Coming into Australia with personal belongings and other goods requires you to go through a legal process. Goods of all types are subjected to inspection by customs and quarantine officials. There are many rules and regulations, and documentation required to get the goods cleared for entry into Australia. Moving to Australia? Discover Customs and Quarantine Clearance of Used Household Goods & Personal Effects.
Documents required
All the necessary documents must be submitted to the removals company to get the goods cleared without problems. The following documents are required.
- Duly filled Australian Customs Form known as Form B534
- Xerox copy of the photo bearing page of the passport
- Copy of the visa for non-Australian citizens
- Purchase receipts to establish the cost and date of purchase for items purchased 12 months or less from Australia’s date of arrival.
- Extra documents for certain kinds of items if applicable
Taxes
Household items and other personal belongings are not subjected to duties and taxes if used for at least 12 months from the date of packing. Otherwise, taxes and duties are imposed with rates varying as per the nature of the items. Alcohol and tobacco products are taxed at 60% of the assessed value. Thus, taxes have to be compulsorily paid if the consignment includes alcoholic beverages and tobacco products. An inventory list describing every alcoholic product in the consignment is also essential. Motor vehicles are also taxed.
Prohibited items
Australian quarantine department prohibits the entry of certain kinds of items into the country. This is done to prevent plant diseases and harmful insects from gaining entry into the Australian ecosystem. If you are moving to Australia, it is necessary to ensure that certain items are not in your consignment. These items are meat and dairy products, plants, things containing seeds such as pine cones and flowers, animal products such as skins, vacuum bags, and things of endangered species. All such items are destroyed.
Certain items are inspected for plant or soil, or woodworms on arrival. These things include lawnmowers, outdoor furniture and tools, bamboo or rattan or antique furniture, golf clubs, planters, and bicycles. Such items must be thoroughly cleaned before packing and shipping.
Import permits
Certain items require import permits to gain entry into Australia. Thus, consignments carrying such items must be backed by import permits issued long before the arrival of the items in the country. Items which need import permits include scooter, e-bikes, firearms, replica guns, boats, golf carts, and ATVs.
Inspection process
Customs and Quarantine officials conduct the inspections in approved warehouses. Items to be inspected are selected in advance. Professional packers are present to repack the goods after the inspection is completed. Consignments arriving by ships are usually cleared within 14 days, while shipments arriving by air are cleared within 7 days. Removal companies offer storage facilities to store the goods for the long term or short term after clearance. However, removalists having customs bonded warehouses offer both pre and post-inspection storage.
Delivery and unpacking
The removalist company takes possession of the goods after clearance and delivers them to the given address. The goods are unpacked and arranged as per the instructions of the client. The furniture items are also reassembled.
