Life in Australia Guide

When you migrate to Australia permanently or long-term and send household items such as furniture, appliances, clothes, books and kitchenware separately by ship or cargo plane rather than as airline baggage, this is called unaccompanied cargo. The Australian Border Force (ABF) calls this unaccompanied personal effects (UPE). Unlike accompanied baggage that a traveller carries in themselves, unaccompanied cargo arrives before or after you as freight and goes through a separate customs and biosecurity process. This guide covers only the international move of an entire household from overseas to Australia. A domestic move from one state to another within Australia (transferring your driver licence, vehicle registration, etc.) is an entirely different matter, so refer to the 'moving interstate' guide. The duty-free limits (e.g. traveller concessions) and arrival declaration for baggage you carry in yourself at the airport are covered in the 'arrival customs and quarantine' guide; the import GST on parcels bought online from overseas is covered in the 'overseas online shopping and customs' guide; and bringing pets is covered in the 'bringing your pet' guide — each separately.

When your unaccompanied cargo arrives in Australia, the Australian Border Force (ABF) assesses whether duty and goods and services tax (GST) apply. The key point is the concession principle for personal and household goods that the migrant already owned and used before moving. ABF generally advises that personal effects you have owned and used for 12 months or more can be brought in without duty or GST, but alcohol, tobacco, motor vehicles and the like are exceptions, and the assessment may differ depending on visa status and the type of goods. Be sure to confirm whether your situation qualifies for the concession with the official ABF guidance or a licensed customs broker. AUWith provides factual information only and does not replace individual duty or tax decisions.

Australia operates one of the strictest biosecurity borders in the world. Used timber furniture, camping and outdoor gear, bicycles, shoes and fishing equipment in your household goods may have soil, seeds, plant residue, insects or animal material attached, making them subject to inspection by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF). Depending on the inspection result, cleaning, fumigation or treatment may be required, and if the risk is high the goods may be re-exported or destroyed. The most accurate way to find out which items can be brought in and under what conditions is to check by item in DAFF's import conditions database, BICON.

• Timber furniture and wooden crafts — inspected for insect holes and bark, fumigated if required
• Camping/outdoor gear, bicycles and shoes — remove soil, grass seeds and plant residue (clean thoroughly)
• Fishing/water gear and animal-related items — check entry conditions on BICON in advance

Choose your shipping method based on budget, volume and urgency. Below are four typical options. Whichever method you choose, the ABF customs and DAFF biosecurity procedures after arrival apply the same.

Preparing well before shipping can reduce customs and biosecurity delays and extra costs.

• Prepare a detailed inventory (packing list) — list items, quantities, approximate value and length of ownership
• Thoroughly clean soil and organic matter off used timber, outdoor gear, bicycles and shoes before shipping
• Look up on BICON in advance any items whose entry is unclear (food, seeds, timber, animal-related)
• Prepare customs documents in advance, such as the B534 statement, passport, visa and shipping documents
• If you have high-value or concession-exception items (alcohol, tobacco, vehicles), confirm with ABF or a customs broker in advance

The following are problems that commonly occur when shipping household goods.

• Failing to declare biosecurity items — not declaring soil-covered shoes, food or seeds can lead to fines, destruction of goods and visa risk. When in doubt, always declare.
• Misunderstanding the concession as automatic — treating the '12 months of ownership' principle as all-encompassing and assuming even a new car, alcohol and tobacco are exempt. Check the exceptions with ABF.
• Inadequate cleaning — if soil remains on camping gear, bicycles or garden tools, fumigation or re-export greatly increases cost and time.
• Confusion over visa status — temporary visas (working holiday, student) and permanent residence (PR) may differ in UPE concession eligibility, so don't assume and check with ABF.
• Poor inventory — an inaccurate list of goods can delay customs and lead to unfavourable tax and biosecurity assessments.