General Guidance When Moving Your Worldly Goods To Australia

There are documentary requirements and specific regulations to be satisfied when moving to Australia, which anyone who has watched the television programme Nothing to Declare will realise. When moving, it is important that you use an experienced removals company who will be able to give the guidance and assistance required to ensure it goes without a hitch, especially considering the distance involved.

Either before or when the goods arrive in Australia four items are required by customs: An Inventory of Possessions, Customs Form B534, together with an entry visa and passport. It is common for entry visas to take many months to obtain (further information is available from the Australian customs website. As long as goods have a household or personal effect, and have been owned and used for 12 months prior to shipping they will enter duty free. Items, such as furniture and household effects, will be dutiable and original invoices will be required.

As long as antiques are part of the household effects and have been owned for a minimum of 12 months prior to exportation they can be shipped duty free. An antiquity certificate will be required for authentification, and a copy of the purchase invoice will be required.

If the owner is due to arrive within six months goods may be cleared through Customs prior to their arrival. However, Customs will not allow the movement of the container, resulting in additional costs, unless all shipments have the consignee’s address.

Following the Foot and Mouth outbreak in the UK, Australia has tightened its already strict quarantine policies. This means all containers will be inspected for soil, plants, and food. This applies particularly to outdoor items, which may have traces, such as garden furniture, shoes and horse riding equipment; as well as indoor items, including vacuum cleaners. Owners should not use fruit boxes for packing and obviously importation of all plants and vegetable products is prohibited.

Similarly to other countries, there are certain items that cannot be shipped. These include certain feathers, furs, skins and tusks of animals deemed to be protected species. It may be possible to import small quantities as long as they are supported by a DEFRA “Cites” Certificate.

Firearms will be confiscated from the shipment until a license is obtained from your State Police, as they are a restricted item. Once the necessary license is obtained and the gun passes a ballistics/safety inspection entry is duty free.

Narcotics and drugs are prohibited. Alcohol will be taxed heavily; the level of tax and Customs Duty attracted by alcohol will depend upon on the nature of the liquor and alcoholic strength. A full list must be provided detailing each bottle by product, volume, alcohol strength and value.

As long as dogs and cats have been resident in the UK or Ireland for at least six months, and have not been in boarding kennels in that country during this time, they can be brought into Australia. Each animal will need to be micro-chipped and have documentation from a vet to show that they are fit to fly. A permit must be obtained for each animal prior to shipping, together with an import license, which can be obtained from the Chief Medical officer at the Australian High Commission. Birds will be destroyed on arrival in the country as they are a prohibited animal.

Although motor and other vehicles can be imported into Australia, many European cars will often fail safety tests and require costly modifications. All motor vehicles will also be subject to customs duty and sales tax. This is levied on the expected value of the vehicle which is based on a depreciation of 5 per cent of value for the first month owned, and then one per cent every month thereafter, with a maximum depreciation of 28 per cent. As there are a number of formalities which need to be completed before the container can be moved from the wharf it is important that the owner is fully contactable during this time. Failure to be contactable may result in the container being held at the wharf, which is likely to incur excessive demurrage and storage costs.

Motorbikes are also subject to sales tax, whereas caravans and non-motorised boxes and other trailers are free of duty. However there are conditions to be satisfied, within a three-year period there must only be one such item per household, it must have been owned and used for the past 12 months and have been imported as part of effects for taking up permanent residence.

Sailing and motor boats can be admitted without duty, with the same three conditions applying. An additional restriction applies in that the item cannot be sold or otherwise disposed of within two years of reaching Australia. Sailboats must not exceed 2.5m in width or 1,000 kilograms in laden weight, and must not have an auxiliary motor. Also, the vessel must be designed for recreational use in sheltered waters.

As a final point Australian television system uses PAL Colour System B, therefore most sets manufactured for use in the UK are generally not suitable. If you have a TV which you do not wish to try and sell or give away is it useful to remember it is still possible to use these sets to watch DVDs/ videos.

Article supplied by Philip Pertoldi, Group Managing Director of Abels Moving Services, holder of a Royal Warrant to HM the Queen for removals and storage services since 1989 (www.abels.co.uk).