Quick summary
The fine for not declaring food in Australia starts at A$728 — two penalty units at the A$364 rate that has applied since 1 July 2026. Undeclared high-risk goods such as meat, seeds or soil draw six penalty units (A$2,184) or twelve (A$4,368), and concealment or a false declaration can reach twenty penalty units (A$7,280), plus visa cancellation and a possible three-year entry ban.
Declaring costs nothing: ticking Yes triggers an inspection, and prohibited items are confiscated rather than fined. This article sets out the current tiers, which items must be declared or binned, and what to do before landing.
On 1 July 2026, Australia’s penalty unit rose to A$364. That rate still sets the airport biosecurity fine scale as of 8 October 2026. A forgotten apple in a carry-on bag now costs A$728, the minimum biosecurity infringement notice.
The stakes rise when officers judge that goods were concealed or falsely declared. The notice can reach A$7,280.
For travelers arriving from North America, Europe or Asia-Pacific on any international flight, the declaration decision comes on the plane, before the queue.
The four-tier fine structure at Australian airports
The scale follows risk, not the price of the goods. The department’s published notice schedule sets four tiers, starting at two penalty units. The minimum covers failures such as not answering questions, not following directions, or giving false or misleading information. Higher tiers apply to undeclared high-risk goods, concealment or a false declaration.
Undeclared meat, seeds or soil draw six penalty units (A$2,184) or twelve (A$4,368). Concealment or a false declaration can reach twenty penalty units.
| Tier | Penalty units | Fine (AUD) | What triggers it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum notice | 2 | $728 | Not answering questions, not following directions, false or misleading information |
| High-risk undeclared | 6 | $2,184 | Undeclared high-risk goods |
| High-risk undeclared | 12 | $4,368 | Undeclared high-risk goods at the higher risk level |
| Concealment or false declaration | 20 | $7,280 | Concealed or falsely declared goods |
| Source: Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. | |||
A single undeclared apple and a suitcase of undeclared meat are judged on risk and disclosure. What they are worth does not set the fine.
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Which items must be declared or disposed of
Australia’s prohibited list is blunt: fresh fruit or vegetables, plants, seeds, meat and wood products. Soil traces on footwear, clothing and equipment used in rural or animal areas carry the same risk as the produce itself. The department’s guidance for travellers gives two options for risk goods: declaration or disposal in airport or cruise terminal bins.
An undeclared meat product falls in the high-risk band; the same item declared costs nothing. The twelve-unit band is the figure behind recent coverage of Australia’s undeclared-food fines.
The Incoming Passenger Card also covers medicines: prescription, herbal, vitamins and performance-enhancing. Cash of AUD 10,000 or more must be reported.
Why declaration is a zero-cost insurance policy
Ticking Yes on the Incoming Passenger Card is not an admission. It starts an inspection. Officers clear compliant goods and confiscate prohibited ones, without a fine for the declared item. Leaving the same item off the card is a contravention.
False declaration or non-compliance can bring consequences beyond the infringement notice: civil penalties, criminal prosecution, visa cancellation and a possible three-year entry ban. The notice is only one part of that risk.
The declare-or-bin rule is not unique to Australia. New Zealand’s undeclared-food penalty is a separate charge on the same trip.
The pre-landing checklist that prevents $728-$7,280 mistakes
The declaration work belongs in your seat, not in the queue. Every food, plant or animal item belongs on the form, including the airline meal you did not eat.
- Risky items. Airport and cruise terminal disposal bins sit before the inspection line, and using one ends the question for free.
- Outdoor gear. Footwear, clothing and equipment used in rural or animal areas must be declared or disposed of, even when the soil is not visible.
- The card. The Incoming Passenger Card must be completed before you clear the border.
Arrival SmartGates operate at Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin, Gold Coast, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney, according to Smartraveller’s border guidance, last updated 18 August 2026. Eligible Qantas flights from New Zealand can complete the Australia Travel Declaration through the Qantas app 72 hours before travel.
The next penalty-unit indexation would lift the A$728 minimum and every tier above it.
The window before your card is collected
The flight is the cheapest moment to act, before the card is collected. Have a pen, and keep your passport accessible in the arrivals hall.
- Bin first use the airport or cruise terminal disposal bins before the inspection line.
- Finish the card early put every food, plant or animal item on the Incoming Passenger Card, including the airline meal you did not eat, rather than waiting until you stand in the queue.
- Separate the paperwork report cash of AUD 10,000 or more and declare all medicines, which sit on the same card as the food questions.
- Watch the next penalty-unit indexation.
Once a notice is written, the schedule sets the amount, not the conversation. The window to act is before your card is collected.
Reporting by
Questions? Answers.
What counts as high-risk goods for the $2,184-$4,368 fine tier?
The notice schedule rises to six or twelve penalty units for undeclared high-risk goods. Australia prohibits fresh fruit and vegetables, plants, seeds, meat and wood products, and requires footwear, clothing and equipment used in rural or animal areas to be declared or disposed of. A declared item is inspected and either cleared or confiscated.
Do I need to declare food at Australian customs?
Yes. Every traveler must complete a declaration, and risk goods can be declared or placed in the airport or cruise terminal bins. Ticking Yes triggers an inspection, not a fine.
What foods can’t I bring into Australia?
Fresh fruit and vegetables, plants, seeds, meat and wood products are the prohibited list named in the department’s traveller guidance. Bringing any of them undeclared moves the penalty into the high-risk band.
Can I bring snacks to Australia?
If you are unsure about a snack, put it on the card. Declaring triggers an inspection, and an item that is not allowed is confiscated rather than fined; leaving it off the card is what creates the notice.
Do I need to declare chocolate when entering Australia?
The card asks about food, plant material and animal products, and chocolate is a food. If you are not certain it is permitted, declare it: the cost of declaring is an inspection, and the cost of not declaring starts at A$728.
How do I pay an infringement notice at an Australian airport?
A two-penalty-unit notice must be paid at the ABF duty counter before you leave the airport, or you can request an extension before leaving. Notices of six, twelve or twenty penalty units can be paid at the counter or within 28 days, and an extension can be requested from the Director of Biosecurity before the payment period ends.
