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  3. Biosecurity and its importance to Australia

Biosecurity and its importance to Australia

Last updated
Tuesday, 12/07/2022

 

If you’re returning home from an overseas trip, don’t forget to check before you pack to avoid bringing home items potentially exposed to biosecurity risks, such as foot-and-mouth disease.

What's the risk?

Travellers and goods arriving in Australia can introduce exotic pests and diseases. This could harm our health, environment and commercial industries.

One such disease is foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). This highly contagious viral disease affects cloven-footed animals such as sheep and cattle. Australian livestock can be exposed to FMD if it is brought in on objects from overseas that have been around infected animals.

There is no threat to human health from this disease. Human infections of FMD are very rare and do not result in serious symptoms, but an outbreak on Australian shores could have severe consequences for our livestock industries.

FMD outbreaks are common in parts of Africa, the Middle East, Asia and South America (agriculture.gov.au). In May 2022, an outbreak of the virus was reported in cattle in Indonesia, with cases in livestock reported in Bali in July.

What can I do?

If you have been travelling overseas, before returning home, ensure you:

  • thoroughly clean any equipment
  • dispose of all meat or dairy products
  • declare on your incoming passenger card (IPC) if you have visited a rural area or been in contact with, or near, farm animals in the past 30 days
  • declare and hand over any items that present possible risk to a biosecurity officer for inspection on arrival in Australia.

Biosecurity risks, including FMD, can be brought into Australia on goods such as:

  • shoes, boots and clothing
  • meat products
  • dairy products
  • camping equipment, including backpacks
  • mountain bikes and other sporting equipment used in rural areas, markets and zoos, or near susceptible animals and have soil or manure attached.

What else do I need to know?

For more information see:

  • Smartraveller’s information on Australia’s biosecurity and border controls
  • the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry’s advice on FMD
  • the Australian Border Force’s advice on declaring items when coming into Australia.

Requirements can change quickly. Monitor Government advice and subscribe for updates to your destination/s to ensure you remain informed on global developments that may impact your travel.

Emergency consular assistance

The Australian Government provides 24-hour consular emergency assistance.

+61 2 6261 3305 from overseas

1300 555 135 from within Australia

For information about Australian visas, contact the Department of Home Affairs.

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For non-urgent enquiries, contact us online.

To provide feedback on consular services that you've recently received, email consular.feedback@dfat.gov.au

For further information on notarial services, email legalisations.australia@dfat.gov.au

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Smartraveller is provided by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

For how we can help you overseas see the Consular Services Charter.

For more information go to about us.

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  • HomeHome
  • Before you go
    • The basics
      • Planning to travel during COVID-19: step by step
      • Destinations
      • Passport services
      • Visas
      • Insurance
      • Schengen
      • Travel advice explained
    • Who you are
      • Children
      • Dual nationals
      • LGBTI++
      • Mature
      • School leavers
      • Women
    • Activities
      • Adoption
      • Adventure
      • Backpacking
      • Business
      • Living and working overseas
      • Marriage
      • Studying
      • Surrogacy
      • Volunteering
    • Major events
      • Cultural events
      • Religious events
      • Sporting events
    • Health
      • Mental health
      • Disability
      • Infectious diseases
      • Medical assistance overseas
      • Medical tourism
      • Medication
      • Pregnancy
      • Reciprocal health
      • Vaccinations
      • Death
    • Staying safe
      • Armed conflict
      • Assault
      • Cyber security
      • Demonstrations
      • Earthquakes and tsunamis
      • Kidnapping
      • Natural disasters
      • Partying safely
      • Piracy
      • Scams
      • Severe weather
      • Sexual assault
      • Terrorism
      • Theft and robbery
    • Laws
      • Carrying or using drugs
      • Child sex offences
      • Female genital mutilation
      • Forced marriage
    • Getting around
      • Air travel
      • Boat travel
      • Cruising
      • Public transport
      • Road safety
  • Destinations
    • View all destinations
    • AfricaBrowse destinations in Africa.
    • AmericasBrowse all destinations in the Americas.
    • AsiaBrowse all destinations in Asia.
    • EuropeBrowse all destinations in Europe.
    • Middle EastBrowse all destinations in the Middle East.
    • PacificBrowse all destinations in the Pacific.
  • While you're away
    • When things go wrong
      • Arrested or jailed
      • Lost property
      • Medical assistance
      • Money problems
      • Someone is missing
      • Someone died
    • Crime overseas
      • Assaulted
      • Kidnapped
      • Robbed or mugged
      • Scammed
      • Sexually assaulted
    • Crisis or emergency
      • Demonstration
      • Armed conflict
      • Earthquake
      • Severe weather
      • Terrorist situation
      • Volcanic eruption
      • Bushfire
      • Nuclear incident
    • Australia's biosecurity and border controls
  • Urgent helpLinks to help
  • Our servicesLinks to services
    • Consular Services Charter
      • Arabic
      • Chinese Simplified
      • Chinese Traditional
      • Indonesian
      • Thai
      • Vietnamese
    • Travel advice explained
    • Subscription
    • Crises
    • Passport services
    • Notarial services
      • Documents
      • Documents in Australia
      • Documents overseas
      • Certificate of No Impediment
      • Notarial forms
    • Voting overseas
    • Communities
      • العربية (Arabic)
      • 中文 简体 (Chinese Simplified)
      • 中文繁體 (Chinese Traditional)
      • Bahasa Indonesia
      • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
      • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
      • Filipino community
      • Indian community
      • Malaysian community
    • Resources
      • Consular State of Play
      • CHOICE travel insurance guide
      • Fact sheet: Travel Smart
      • Fact sheet: Missing overseas
      • Fact sheet: Arrested or jailed overseas
      • Fact sheet: Sexual assault overseas
      • Fact sheet: Death overseas
      • Consular Privacy Collection Statement