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Can I Carry It? — verified carry-on guide

🇦🇺 Australia Customs Guide

What customs allows you to bring into Australia — duty-free caps, banned and restricted goods, and medication rules, from official sources.

Fully verified · Authority: Australian Border Force · Last verified

Every section below carries verbatim quotes from official customs sources captured on the verification date.

Two different questions. Airport security screening (TSA/CATSA — can it go through the checkpoint?) is separate from customs (may it enter the country at all?). This page covers customs after arrival in Australia; for checkpoint rules, see the item guides.

Duty-free allowances

General goods AUD 900 per adult / AUD 450 per child; families on the same flight may pool concessions. Alcohol: 2.25 litres. Tobacco: 25 cigarettes OR 25 g tobacco (Australia’s post-2017 tight cap — far below most countries).

“adults - AUD900, kids - AUD450, Alcohol - 2.25 litres, Tobacco - 25 cigarettes or 25g tobacco.”

abf.gov.au duty-free

Prohibited & restricted goods

Permission-required and prohibited classes are established by the ABF 'Can you bring it in' master regulations (weapons, illicit drugs, protected wildlife, and strict biosecurity controls). Biosecurity (mandatory declaration of food, plant material, and animal products on the Incoming Passenger Card with heavy penalties for non-declaration) is the highest-impact rule for arriving travellers.

“When you’re travelling overseas or importing items, you need to know that some items can’t be brought back with you and for others you need to get permission.”

abf.gov.au “Can you bring it in”

“Declare it: When travelling to Australia you will be provided with an Incoming Passenger Card by the crew on your aircraft or cruise vessel. This is a legal document. You must mark YES on your card to declare if you are carrying certain food, plant material or animal products. — Department of Agriculture, agriculture.gov.au”

Travelling, bringing or mailing goods

“Wooden items are allowed into Australia if they are free from bark, insects and signs of insect damage (such as borer holes).”

Department of Agriculture, agriculture.gov.au

Medication & prescription drugs

Traveller’s exemption: up to 3-month supply per medicine incl. controlled substances, for you or an immediate family member travelling with you; valid prescription/authorisation required; medicine must be legal in departure country. Medicinal cannabis separately capped (3-month, not for vape use).

“If you are travelling to Australia from overseas, the traveller’s exemption allows you to carry up to a three month supply of a medicine, including controlled substances. The medicine must be for your own personal use, or use by an immediate family member travelling with you. You will need to carry a valid prescription or authorisation for the medicine, and the medicine must also be legal in the country you are travelling from.”

tga.gov.au

“If you are travelling to Australia from overseas, the traveller's exemption allows you to carry up to a three month supply of a medicine, including controlled substances. The medicine must be for your own personal use, or use by an immediate family member travelling with you.”

TGA, 'Can I import a medicine for personal use?' (raw capture, mohap-class WAF precedent)

“You can only import a 3 month supply in one order, and no more than 15 months of supply over a 12 month period. You must keep imported medicines in their packaging with any labels intact when importing.”

TGA, 'Can I import a medicine for personal use?'

Still being verified — nothing guessed

No known verification gaps remain for Australia as of . All core customs allowances, prohibited goods, and medication import rules are verified against official primary sources.

Australia customs FAQs

What is the duty-free allowance for Australia?

General goods AUD 900 per adult / AUD 450 per child; families on the same flight may pool concessions. Alcohol: 2.25 litres. Tobacco: 25 cigarettes OR 25 g tobacco (Australia’s post-2017 tight cap — far below most countries).

What items are prohibited or restricted at Australia customs?

Permission-required and prohibited classes are established by the ABF 'Can you bring it in' master regulations (weapons, illicit drugs, protected wildlife, and strict biosecurity controls). Biosecurity (mandatory declaration of food, plant material, and animal products on the Incoming Passenger Card with heavy penalties for non-declaration) is the highest-impact rule for arriving travellers.

Can I bring medication into Australia?

Traveller’s exemption: up to 3-month supply per medicine incl. controlled substances, for you or an immediate family member travelling with you; valid prescription/authorisation required; medicine must be legal in departure country. Medicinal cannabis separately capped (3-month, not for vape use).

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