Short answer: don’t bring fresh fruit, meat, dairy products, plant material, wooden items, or undeclared currency over $10,000 AUD into Australia. Australian biosecurity is among the strictest in the world; failure to declare prohibited items results in fines starting at $440 (Australian Border Force, 2026 schedule) and can extend to deportation for serious cases.
This applies to anything you bring into Melbourne airport, regardless of whether you intend to consume it on arrival or take it as a gift.
What’s Banned: Biosecurity Items
The Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (DAWE) operates Australia’s biosecurity regime. Prohibited or restricted items:
- Fresh fruit and vegetables — banned. The fruit and vegetable amnesty bins at Melbourne Airport receive thousands of items daily.
- Fresh meat (raw, cooked, smoked, vacuum-packed) — banned. Includes salami, prosciutto, jerky.
- Dairy products — restricted. Hard cheeses are usually OK; soft cheeses, milk, yoghurt are restricted.
- Eggs and egg products — banned.
- Plant material (seeds, leaves, dried plants, herbal medicine ingredients) — declare and inspection required.
- Wooden items (carvings, walking sticks, untreated wood) — declare and inspection required.
- Honey — declare and may be confiscated.
- Live animals or animal products without permits — banned.
- Soiled hiking boots, camping equipment, gardening tools — declare; inspection required to ensure no soil or plant matter.
The penalty for failing to declare is an immediate fine of $2,664 (2026 ABF schedule) and may include criminal prosecution for serious or deliberate cases.
What Customs Asks About Specifically
Australia’s incoming-passenger card asks about:
- Currency over $10,000 AUD or equivalent — must be declared
- Goods over $900 AUD purchased overseas — duty payable
- Tobacco over 25 grams or 25 cigarettes per person — duty applies
- Alcohol over 2.25 litres per person aged over 18 — duty applies
Declare anything you’re uncertain about. The duty is small; the fines for non-declaration are not.
What’s Fine to Bring
The following are generally fine and don’t need declaring:
- Sealed commercial confectionery (chocolate, biscuits) in factory packaging
- Hard cheeses in factory packaging
- Tea and coffee in factory packaging
- Most pharmaceutical medicines (declare prescription medication and bring the prescription)
- Sealed canned and packaged food (declare to be safe)
When in doubt, declare. Declaration doesn’t mean confiscation; it means inspection. Inspectors will let through items that are compliant.
Other Practical Things Not to Bring
A flimsy umbrella. Melbourne’s wind is genuinely stronger than most UK and northern hemisphere umbrellas can handle. The standard Melbourne umbrella has reinforced ribs; cheap travel umbrellas invert constantly.
Jeans-only wardrobe. Melbourne summer (December-February) regularly hits 35°C+ heatwave days; long-leg cotton or linen trousers are more comfortable than jeans. Winter (June-August) is closer to UK November in temperature, so a warm coat is essential.
A rental car booking for inner-city stays. Melbourne’s inner city has expensive parking and good public transport; if you’re staying in the CBD or inner suburbs, you don’t need a car for the city portion of your trip. Hire a car only for the regional day trips (Great Ocean Road, Yarra Valley) or pick up a car partway through the trip.
Excessive cash. Australia is largely cashless; almost every café, restaurant, taxi, tram and shop accepts contactless card payment, and many no longer accept cash for small purchases. £200 in physical AUD is more than sufficient for a typical week’s tipping and emergency cash.
An EU power adapter. Australia uses Type I plugs (three flat pins in a triangular configuration), the same as New Zealand and parts of Argentina. UK Type G and EU Type C/F adapters won’t fit. Buy a Type I adapter before you fly or at the airport on arrival.
A British appliance running at 230V/50Hz expecting it’ll work. Australia’s electricity is 230V/50Hz and matches the UK voltage, so most British electronics work with just a plug adapter. North American 110V appliances need a transformer, not just an adapter.
Medications
Bring prescription medications in their original packaging with the prescription. Declare on arrival. Some controlled substances (codeine-based products, ADHD medications) require additional Australian permits or substitutions; check with the Australian Department of Health’s TGA Personal Importation Scheme before flying.
What This Means for You
The biosecurity rules are the most important pre-trip check. Eat your in-flight fruit and snacks before landing or bin them on arrival; declare anything you’re uncertain about; don’t try to bring fresh produce as gifts.
For more, see what foods can’t you bring into Australia and 88-day rule in Australia. The Department of Agriculture’s official “Travelling to Australia” page is the authoritative source for the current banned-items list.