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Department of Agriculture

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  1. Home
  2. Biosecurity and trade
  3. Import
  4. Importing goods
  5. External Territories

Sidebar first - Import

  • Importing goods
    • Biological products
      • Application to change the end use of imported biological goods (repurposing)
      • Biological products forms
      • Biological Consultative Group
      • Checklist for importing biological materials
        • Animal Feed including pet food, stockfeed, aquaculture feed and bait
          • Animal feed production questionnaire
        • Importing laboratory materials for use in non-laboratory animals
      • How to import animal derivatives and microbial goods into Australia - general information for importers
        • Application for transfer of biosecurity risk material
        • How to complete an Application to Import Biological Materials
      • Questions and Answers
    • Cats and dogs
    • External Territories
      • Indian Ocean Territories (IOT)
        • Import conditions for solanaceous produce
      • Norfolk Island produce
        • Risk assessment-fresh apples and pears
        • Risk assessment-fresh asparagus
        • Risk assessment-fresh beans and snowpeas
        • Risk assessment-fresh blueberries
        • Risk assessment-fresh broccoli and cauliflower
        • Risk assessment-fresh citrus fruits
        • Risk assessment-fresh fleshy vegetables
        • Risk assessment-fresh kiwifruit
        • Risk assessment-fresh leafy vegetables
        • Risk assessment-fresh mangoes
        • Risk assessment-fresh melons
        • List of permitted species of mushrooms and truffles
        • Risk assessment-fresh pineapples
        • Risk assessment-fresh root crops
        • Risk assessment-fresh stone fruits
        • Risk assessment-fresh strawberries and raspberries
        • Risk assessment-fresh table grapes
      • Application for permit: External territories
      • Import conditions for public consultation
    • Fertiliser
      • Chemical and mined fertiliser
      • Level 1 gold supply chains
      • Organic fertiliser
    • Food
      • How to import food
        • Food Import Compliance Agreements
          • FICA audits
      • Import requirements by food type
        • Importing food from New Zealand
        • Pure and highly concentrated caffeine products
        • Cereal grains and cereal products
        • Coconut and coconut meat
        • Coconut milk drinks
        • Cheese
        • Dried milk
        • Raw milk cheese
        • Fruits and vegetables
        • Berries
        • Pomegranate arils
        • Hemp seeds and oil
        • Dried herbs
        • Paprika and pepper
        • Honey
        • Human milk and human milk products
        • Powdered infant formula
        • Kava
        • Beef and beef products
        • Processed meat - cooked
        • Meat and edible offal
        • Cooked poultry meat
        • Cooked poultry pate, paste and liver
        • Raw beef and beef products
        • Processed meat - uncooked
        • Uncooked slow dry cured ham
        • Peanuts and pistachios
        • Sesame seeds and sesame seed products
        • Edible plant oil
        • Cassava chips
        • Tofu, soy bean curd, soy milk curd
        • Mini jelly cups containing konjac
        • Prohibited plants and fungi
        • Bivalve molluscs
        • Cooked crustaceans
        • Fish and crustaceans - aquaculture
        • Histamine susceptible fish
        • Processed finfish
        • Brown seaweed
        • Supplementary sports food
      • Documents and declarations
        • Full Import Declarations
        • Declaring the producer of imported food
        • IFIS importer declarations
        • Food safety management certificates
      • Inspection and testing
        • Imported Food Inspection Scheme
        • Book a laboratory
        • Food sampling
        • Failing food reports
        • Reconsideration and review of decisions
        • Holding orders
        • Surveys and data
      • Appointed analysts
        • Testing imported food samples
        • Conditions for appointment as an analyst
      • Foreign government certification
        • Mandatory government certification
        • Voluntary government certification
        • Applying for a certification arrangement
      • Notices
      • Legislation
    • Live animals and reproductive material
      • Animals on vessels
      • Application to import
      • Cats and dogs
      • Fees and charges
      • Fertile hatching eggs (poultry)
      • Horses
      • Invertebrates
      • Laboratory animals
      • Live aquarium (ornamental) fish
        • Approved Aquarium Chemicals, Treatments and Antibiotics
      • Livestock
      • Reproductive material (semen and embryos)
      • Pet birds
      • Pigeons
      • Rabbits
      • Transit and transhipment of animals through Australia
      • Unique or exotic pets
      • Zoo animals
    • Major resources and energy sector
      • Biosecurity Management Plan Template
      • Industry Cargo Inspection Report template
      • Industry Vessel Cleanliness Inspection Report Template
      • Sail-Away Report template
    • Motor vehicles, motorcycles and machinery
    • Movement advice animal transport equipment
    • Plants and plant products
      • Bulk grain
        • Bulk grain guidance and templates
        • Managing the biosecurity risks of imported bulk grain
      • Compliance-Based Intervention Scheme
      • Cut flowers and foliage
        • Managing pests
        • Supply chain management system requirements
        • Importing cut flowers for commercial use guide
      • Food, drink and supplements
      • Fresh produce
      • Live plants
        • Approved sources of Phalaenopsis
        • Approved sources of tissue cultures free of media
        • Changes to import requirements to protect against Xylella
        • Live plant forms
      • Managing plant imports biosecurity risk
      • Plant-based animal feed
        • Guide to engaging and undertaking third party audits of processed plant-based stockfeed facilities
        • Infographic - importing processed plant-based animal feed
        • Plant-based animal feed and fertiliser forms
        • Requirements for facilities manufacturing and exporting processed plant-based stockfeed and their ingredients to Australia
      • Plant products applied to soils and plants
      • Seeds for planting
        • Coversheet for seed for planting consignments
        • Emergency measures: Tomato brown rugose fruit virus
        • Emergency measures for tomato and capsicum seed: Tomato mottle mosaic virus Questions and Answers
        • International Clean Seed Pathway Workshop
        • Pathogen test request form
        • Reviewing laboratory test reports checklists
        • Seed contaminants and tolerance tables
        • Vegetable seeds policy review
      • Plant research material
      • Processing imported plant material in Australia
      • Timber, bamboo and wood products
        • Approved treatments for timber and wooden related products
          • Timber permanent preservative treatment requirements
            • Approved timber permanent preservative formulations
            • Timber preservation standards
        • Canadian Sawn Wood Certification Program (CSWCP)
        • Imports for non-commercial (personal) use
        • Types of timber, bamboo, and related products
        • Wooden articles import permit
    • Timber and bamboo packaging
      • Bark on timber packaging and dunnage
      • ISPM 15 for solid wood packaging
    • Uncooked prawns
      • Par-cooking BBC prawns
      • Uncooked prawn consignments

External Territories

​​​Updates to import conditions

The Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment is constantly reviewing and updating import conditions for the external territories. Proposed changes to prawn and prawn products import conditions are currently open for public comment. More information about the conditions is available on our webpage.


Import conditions for fresh solanaceous fruit and vegetables purchased in Western Australia and imported into the Indian Ocean Territories (IOT) of Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Islands have been updated. These conditions are in place to reduce the likelihood of the spread of tomato-potato psyllid (TPP). More information about the conditions is available on our webpage.


​The Biosecurity Act 2015 is the primary legislation for the management of the risk of diseases and pests that may cause harm to human, animal or plant health, the environment and the economy. Its jurisdiction includes the management of the risk of diseases and pests to Australian territory including the external territories of Norfolk Island, Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands.

Norfolk Island, Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Islands each have unique animal and plant health biosecurity statuses. Biosecurity arrangements on the territories are designed to maintain the unique biosecurity statuses of these territories. Biosecurity arrangements and responsibilities are set out in the Biosecurity Act 2015​ and subordinate legislation.

Under the Biosecurity Act 2015, the movements of vessels, goods and people into and between these external territories, including from the Australian mainland are managed like international movements, rather than interstate movements. Therefore all vessels and aircrafts that arrive at the territories and all goods that are brought or imported into these external territories must comply with the Biosecurity Act 2015.

Bringing or importing goods to the external territories

Due to the unique pest and disease status of the external territories, each territory has its own goods determination which prescribes goods that are prohibited from being brought or imported into the external territories, and goods that may be brought or imported into the external territories subject to biosecurity conditions, including the requirement for an import permit. Import requirements are based on scientific evidence and government policy, ensuring the distinct biosecurity differences of each place are managed accordingly. All goods brought or imported into these territories are subject to biosecurity control.

Prior to bringing or importing goods into the external territories, refer to the relevant determination that provides the conditions for import, which are unique to each territory:

  • Biosecurity (Conditionally Non-prohibited Goods – Christmas Island) Determination 2016
  • Biosecurity (Conditionally Non-prohibited Goods – Cocos (Keeling) Islands) Determination 2016.
  • Biosecurity (Conditionally Non-prohibited Goods – Norfolk Island) Determination 2016

If you would like to import goods not covered in the Goods Determination, you must apply for an import permit. The permit must be granted before your goods leave the Australian mainland.

To apply for an import permit, you can access the department’s Biosecurity Import Conditions system (BICON).

If you are not already registered in BICON you will need to register.

If you are experiencing difficulty with registration and application, please refer  to BICON help and the BICON help card.

Aircraft and vessels arriving at the external territories

Under the Act, aircraft and vessels (including those from Australia) become subject to biosecurity control upon entering 12 nautical miles of the external territories. Likewise, all goods and conveyances from these external territories become subject to biosecurity control upon entering 12 nautical miles of Australia.

For more information, visit the aircraft and vessels webpage.

External territories covered by the Biosecurity Act

Map depicting the external Territories, the Australian mainland and the 12 Nautical Mile limit to which the Biosecurity Act applies.  

Biosecurity office contacts for external territories

If you would like to contact a biosecurity officer on Norfolk Island or the Indian Ocean Territories (Christmas Island or Cocos (Keeling) Islands), visit the department’s contacts webpage.

Further information

For more information on the territories, visit the Department of Infrastructure, Regional Development and Cities website.

Other useful websites include:

  • Shire of Christmas Island
  • Shire of Cocos (Keeling) Islands
  • Norfolk Island Regional Council 

Contacts

Call 1800 900 090

Contact us online

Report a biosecurity concern

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Last updated: 29 November 2021

© Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.