Australia - Bio Security

Biosecurity Regulations for Yachts

All vessels arriving in Australian territory from outside of Australia, including private non-commercial vessels (yachts), private superyachts and cruisers must comply with  Australia’s Biosecurity Act 2015 and Biosecurity Regulation 2016.

Australia has strict biosecurity measures relating to the importation and/or possession of certain goods including food and meat products in order to minimise the risk of the introduction of exotic pests and diseases into the country.

For the latest Biosecurity information see:  DAFF:  Non-commercial vessel arrival biosecurity reporting - yachts and private superyachts

Biofouling in Australia

All vessels pose some risk to Australia's marine biosecurity.  To assist in preparing vessels for arrival and biosecurity inspection, read and download the two page Starting on the Right Tack checklist. to ensure you are compliant with the Department of Agriculture Fishers and Forestry's biofouling requirements:

• the hull should have an effective anti-fouling coating that is less than 12 months old
• clean your vessel hull and any equipment that has been in contact with seawater at your last port of call or within one week prior to arriving in Australia. (Biofouling removal should take place at a registered haul-out facility using a high-pressure water cleaning system.
• check internal seawater systems, including the sea strainer and other on-board systems that use seawater, and clean any build-up of marine growth.

For more information visit:

Biofouling in Australia (Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry)

Pre-arrival Report Form

All non-commercial vessels arriving in Australian territory should submit a Biosecurity Pre-arrival report (PAR) from 90 days to 12 hours BEFORE arriving in Australian territorial waters.  The PAR includes questions relating to the biofouling management practices on your vessel.

All vessels arriving from an international destination must also:

1. Enter Australia through a designated first point of entry (FPOE) for non-commercial vessels.
2. Be granted pratique before disembarkation
3. Have an inspection of the vessel by a biosecurity officer noting vessels with timber components have additional requirements, whether sailed to Australia or imported as cargo.
4. Manage any identified biosecurity risk.

For more detailed information visit:

Biosecurity procedures for non-commercial vessels

First Points of Entry:

Under Australia’s Biosecurity Act 2015, all international vessels and goods become subject to biosecurity control on entering Australian territorial seas and therefore must only enter Australia at a port that has been determined as a Biosecurity First Point of Entry (FPOE) unless permission has been granted by the department to enter a non-first point of entry.

This ensures that vessels enter Australia at a location that has appropriate facilities and personnel to manage the biosecurity risks to an acceptable levels.

Australian ports that have been determined as First Point of Entry (FPOE), under s229 of the Biosecurity Act 2015, are:

1. Northern Territory -  Darwin
2. Queensland -  Brisbane, Bundaberg, Cairns, Gladstone, Gold Coast Broadwater, Mackay, Townsville, Port Kennedy (Thursday Island and Horn Island)
3. New South Wales – Coffs Harbour, Newcastle, Sydney
4. Tasmania – Hobart, Launceston (Bell Bay)
5. Western Australia – Fremantle
6. External Territories – Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Norfolk Island.

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry charge a fee for service when inspecting and clearing vessels into Australia.  There is a vessel fee of $155 on entry and thereafter fees are charged on a per quarter hour basis.  Therefore the total cost of Biosecurity clearance can vary from vessel to vessel.  DAFF operates on full cost-recovery service.  See Fees for current information.

There are no Biosecurity reporting requirements for yachts leaving Australian waters.

Fees and Charges

Australian Biosecurity officials remind all skippers intending to visit Australia that at the First Point of Entry, an arrival levy and fee-for-service (the time taken to inspect the vessel), will be charged and payable to a biosecurity officer at the time of inspection.

• Vessel operators will be charged at fee-for-service rates as set out in the charging guidelines.
• For the mitigation of biosecurity risks such as timber inspection or pest management, additional charges will be payable.
• Additional fees will be charged for inspections occurring on the weekend or public holidays or outside of normal, daylight operational hours.
• Vessel operators may be charged by marina operators for the disposal of biosecurity waste.  These are additional charges to the department’s biosecurity fees charged for vessel inspections, management and release of the vessel from biosecurity control.
• Marina operators set their own fees for biosecurity waste disposal and may differ across Australian territory ports.
• The department recommends yacht operators contact the berthing marina operators to understand marina fees prior to arrival.

Food and other Products

Biosecurity measures ensure a low level of risk of harmful pests and diseases entering and establishing in Australia and enables the appropriate management of pests and diseases that pose a risk to the Australian environment and agricultural industries.

Australia is free from many human, animal and plant diseases including rabies. All foodstuffs and plants, regardless of their origin, packaging or nature, are subject to a quarantine examination on arrival. All fresh produce, as well as frozen and canned meat, will be removed. Souvenirs will also be inspected including shells, feathers, wooden artefacts and any matting.

International travellers who bring in high-risk items can be refused entry to Australia and have their visas cancelled for up to three years.

Meat Products:

Biosecurity requirements relating to various meat products have recently changed and a full listing of the requirements can be found on the Department of Agriculture’s BICON website.  Entry into Australia is determined on the country of origin (not necessarily where the food was purchased) and whether import conditions have been developed relating to the country of origin.

For further details about the arrangements for quarantine inspections for yachts see www.agriculture.gov.au/biosecurity/avm/vessels.

Australia has also introduced a scheme of limited "practique" for vessels that present a potential biosecurity risk due to timber pests. See the above website for the details.

African Swine Fever:

The Department of Agriculture is stepping up biosecurity defences in an effort to keep African Swine Fever out of Australia.   African swine fever (ASF) is a contagious viral disease of domestic and wild pigs and poses a significant threat to Australia’s pork industry.  It has most recently been reported in Indonesia and Timor Leste.

If are planning to enter Australia from these two locations, make sure you are fully aware of what you can and can’t bring into the country.

Seasonal Pests and Ongoing Heightened BioSecurity Measures and Surveillance:

There are a several seasonal pests that could provide BioSecurity risks at Australia's borders.  Vessel captains should ensure they are aware of these pests and their seasons of risk, prior to entering Australia.  These include:

• Asian Gypsy Moth (AGM) – increased seasonal risk from January to May each year
• Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB) – increased seasonal risk between September and May each year.
• Burnt Pine Longicorn Beetle (BPL) – increased seasonal risk between November and May each year.

Latest updates and information are available from the Department of Agriculture website.

Last updated:  April 2025