Bringing Back Goods From New York

What do you need to keep in mind when bringing back goods from New York? That you don’t bring back too much! You are allowed to bring back goods worth up to A$900 for adults and A$450 for ages 18 and younger, duty-free per person. So make sure the total worth of your purchases doesn’t exceed this amount. It doesn’t matter if you bought a designer coat at Macy’s or bought electronics and gadgets in New York; keep below the A$900 or A$450 mark to avoid trouble.

What if I go Over my Allowance?

If you bring home more than your duty-free allowance for general goods, you’ll need to pay duty or import tax on the full value, not just the value above the allowance. So just keep that in mind when going shopping in New York.

What can I Bring Back to Australia?

You can bring back general goods such as clothes, electronics and gadgets, jewellery, watches, sports gear, leather goods, souvenirs, cameras and gifts. As long as the total is a maximum of A$900 for adults and A$450 for children younger than 18, you don’t have to pay duty. You can also bring alcohol and tobacco, but the amount you can bring back to Australia is limited.

You’re not allowed to bring any meat, meat products, fruits, and vegetables into Australia. This means you can’t fill your suitcase with that ham from Little Italy. Contamination is strictly checked, so don’t track dirt back to Australia. Make sure your shoes and other equipment are free from soil, mud, clay, animal faeces or plant material like leaves and bark. Also, avoid bringing back banned goods, such as souvenirs crafted out of endangered animal products.

You are allowed to take the following with you:

🥪 Foods

You can bring the following food products into Australia:

• up to 10 kilograms of commercially prepared and packaged chocolate or confectionery
• up to 10 kilograms packaged tea and coffee (excluding Kopi Luwak/Civet)
• up to 10 kilograms dairy products commercially packaged
• up to 10 kilograms fish products (excluding salmon or trout) must be commercially manufactured and packaged, do not require refrigeration or freezing before the package is opened.

Note that all packaged food must be left unopened to cross the border. No fresh fruits, vegetables or meat products are allowed into Australia.

🍾 Alcohol

If you’re age 18 or older, you can bring a total of 2.25 litres of alcoholic drinks into Australia.

For example: ​vodka, beer, wine & spirits. You must have a certificate to bring in commercial quantities of brandy, whisky or rum.

🚬 Tobacco and Cigarettes

If you’re 18 or older, you can bring in the following:

• up to 25 cigarettes (closed package), or
• 25 grams of tobacco products
• plus one open packet of cigarettes

🔋 Lithium-ion batteries

Lithium-ion batteries are often used as built-in batteries in electronics like phones, laptops, and cameras. Of course, you are allowed to bring small consumer electronics. And as long as they have a lithium battery up to 100Wh, they can typically travel in either carry-on or checked luggage, though carry-on is recommended. If you put them in your checked baggage, they need to be completely switched off.

🔌 Power banks

Power banks also contain a lithium-ion battery. There are specific international regulations for carrying a power bank on aeroplanes:

• You can bring two power banks per person.
• Together, these should have a maximum capacity of 100Wh-160Wh.
• You have to bring them in your carry-on luggage.
• You’ll probably have to take them out at the security check.
• If you want to bring a power bank with a larger capacity, it’s best to check the regulations of your airline, as policies can vary.

Other Items

When in doubt, have a look here for detailed information on what can and cannot be brought into Australia.