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Customs Clearance Service - Australia-Wide

Customs Clearance in Australia, Handled End-to-End by DTDC

DTDC Australia manages the full customs clearance process for your shipment — ABF declarations, DAFF biosecurity checks, duty and GST, and final delivery — so your goods move instead of sitting on a wharf or in a mail depot.
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Customs Clearance in Australia
Air, Sea & Post clearance
ABF & DAFF coordination
Multi-carrier network: DHL · FedEx · UPS · TNT · Aramex
Part of the global DTDC / DPD Group network
Sydney · Melbourne · Brisbane · Perth · Adelaide

What is customs clearance in Australia?

Customs clearance in Australia is the process of declaring imported goods to the Australian Border Force (ABF), paying any duty and GST owed, and passing a biosecurity check by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF), before the goods can legally be released to the importer. Every shipment entering Australia — by post, air cargo or sea freight — must go through this process, whether it’s a single parcel or a full container.
DTDC Australia runs this process for importers as a managed service: we prepare your documents, lodge the declaration, liaise with both agencies, and deliver once the shipment is cleared. The rest of this page explains exactly how the process works, what it costs, and where most importers lose time when they try to manage it without support.

Key facts at a glance

Goods valued at AUD1,000 or less generally clear without a formal declaration or duty (alcohol excluded)

GST is 10%, calculated on goods value + duty + international transport + insurance

Import Processing Charges range from $0 (under $1,000) to $152 (over $10,000, electronic lodgement)

Import Processing Charges range from $0 (under $1,000) to $152 (over $10,000, electronic lodgement)

Clean electronic clearance typically takes 1–3 business days (often within 24–48 hours)

A biosecurity hold or physical inspection can add 5–14 days

Our customs clearance service

DTDC Australia’s customs clearance service covers document preparation, tariff classification, ABF declaration lodgement, DAFF biosecurity liaison, duty and GST calculation, and final delivery — managed as one service instead of separate handoffs between a broker, a courier and a warehouse.
Tariff classification support

We help confirm the correct HS code for your goods so duty is calculated correctly the first time — misclassification is one of the most common (and costly) importer mistakes.

Document preparation & review

Commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading and packing declaration checked against each other before lodgement, so mismatches don't trigger a hold.

ABF declaration lodgement

Self-Assessed Clearance for low-value goods, full N10/B374 Import Declarations for shipments over AUD1,000.

DAFF biosecurity coordination

We handle the documentation assessment and, where required, coordinate physical inspection or treatment so it doesn't sit unmanaged.

Duty & GST calculation

A clear landed-cost estimate before you ship, not a surprise invoice after it arrives.

Multi-carrier final delivery

Once cleared, delivery runs through our partner network — DHL, FedEx, UPS, TNT, Aramex and more — so clearance and delivery aren't two separate bookings.

DIY clearance vs. using DTDC

Self-clearing is legally possible for any shipment, but for goods over AUD1,000 it means registering as a client in the Integrated Cargo System, buying a digital certificate, and carrying personal legal liability for every declaration — which is why most commercial importers use a broker or managed service instead.
What changes when DTDC manages your clearance
Self-clearingDTDC Australia
ICS registration & digital certificateRequired, self-managedNot your problem
Tariff classificationYour responsibility, your liabilityReviewed before lodgement
ABF & DAFF liaison if flaggedYou respond directlyWe manage it on your behalf
Delivery after releaseSeparate bookingIncluded via our carrier network
Landed cost visibilityEstimated after the fact Quoted upfront
Self-clearing
ICS registration & digital certificate

Required, self-managed

Tariff classification

Your responsibility, your liability

ABF & DAFF liaison if flagged

You respond directly

Delivery after release

Separate booking

Landed cost visibility

Estimated after the fact

DTDC Australia
Best Balance
ICS registration & digital certificate

Not your problem

Tariff classification

Reviewed before lodgement

ABF & DAFF liaison if flagged

We manage it on your behalf

Delivery after release

Included via our carrier network

Landed cost visibility

Quoted upfront

Who handles it: ABF vs DAFF

Two federal agencies clear every shipment into Australia in parallel: the Australian Border Force handles valuation, duty, GST and prohibited-goods checks, while the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry handles biosecurity — pests, disease and contaminated packaging. A shipment isn’t released until both are satisfied. Australia’s checks run stricter than many comparable countries because of its isolated ecosystem: a pest that’s a minor nuisance elsewhere — timber beetles, khapra beetle, brown marmorated stink bug — can do serious agricultural damage here.

Australian Border Force (ABF)

assesses declared value, calculates duty and GST, checks for prohibited or restricted items, and clears cargo through the Integrated Cargo System.

Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF)

reviews packing declarations and, where risk is flagged, physically inspects cargo, timber packaging or plant and animal products under its biosecurity import framework.

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How we clear your shipment, step by step

Customs clearance in Australia follows six stages — classification, documentation, declaration, payment, biosecurity assessment and release — and DTDC manages each one on your behalf rather than leaving you to coordinate them separately.
Classify your goods (HS code)

Every product is matched to a Harmonized System code, which sets the duty rate and flags whether a permit applies.

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Prepare your documents

Commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading or air waybill, and — for sea freight — a packing declaration confirming whether the container used any straw, timber or bamboo packing material.

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Lodge the declaration

Goods valued at AUD1,000 or less typically clear via Self-Assessed Clearance. Above that, a full Import Declaration (N10, or B374 for post/mail) is lodged with the ABF.

number-4
Pay duty, GST and processing charges

The ABF issues an invoice once your declaration is assessed; goods can't be released until it's paid in full.

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Biosecurity assessment

DAFF reviews the paperwork and, where risk is flagged, orders a document check or physical inspection. Contamination triggers mandatory treatment or fumigation.

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Release and delivery

Once both agencies clear the shipment, we deliver via Australia Post (mail) or our carrier network (cargo).

Documents required

Most commercial imports need a commercial invoice, packing list, and bill of lading or air waybill at minimum; sea freight also requires a packing declaration, and restricted goods need an import permit or certificate of origin.
Core documents needed for most commercial imports into Australia
DocumentWhy it's needed
Commercial invoiceProof of purchase showing seller, buyer, description of goods, currency and value — must match your other shipping documents or it risks rejection.
Packing listDetails how goods are packed (cartons, pallets, weights, dimensions) — cross-checked against the invoice and bill of lading.
Bill of lading / air waybillThe contract of carriage, proving you own the goods or have the right to receive them.
Packing declaration (sea freight only)A mandatory statement confirming whether straw, timber or bamboo was used inside the container.
Certificate of originRequired to claim a 0% duty rate under an eligible Free Trade Agreement.
Import permitRequired for restricted categories — certain foods, chemicals, plant and animal products, or specific electronics.
Fumigation certificateNeeded for goods or packaging at higher pest risk, or during peak biosecurity seasons.

Duty, GST and fees explained

Most commercial imports into Australia pay roughly 5% import duty on the FOB value, 10% GST on goods value plus duty plus freight and insurance, and an Import Processing Charge that scales from $0 to $152 depending on consignment value.
Import Processing Charges (electronic lodgement, per ABF’s published schedule)
Consignment valueCharge (AUD)
Up to $1,000$0.00
Over $1,000 and under $10,000$50.00
$10,000 or more$152.00

Import duty

generally around 5% of the FOB value for most manufactured goods; 0% under an eligible Free Trade Agreement, or where a Tariff Concession Order applies.

GST

10%, calculated on goods value plus duty plus international transport and insurance. GST-registered businesses can usually claim this back as an Input Tax Credit on their BAS.

Biosecurity fees

a document assessment fee applies if DAFF flags your paperwork; a physical inspection costs more and varies by location and duration.

Low-value goods (AUD1,000 or less) generally aren’t subject to duty or a formal declaration at the border — alcohol is the exception and is taxed regardless of value. GST on other low-value goods is usually collected by the overseas seller at checkout rather than at the border. DTDC gives you a full landed-cost estimate before you ship, so there’s no invoice surprise on arrival.

How long clearance takes

A clean electronic customs clearance in Australia typically takes 1–3 business days, often within 24–48 hours; a document review adds 2–5 business days; a physical biosecurity inspection can add 5–14 days.
1–3 business days
Clean electronic clearance
Documents are complete and accurate, nothing is flagged — the outcome we aim for on every shipment we handle.
2–5 business days
Document review
The ABF or DAFF wants extra evidence — commonly proof of payment to verify a declared value.
5–14 days
Physical inspection
Cargo is moved to a bond store for X-ray or unpack — most often triggered by timber packaging, soil, or a biosecurity flag.
We pre-lodge your Import Declaration before the goods physically arrive wherever possible, so the paperwork is processed while your shipment is still in transit.

Post, air cargo or sea freight

The clearance rules are the same across post, air cargo and sea freight, but the documentation emphasis differs — sea freight adds the packing declaration and wood-packaging rules, while post triggers a First Notice from Australia Post once a parcel’s value exceeds AUD1,000.
  • Post and international mail
    screened by the ABF and DAFF on arrival; goods over AUD1,000 trigger a First Notice requiring a B374 Import Declaration before delivery.
  • Air cargo
    faster transit, tighter reporting windows; suited to time-sensitive or high-value shipments. See our international air freight service.
  • Sea freight
    more economical for bulk and palletised cargo, where the packing declaration and wood-packaging rules matter most. Our sea freight booking service handles the documentation end-to-end.

Importing specifically from China or India? See importing from China, China to Australia courier, sea freight from China, and sea freight from India.

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Clearance by city

Sydney

Port Botany is Australia's busiest port — congestion is the main risk, so having transport booked for a fast terminal slot after release matters as much as the paperwork. See our Sydney gateway services.

Melbourne

High volumes of retail, textile and footwear imports mean tariff classification gets extra scrutiny.

Brisbane

Strong agricultural surrounds mean biosecurity checks on machinery, wood packaging and soil traces are particularly rigorous.

Perth & Adelaide

Similar biosecurity sensitivity to Brisbane — thorough cleanliness checks on used machinery and heavy equipment imports.

Common causes of delay

Most customs delays in Australia come down to four avoidable issues: untreated wood packaging, mismatched paperwork, a missing packing declaration, and undervalued goods.

Dirty containers or wood packaging

Australia has zero tolerance for soil or insects; untreated pallets that aren't ISPM-15 stamped will be held for treatment or destroyed.

Mismatched paperwork

a typo on the bill of lading that doesn't match your commercial invoice or packing list is one of the most common holds.

Missing packing declaration

the most frequently missed document for sea freight.

Undervaluing goods

declaring a lower value to reduce duty is illegal and easy for the ABF to spot; you'll be asked for proof of payment such as a bank transfer receipt.

Every document we lodge goes through an internal cross-check against this exact list before submission — it’s the main reason clearances we manage clear in the “green lane” rather than getting flagged.
Import Clearance & Delivery
International Services Overview
Door-to-Port Freight
Complete Freight Shipping Solutions
Shipping Forms & Documents
About DTDC Australia

Frequently Asked Questions

We understand you may have questions about our services. Here are some common queries:
You (or DTDC, on your behalf) declare what’s in your shipment to the Australian Border Force, pay any duty and GST owed, and pass a DAFF biosecurity check. Once both agencies are satisfied, the goods are released for delivery.
For most goods, the threshold is AUD1,000. Below that, duty and a formal declaration usually aren’t required, though GST may already be collected by the overseas seller at checkout. Alcohol is taxed regardless of value.
It’s not a legal requirement for goods under AUD1,000, which are typically self-assessed automatically. For commercial shipments above that, a broker or a managed service like DTDC’s is strongly recommended, since you carry legal liability for the declaration as the importer of record.
A clean electronic clearance usually takes 1–3 business days, often within 24–48 hours. If the ABF or DAFF requests extra documentation, allow 2–5 business days. A physical inspection can add 5–14 days.
At minimum: a commercial invoice, packing list, and bill of lading or air waybill. Sea freight also needs a packing declaration, and certain goods need an import permit or certificate of origin.
Yes — for goods over AUD1,000 you can self-lodge through the Integrated Cargo System, but you’ll need to register as a client and obtain a digital certificate, and you carry the legal liability directly.
Goods generally aren’t released until duty, GST and any processing charges are paid in full. If no action is taken within 30 days of a First Notice, goods may be returned to sender; tobacco and prohibited items are handled differently and may be destroyed instead.
Both — DTDC manages the full process: document preparation, ABF declaration, DAFF liaison, duty/GST calculation, and final delivery through our multi-carrier network, as one service rather than separate bookings.

Get your customs clearance quote

Tell us what you’re importing and we’ll handle the ABF declaration, DAFF liaison, duty/GST calculation and delivery — so your shipment moves, not sits on a wharf.
Call Now Request a Quote

Phone
1300 658 775

Location
18/35 Foundry Road Seven Hills, NSW 2147

Email
sales@dtdcaustralia.com.au

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