Certain food, plant material and animal items from overseas could introduce serious pests and diseases into Australia.
If we have any of them we need to declare.
If caught not declaring you could face a hefty fine and visa cancellation too.
Are you traveling to Australia? If yes then you need to know what you can bring with you in Australia. in most the cases, traveler brings foods, alcohol, cigarette, dried meat, dried vegetables, fruits, medicines, gift items made up of woods, and other organic products. You need to declare it in the declaration form if you have any of these items.
You will be given a declaration form on the plane before landing in Australia. Which looks like the image given below.
You can not bring fresh fruits, Homemade foods, live animals, live plants, etc. You can bring medicine, meat items, certain packed and labeled food, alcohol and cigarette, seeds, etc but you have to declare it in the passenger declaration form. However, there could be a limit to these items. You do not need a declaration to bring chocolate, coffee, cosmetics, soft drinks, etc but it should be for personal use and there is a weight limitation for these items.
READ THIS: ATO to investigate International students and visa holders
What if you do not declare an item? (penalty to visa cancellation)
A biosecurity officer may inspect your baggage, even if you do not declare any goods. They may use an X-ray or a detector dog. You must declare or dispose of any goods with a biosecurity risk before the inspection. Your visa could be canceled if you do not declare your goods.
If you fail to declare or dispose of any biosecurity risk goods, or make a false or misleading declaration on your Incoming Passenger Card, or provide false or misleading information to a biosecurity officer, you:
- will be caught
- you could be given an infringement notice specifying a penalty amount of A$2664
- may be prosecuted for a criminal offense. If convicted, you could face a maximum penalty of A$444,000 and/or be imprisoned for up to 10 years.
- Your visa may also be canceled and, if so, you will be refused entry into Australia.
One thought on “Your visa could be canceled if you do not declare your goods”