Shipping to Australia from NZ

Strictly prohibited items include: fresh fruit and vegetables, live plants (including cuttings, bulbs and roots), loose seeds, unprocessed spices, raw wool, unprocessed rawhide, flick knives, butterfly knives, daggers, pepper sprays, tasers, and counterfeit goods. Items requiring special preparation: outdoor equipment (lawn mowers, garden tools, bicycles, golf clubs, camping gear) must be spotlessly clean as any trace of NZ soil can trigger a quarantine cleaning fee of $200 or more per hour. Wicker, cane, bamboo and raw timber items are inspected for insect infestation. Vacuum cleaners must be thoroughly cleaned with the dust bag disposed of. Real pinecones, wreaths and straw ornaments may be seized or require gamma-irradiation treatment. Raw beeswax and honey products must be declared and may be inspected.

These must be spotlessly clean. Any trace of NZ soil can trigger a mandatory quarantine cleaning fee ($200+ per hour).

The B534 Unaccompanied Personal Effects (UPE) Statement is a mandatory legal document required by the Australian Border Force for anyone shipping household goods to Australia. Without it, you cannot clear customs. It allows you to import used personal items (owned for 12 or more months) without paying 10% GST or customs duty, and provides biosecurity authorities with the information needed to assess whether a quarantine inspection is required. To complete it you will need: a photocopy of your passport, an Australian residential address, and physical signatures on all four pages (digital signatures are not accepted). Submit it to your shipping agent at least 7 to 10 days before your shipment arrives in Australia to avoid port storage fees.

Alcohol and tobacco can be declared on the B534 but are not covered by the UPE concession. The duty-free limits of 2.25L of alcohol and 25 cigarettes apply only to items carried on the plane. For unaccompanied shipments, all alcohol and tobacco is subject to full customs duty and GST. Excise duties in Australia are extremely high and the duty cost can exceed the value of the product. Including these items often triggers a manual assessment, which can delay the release of all your household goods and incur additional port storage fees.

Providing false or misleading information on your B534 is a serious offence. Australia applies a strict liability framework, meaning fines can apply even for unintentional errors. On-the-spot fines for failing to declare biosecurity items range from $340 to over $2,600 AUD. Prohibited or incorrectly declared goods may be seized and destroyed at your expense. Under-declaring new goods or failing to declare alcohol or tobacco can result in fines of up to three times the duty evaded. For non-citizens, serious or repeat breaches can result in visa cancellation and a three-year re-entry ban. Deliberate smuggling can lead to criminal prosecution and up to 10 years imprisonment.

Yes. Ausmove regularly ships private cars, motorcycles, trailers, quad bikes, caravans and other motorised vehicles to Australia. Vehicles can be packed with your household goods (if space allows), in a shared groupage container, or in a sole-use container. We assist with all paperwork, customs and quarantine processes. Note that certain import costs such as duty, GST and compliance testing are outside our direct control. Your vehicle must be clean and fuel-reduced prior to shipping to meet Australian biosecurity requirements.

Yes we provide these specialist moving services.

The Australian delivery team will unpack your items at your new home as part of the same door‑to‑door service placing items on a flat surface. They will place items in the correct rooms and clear away packing materials.

While you don't need to be there on the day, you generally must arrive in Australia within 6 months of your goods being imported to qualify for the duty-free concession. If your goods arrive and you do not travel to Australia within a reasonable timeframe, customs may deny the concession and charge full duty/GST.

If you need to make an insurance claim please make contact with our team who will guide you through the process.