SEND A PARCEL TO AUSTRALIA

Just like in the UK, Australia has a list of prohibited and restricted items which cannot be sent to the country via courier. The items in your parcel might seem like ordinary items which are regularly posted within the UK, but it’s worth checking the list because your items, and even your packaging, could contain materials which aren’t allowed into Australia by courier. Many of the restrictions on what you’re allowed to send to Australia have been set up to protect the agriculture, wildlife and natural habitats of the country. This means items like plants, seeds, soil, vegetables, fruit and food are not allowed.There are also restrictions on leather products and anything else made from animal skins, ceramic products and you should make sure you don’t use any packaging which has contained food (for example, re-using egg cartonsA full list of prohibited and restricted items for Australia can be found on the AusPost.com website and on the Australian Border Force website.

When sending a parcel to Australia (or to any other non-EU country), you need to complete a pro-forma invoice and attach 5 copies of this to the outside of your parcel. This document asks for information on the contents of your parcel and the value of individual items. The pro-forma invoice will be checked by the customs agents in Australia to avoid them having to open your parcel to check the contents.So, once you’ve checked the item is safe to send to Australia, the next step is to work out the value of your parcel and include this on the pro-forma invoice. If your parcel is worth less than 1,000 Australian dollars (approximately £482) then there are no extra duties or taxes to pay.If you’re sending something worth over 1,000 Australian dollars then you will need to fill out some additional paperwork and there could be additional charges. The customs fees will be calculated based on what the item is and its value. The customs fees will usually need to be paid by the recipient before the item can be delivered.For more info on customs clearance and how to work out your parcel's fees, check out Australian Government Border Protection.

We always advise using new and strong packaging, but this is even more important when you send a parcel abroad to somewhere as far away as Australia. Your parcel could be travelling via road, sea or air and could be scanned and sorted at different depots along the way, so you can understand why the packaging needs to be strong and durable.Check out My Parcel Delivery’s packaging guidelines for advice.

You’ll be surprised at the lowest prices for sending a parcel to Australia. At My Parcel Delivery have 4 different international courier services available, with our cheapest delivery service to Australia starting from just £22.40 for parcels under 1KG, using the DPD Air Classic courier.