Moving and Shipping Household Goods
Before you pack up your things for an Australian move, you’ll want to know the essential customs regulations you must follow.
Custom Regulations for Australia
You may bring certain items into the country without paying duties or taxes if they’re traveling with you.
General Goods
Regarding Australian customs allowances: You may bring personal items into Australia at an approximate value of AUD 900 (USD 632), but not exceeding that amount. However, if you’re traveling with children, the limit is $450 AUD ($316 USD). These limits apply to both adults and children.
- jewelry
- watches
- sporting equipment
- gifts
- souvenirs
- cameras
- electronic equipment
- leather goods
- perfumes
Items must be brought into the country and taxed if they were not already here when purchased.
You may bring up to $10,000 into Australia without any limitations. However, any amounts above this limit must be declared.
Alcohol
You may bring no more than two and a half liters of alcohol into the country for personal consumption.
Tobacco
You may bring up to 25 cigarettes or 25 grams (1 ounce) of marijuana into Canada for personal use.
Arms and Ammunition
You must declare all types of guns, weapons, and ammunition at customs. Some of them may require permits and authorizations from local authorities. Check out the prohibited and limited list for details.
Passing Through Customs
We’ve provided a guide to helping you get through customs if you’re planning to move to Australia. Here’s what you need to know before you go:
You should declare fresh fruits, but not duty-free goods, prescription medications, homemade foods, biscuits, bread, pastries, chocolate, coffee, honey, laser pens, pepper sprays, seeds, tea, meat, and pepper.
Australia’s Prohibited and Restricted Items
Some banned items require permits or permissions to enter Australia. Other items are wholly prohibited under all circumstances. These items may be things like
- prescription medications;
- fruits, vegetables, homemade foods, and some seeds;
- firearms and weapons; unless they’re properly licensed and authorized.
- pepper spray;
- intellectual property;
- some endangered species of plant or animal life;
- counterfeit credit, bank, or charge cards;
- electronic fly swatters/mosquito batz;
- laser pointers;
- lighters.
On July 1, 2018, Australia banned most forms of smoking, including e-cigs, cigars, and pipe tobaccos. You now need to declare any state of smoking at customs if you bring them into the country.
For more information about importing tobacco products into Australia, visit the Australian Customs Service website.
Shipping household items and belongings
There are certain things you are necessary to know about UPEs when shipping them internationally.
- Personal property means items that belong to you personally.
- Create a detailed checklist for every item you’re sending overseas. It will help ensure everything arrives safely.
Typically, UPEs include things like
- clothing;
- Personal care and grooming products;
- furniture and appliances;
- sporting equipment;
- books.
To get things through customs, you will need a UPE statement (B534 form), available in several languages but must be filled out in English.
These are not included in the list of UPEs and will therefore be subject to government control.
- Motor vehicles and motor car parts (you’re advised to contact the Department for Infrastructure and Regional Development before importing them).
- yachts(subject to a 5 percent import tariff)
- aircrafts
- commercial goods
- bequeathed/inherited goods
- human remains
- items purchased via the internet
You must complete Form B650 if you wish to import any of these items into Canada.
Please visit the Australian Border Force’s official site to learn more about importing into Australia. You can also find any application form you might need there.
Home Goods Storage
There are plenty of storage facilities available in Australia if you need them. On average, Australians pay approximately $250 per month for storage.
Before you choose an organization, ensure you do some research. Prices may vary depending on how much time you intend to lease out the room and the size of the area you need to store things. You should also measure and count your containers to assist you in figuring out this. A warehouse in Australia can range from a compact box to a vast warehouse.
Remember to check out a few facilities before deciding where to store your stuff. You’ll need to ensure their safe places to put your things, so take note of any security measures they might have. Also, find out if they offer storage insurance or moving help services. These can come in handy if something happens to your belongings during transport.
Vaccinations and Health Requirements for Australia
You don’t need any vaccinations for Australia unless you’re from a region with a high chance of contracting yellow fever.
What vaccinations do I need for Australia?
Traveling abroad requires routine vaccination against chicken pox, tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis, polio, and influenza.
You might consider getting hepatitis A and B shots, Japanese encephalitis, and rabies vaccines. However, if you need further information, talk to your doctor first.
If you’re applying for an Australian visa, here are some
Applicable visa types include permanent, provisional, and short-term visas. These visas may require specific medical exams.
Permanent and Provisional Visa Applicants
If you’re under two years old, you need an age test. If you’re between the ages of two and eleven, you need medical examinations and tuberculosis (TB) screenings. If you’re fifteen or older, you need medical quizzes, TB screenings, and HIV tests.
Temporary Visa Applicants
Examinations will depend on
- the kind of visa you’re applying for;
- length of stay in Australia;
- Your country’s level of TB risk;
- any other exceptional circumstances.
If you are applying and wanting for a temporary visa, you usually won’t need to undergo any medical exams unless something significant happens. However, if you’re applying for a long-term visa, you may be required to have and take a medical exam and chest radiograph.
Additional Tests
If additional tests are needed, they would include:
- You’re traveling to a country where tuberculosis (TB) is common and will visit a healthcare facility or hospital.
- You’re pregnant and planning to deliver in Australia.
- You plan to work as a doctor or paramedic, nurse, dentist, or some combination thereof.
- You’re planning to work at an Australian child care center.
- You’re 75 years old and applying for a visitor’s permit.
Moving with Pets
If you plan to move to Australia with your pet, there are some things and routines you need to know before you leave. This section will cover which animals you can take with you, which ones are banned, and what you need to do if you want to bring an exotic animal into the country.
Can You Bring Pets into Australia?
It varies depending on where your animal comes from and even the kind of breed, as not all species are permitted in Australia.
- Only birds native to New Zealand
- Only dogs are allowed to be imported from approved sources only
- Only cats are allowed to be imported from approved sources.
- Horses: sanctioned countries only
- Rabbits: New Zealand only
The following dogs are prohibited from entering Australia and, therefore, will not enter:
- Dogo Argentino
- Fila Brasileiro
- Japanese Tosa
- Pit bulls are dogs bred for fighting.
- Presa Canario
Hybrid dogs and hybrid wolves are also prohibited. These include, but are not limited to
- Czechoslovakian wolfdog or Czechoslovakian Vlcak;
- A saarloos wolfdog (or a saar
- A lupo Italiano or Italian Wolfdog
- Kunming wolfdog or Kunming dog.
The following domestic/ non-domestic hybrid cats cannot be imported into Australia.
- Savannah cats are crossbreds between domestic cats and servals.
- A safari/domestic cross between a Geoffroy and an Oncifelis.
- Chausie, Domestic Cat Crosses With Jungle Cat (Felis chaus).
- A Bengal cat is a cross between a domestic cat and an Asian leopard cat.
Pet Relocation: Australia
Depending on whether your dog or cat belongs to one of three categories, rules and regulations vary regarding where they may travel. The Australian government has an online tool to assist you in determining your pets’ category.
Dogs and cats originating from New Zealand, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island must be imported into Australia without an import license if they were born after January 1, 2014.
If dogs and kittens come from approved rabies-free countries (Group 2), they must be imported into Australia under an animal health certificate.
Dogs and cats coming into Canada from countries and territories where rabbits are not present or well-controlled must be imported under a special permit.
If you want to take your pet baby from an unapproved source into Australia, there are step-by-step guides you can use to get your pet across the border.
To obtain an importer’s license for your pet, you must first pay 480 AUD (334 US$) for the initial appointment. Then, each additional animal costs 240 AUD (167 US$).
Tips For A Stress-Free Australian Move
Applying for the appropriate Australian visa.
Understanding which Australian visa to apply for is not only a challenging process but also challenging to comprehend. Fortunately, we’ve written extensively about determining which Australian visa to apply for when moving there. It’s all in this post, regardless of whether you’re on a tourist or working holiday visa and want to stay longer.
Finding Australia’s Top Migration Agent.
These days, it is challenging to obtain an Australian visa. Although moving to Australia is complex, it is possible with the aid of a migration agent. With so many migration agents to pick from, we don’t want you to experience the horror stories we’ve heard about others who paid their agents too much money or, worse yet, had to pay them to ask a question.
Over the past few years, Sydney-based AUREC Migration and Mobility has assisted many of our readers and us. Because you can email them with your visa questions, unlike other migration agents, they won’t charge you, which is why we love to promote them. Additionally, they have a success rate of 99 percent, so you won’t have to spend thousands of dollars hoping that your visa will be approved.
How To Ship Your Items To Australia
Did you know I put it off for so long because I needed to figure out where to start, and I needed help finding other blogs on the topic to find a good shipping company? All my possessions have been in storage in the UK for more than five years. Since it took me so long to organize shipping, I knew I had to write a blog post about it.
Don’t worry; I’ve got you covered on this one. Finding a reputable shipping company can be overwhelming and challenging to begin.
Complete the form below to get up to 5 quotes from nearby shipping companies. Numerous nations, including the UK, are served by them.
A Bank Account Can Be Opened In Australia.
You must open an Australian bank account before moving to Australia. The most popular banks to choose from include ANZ, Westpac, and Commonwealth, although I have stuck with HSBC since moving to Australia.
When withdrawing cash from an ATM, use caution as some may charge. For instance, Commonwealth charges me $2 to use their ATMs, but Westpac doesn’t.