[Updated for 2022]

Disclaimer: we are not a brokerage service, we cannot prescribe what can/cannot pass through customs. We can only give information based on research and past shipments we’ve delivered. There is always an element of uncertainty when it comes to shipping food, so go in with that mindset if you want to ship food with us. Also note that you will have to bear the charges if customs rejects and returns the parcels (same rate as the cost to ship the item out).

General Principles

Generally, shipping of food items is allowed for import to Australia. However, there are some conditions for some food items to meet and also there are some items we would not recommend you to ship because of huge risk. The following is a breakdown of some common CNY goodies and recommendations on whether you should ship them or not.

Bak Kwa

Bak Kwa is not allowed for import to Australia as it contains pork. Under the list of Australia import prohibitions, all meat products are not allowed. Based on our past records, almost all Bak Kwa shipments failed. Therefore, we advise you to not ship this particular item.

Mini Spring Rolls

Mini spring rolls are allowed for import to Australia provided if it does not contain any meat like the usual chicken or pork floss version. Shrimp is fine though.

Tau Sar Piah

Tau Sar Piah is allowed for import to Australia provided the following conditions have been met:

1. Does not contain leaf lard (soft, visceral fat from pig’s kidneys & loin)

2. Item is commercially prepared and packaged

3. Produced in an approved FMD – free country and product label must list the country of origin

4. Maximum import amount of up to 10kg

5. Human consumption purposes only

That being said, we’ve shipped tau sar piahs which are home-made i.e. they don’t meet conditions 2 and 3, but always have successfully shipped. So you can ship home-made ones with us too.

Nian Gao

Nian Gao is allowed for import to Australia based on the ingredients used to make it. However, we have not shipped Nian Gao for our customers before, and do not have further data on it.

Kueh Bahulu, Kueh Bangkit, Rose Cookies, Love Letters, Pineapple tarts

All these items are considered butter and dairy products and they are allowed for import to Australia if the conditions below are being met:

1. Item is commercially prepared and packaged

2. Produced in an approved FMD – free country and product label must list the country of origin

3. Maximum import amount of up to 10kg

4. Human consumption purposes only

That being said, we’ve shipped variations of these products which are home-made i.e. they don’t meet conditions 2 and 3, but always have successfully shipped. So you can ship home-made ones with us too.

Nuts

Nuts are allowed for import to Australia if they are commercially prepared and packaged and they have to fall in one of the below categories:

1. Blanched/roasted/fried/boiled nuts

2. Shelled and vacuum sealed nuts

3. Nuts packaged in small confectionery tins sealed under vacuum

4. Shelled raw nuts or have split shells & weigh not more than 2kg

Conclusion

We also wrote a guide on how to maximise success rates for shipping CNY goodies internationally that gives guidance on how you should pack, prepare and declare your goodies. We highly recommend you check that article out too.

We hope we will be able to help you ship goodies to your loved ones in Australia this Chinese New Year!

As a final tip from us, ship your goodies in advance to make sure your loved ones get to eat them on Chinese New Year. Barring customs delays, JustShip takes 2-5 working days to ship from Singapore to Australia.

For more information, you can contact us through whatsapp or our email at hello@justship.sg.