Returning to Australia - Hints for Australian Travellers
Citizenship
Health requirements
Bringing things back
Quarantine
Other issues
Citizenship
If you are a dual citizen you must use your Australian passport to leave from and return to Australia. If your family members are Australian citizens, they must use Australian passports too.

For advice on Australian citizenship issues talk to the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs on 131881 (within Australia) or visit its website for contact details outside Australia.

Health requirements
You need a yellow fever vaccination certificate if, during the six days before arriving in Australia, you have visited a country declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) to be infected with yellow fever. You can find out about these countries from a travel health advisory service or from the WHO website.

If you become ill unexpectedly on your return to Australia, you may have a travel-related illness. See your doctor and inform them that you have been travelling overseas recently, Do not delay seeking medical treatment, as you may have a serious infectious disease.

Bringing things back
When you are returning to Australia you must complete an Incoming Passenger Card that details what you have in your luggage, You must do this correctly and honestly-there are serious penalties if you don't.

The Australian Customs publication Guide for travellers-know before you go (pdf) contains extensive information on what you can and can't bring back. If you need to know more, you can ring +61 262756666 from overseas or 1300363263 from within Australia.

Quarantine
Some items you might bring back from overseas can carry pests and diseases that Australia doesn't have. When you return, declare all food, meat, fruit, plants, seeds, wooden souvenirs, animal or plant materials or their derivatives.

Australia has strict quarantine laws and tough on-the-spot fines. Every piece of luggage is now screened or x-rayed by quarantine officers, detector dog teams and x-ray machines. If you fail to declare or dispose of any quarantine items, or make a false declaration, you will get caught. In addition to on-thespot fines, you could be prosecuted and fined more than A$60 000 and risk 10 years in prison. All international mail is also screened.

For more detailed information about bringing in food, animals, plants, animal or plant materials or their derivatives, ring the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) on 1800020504 or your nearest AQIS office as listed in the white pages, or check out What can't I take into Australia

Wildlife products
Uncontrolled trade in wildlife and wildlife products threatens many of the world's animals and plants. The import and export of wildlife products to and from Australia is regulated by the Australian Government.

The Department of the Environment and Heritage administers the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

Under the Act, many wildlife products need permits before they can be imported or exported. There are severe penalties for importing or exporting wildlife without the necessary permits. These controls are in addition to those of Customs and the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service.

For information about importing or exporting wildlife (animals and plants), wildlife products or souvenirs to and from Australia, contact the Department of the Environment and Heritage on +61 2 62741900 or email wildlifetrade@deh.gov.au

Other issues
For more detailed information about drugs, therapeutic substances and vitamins, ring the Therapeutic Goods Administration, Drug Safety and Evaluation Branch on +61 262328610 or 1800020653. All herbal and traditional medicines must be declared. Ring AQIS on 1800020504 for details.

For questions about bringing in cash (in any currency valued at more than A$1 0 000), ring the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre on +61 299500055 or 1800021 037

For information about firearms, weapons and ammunition, call the Customs Information Line on +61 262756666 or 1300363263 or contact Customs via email information@customs.gov.au

For information about bringing back communications equipment (for example a mobile or cordless phone, fax machine, wireless microphone, or portable computer) visit the Australian Communications Authority website or call +61 3 99636800.

You should check whether the equipment is safe to operate in Australia. Technical differences in power voltage or radio frequencies can endanger health and safety and cause interference problems.