If you need to send a parcel from Italy to Australia, it is essential to know exactly which items you can ship to avoid problems with customs and ensure that your package arrives at its destination without delay. Australia has very strict rules to protect the country from pests and diseases that could seriously damage the environment, agriculture and local tourism.
Before shipping any product, you should check whether it is allowed under Australian regulations. To help you, we have put together a simple and clear overview of permitted items and those that may require additional checks or special approvals.
Here you will find a summary of the general rules, based on official Australian Government guidance. If you would like to learn more or have doubts about a specific article, please refer directly to the official page of the Australian Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity, where you will find accurate and constantly updated details.
Let's find out together what you can shipping to Australia from Italy.
Permitted food and drink
When shipping food or drink products from Italy to Australia you must comply with strict biosecurity rules. Here you will find a summary list of the main products that are allowed and the conditions to be observed to avoid customs problems.
✔️ Biscuits, breads and pastries
You can send biscuits, bread, cakes and Christmas cakes (except cheesecakes) if:
- They are for personal consumption
- Fully cooked and do not require refrigeration
- They do not contain meat
✔️ Cheese, butter and dairy products
You can send up to 10 kg or 10 litres of dairy products (excluding baby formula) as long as they are:
- Industrially produced and packaged products
- Originating in a foot-and-mouth disease free country, clearly labelled on origin
- Declared and inspected on arrival
✔️ Chocolate and confectionery
Industrial chocolates and sweets are allowed as long as they do not contain meat (e.g. bacon).
✔️ Coffee (roasted, Kopi Luwak/Civet, green)
- Roasted coffeepermitted up to 10 kg if ground or instant.
- Kopi Luwak/Civetmaximum 1 kg, industrially packed, must be declared and inspected.
- Green coffeerequires phytosanitary certificate, declaration and inspection.
✔️ Fish (excluding salmon and trout)
- Canned fish (max. 10 kg): industrially packaged and thermally sterilised (retorted).
- Uncanned fishpermitted if eviscerated, industrially packaged and up to 5 kg if fresh or 10 kg if stored at room temperature.
✔️ Salmon and trout (species Salmonidae)
- Cannedsterilised and industrially packaged (max. 10 kg).
- Unboxedindustrially packaged, ready for consumption, maximum 5 kg if accompanied by the traveller or 450 g if sent by post.
✔️ Honey products
Permits in most of Australia must be inspected. Western Australia has stricter rules.
✔️ Breast milk
Up to 10 litres/kg for the child's personal use. Additional declaration required if the infant is not present.
✔️ Instant Drinks in sachets
Allowed up to 10 kg if packed industrially and without refrigeration.
✔️ Formula for infants
Allowed if industrially packaged:
- Up to 10 kg if produced in countries free of foot-and-mouth disease.
- Lower limits if produced elsewhere (check on BICON).
✔️ Fruit juices and soft drinks
Allowed if industrially packaged and do not require refrigeration.
✔️ Maple syrup
Allowed without special restrictions.
✔️ Meat products
Very restrictive conditions:
- Canned meatpermitted from foot-and-mouth disease-free countries and industrially packaged.
- Dried meat (jerky/biltong)only if not pork, industrially packaged, up to 1 kg.
- Other fresh or vacuum-packed meatnot permitted without special permission.
✔️ Pasta and noodles
Allowed if industrially packaged and:
- Only vegetable or instant ingredients and no need for refrigeration.
- Declared and inspected on arrival if in doubt.
✔️ Dried fruits and nuts
Some species permitted if industrially packaged and heat-treated (roasted, boiled, etc.). Raw peanuts not permitted.
✔️ Vegetable oil
Clean vegetable oils (e.g. olive, sunflower, peanut) without contaminants are permitted.
✔️ Pepper (ground or whole)
Permitted if industrially packaged and with botanical name on the label.
⚠️ Pet food and snacks
Not allowed without special permit or veterinary certification.
✔️ Prawns for human consumption
- Cookedadmitted only with a health certificate.
- Crudicompulsory permit and strict conditions.
- Dried or derived productspermitted if industrially packaged and stable at room temperature.
✔️ Preserved fruit and vegetables (jams, pickles, chutneys)
Allowed if sterilised or preserved in brine, sugar, oil or vinegar, industrially packaged and stable at room temperature.
✔️ Red dates (Jujube)
Allowed if completely dried, industrially packaged and with full botanical name on the label.
⚠️ Rice
- Uncooked rice not permitted.
- Derivatives permitted with specific conditions (see BICON).
✔️ Sauces (soy, ketchup, chilli, etc.)
Allowed if industrially packaged, cooked, sealed and stable at room temperature.
⚠️ Seafood and snails
Allowed if dead, cleaned and industrially packed. Whole oysters are not permitted.
⚠️ Spices and herbs
Some prohibited (cumin, fennel, dried chilli). Others permitted if industrially packaged and accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate.
✔️ Tea and herbal teas
Black and green tea in sealed industrial packs permitted. Herbal teas permitted if with dry vegetable ingredients, maximum 1 kg per blend.
⚠️ Veterinary supplements
They also require a special permit for personal use.
✔️ Vitamins, supplements and therapeutics for human use
Allowed if industrially packaged, for personal consumption and up to a 3-month supply.
⚠️ Wheat
Not permitted unless industrially ground.
⚠️ Whole eggs for human consumption
Not permitted without special permission.
Souvenirs, household items and collectors' items
When sending souvenirs, household items or collectibles from Italy to Australia, you must consider that these products are also subject to strict customs and biosecurity regulations. Here is a practical summary to help you find your way around.
✔️ Horns, teeth or animal bones
Permission if:
- Clean and free of contamination such as soil, seeds or plant and animal remains.
- Please note: some of these items may be subject to controls according to the CITES Convention on Protected Species.
✔️ Cosmetics (including soaps and hair products)
Admitted if:
- Industrially packaged.
- For personal use only (max. 10 kg or 10 litres).
✔️ Feathers and products containing feathers
You can ship up to 10 items with feathers (e.g. stuffed jackets, sleeping bags, pillows), provided that:
- Industrially produced.
- Intended for personal use.
- Free of obvious contamination.
✔️ Beeswax products
Allowed (e.g. candles, furniture waxes, food wrappers) only if:
- Clean and free of insects, seeds or other contamination.
- Clearly identifiable as beeswax products.
✔️ Fishing, camping and sports equipment
Allowed, but with strict hygiene conditions:
- They must be thoroughly clean and dry.
- They must be free of soil, mud, plant or animal material.
- If used in fresh water, they must be completely dry and without visible algae.
✔️ Furs, hides and leather goods
Allowed only if:
- Fully tanned (e.g. handbags, belts, leather shoes).
- Free of animal tissue, soil or seeds.
- Raw leather articles (rawhide) must be for personal use, clean and without signs of decay (max. 10 articles).
- Hunting trophies and taxidermy items only if fully tanned and without residual animal parts.
These items may also be subject to CITES control.
✔️ Shells, sand, rocks and fossils
Allowed if:
- Completely free of soil, insects and plant or animal material.
- Some shells (e.g. Queen Conch) may fall under the CITES Convention.
⚠️ Seeds and live plants
- Seedsonly those permitted, accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate, industrially packaged and correctly labelled with the full botanical name.
- Live plantsgenerally prohibited without a special import permit.
✔️ Wooden articles
Allowed if:
- Completely stripped of bark.
- No signs of insects or woodworm damage.
- Declared and inspected on arrival for confirmation.
Live animals
Importing live animals into Australia is strictly regulated and always requires specific permits to ensure animal welfare and local biosecurity. Here is a summary of the main regulations:
🐶🐱 Dogs and cats
- They may only be imported under strict conditions and with prior authorisation.
- Detailed information: Bringing cats and dogs to Australia.
🥚 Hatching eggs
- Birds' eggs (chicken, turkey, duck)They require a special permit.
- Reptile and amphibian eggsImport for personal use is prohibited.
🐰🐎🐦 Pets (birds, horses, rabbits), breeding material, laboratory animals or aquarium fish
- They can only be imported with specific permits and conditions defined by the Australian authorities.
- More details available here: Importing live animals and reproductive material.
🦎🐸🐜 Exotic or special animals
- Unusual animals, such as reptiles, insects or amphibians, require special permits to be imported into Australia.
- For more: Unique or exotic pets.
Want to send a parcel to Australia?
If you wish sending a parcel to Australia from Italy easily, quickly and without customs complications, always make sure you know which items are allowed and what restrictions apply.
We strongly advise you to consult official sources for up-to-date information before preparing your parcel:
- Department of Agriculture and BiosecurityComprehensive biosecurity rules.
- Australian Border Force: customs details and complete list of permitted articles.
- BICON (Biosecurity Import Conditions): Official Australian Government database with import conditions for more than 20,000 products (plants, animals, minerals and organic products). Through BICON you can check if special permits or conditions are required for your item.
Checking in advance will allow you to avoid inconveniences and ensure that your package arrives without any delays or problems at Australian customs.
