biosecurity Import Conditions system (BICON) to determine whether a commodity intended for import into Australia:

• is permitted;
• is subject to import conditions;
• requires supporting documentation;
• requires treatment;
• needs an import permit.”

“It is your responsibility to comply with the department’s import conditions when importing into Australia.”

And now?

Enter your product in the search bar. For example ‘chocolate’. You will see several results. Choose dairy. Proceed. Select what best describes your product.

Chocolate

What about chocolate? “A Department of Agriculture and Water Resources import permit is not required, providing that the following conditions are met.”

You can find the conditions here. Basically it must be solid blocks of chocolate, pieces of chocolate or white ‘chocolate’. And it must clearly be something you bought in a shop. It must be packaged professionally and it must state the ingredients.

Biscuits

What about biscuits? It’s even more complicated than chocolate. Is the filling fully cooked. Then you don’t need an import permit if they are for personal use (small quantity) and if they don’t need refrigeration.

Complicated

Use BICON to see what you can bring to Australia. It is complicated. Information is unclear and is written in a way not to be liable. In the end, the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources officer will decide.

There’s no waterproof guarantee you can import your goodies.

There are two e-learning modules to help you: basic and advanced.

Good luck! Have you been to Australia? What are your experiences with customs in Australia?