First Day Abroad

Customs and duty-free allowances in Australia

Part of the Australia arrival guide.

This information may change. Always check the official source.Last verified: August 2026 by

Bringing things into Australia

Leave at home

  • Fresh food, seeds and plant material
  • Wooden items and shells (declare)
  • Vapes without a prescription
Duty-free allowance
  • 25 cigarettes
  • 2.25 L of spirits
  • AUD 900 of other goods
Cash to declare
AUD 10,000 or more

The threshold covers cash and equivalents carried by one traveller. Not declaring it is what causes the money to be seized, not the amount itself.

Biosecurity, not duty, is what stops people here. Undeclared food - including an apple from the plane - carries an on-the-spot fine, and the declaration card is not a formality.

Biosecurity, not duty, is what stops people in Australia: an undeclared apple from the plane carries an on-the-spot fine.

  • Declare all food, plant material and animal products. The Incoming Passenger Card is a legal declaration, an undeclared item carries an immediate fine of several hundred dollars, and a visa can be cancelled for a serious breach.
  • The tobacco allowance is 25 cigarettes - barely more than a packet - and everything beyond it is dutiable at a rate that makes it pointless.
  • Alcohol is 2.25 litres and other goods AUD 900 per adult, and families can pool the goods allowance.
  • Vapes require a prescription. Nicotine and non-nicotine vapes alike are barred from personal importation without one, and disposables are banned outright.
  • AUD 10,000 or more in cash must be declared, in any currency.
  • Wooden items, shells, seeds and dirty hiking boots are all declarable - they get inspected and usually released, but not declaring them is the offence.
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Sources (1)

What this guide was checked against. Rules and prices change — follow the official link before you rely on a detail.