Quarantine - Before Arrival

Super yachts entering Australian waters must comply with quarantine requirements. 

The Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) places a high priority on quarantine to keep out exotic pests and diseases that can threaten Australia’s marine environment, agriculture industries and human health.

The ‘quarantine’ information on this website outlines the actions you need to take in order to meet Australian quarantine requirements.

Super Yacht Quarantine Requirements

• Submit A Quarantine Pre-Arrival Reporting Pratique
• Enter through a prescribed port
• Comply with requirements for ship sanitation & ballast water
• Pay any quarantine fees & charges

Masters & Agents – Quarantine Pre-Arrival Reporting

The Master of a ship or vessel must complete a Quarantine Pre-Arrival Reporting for vessels before entering Australia. The report form is available on the AQIS website and when completed, can be emailed or faxed back to AQIS. When entering Australian waters officers from the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service (Customs) will issue an Incoming Passenger Card that needs to be completed by everyoner onboard.

If your vessel is carrying any food, plant material or animal products, you must declare this to AQIS by ticking the YES box on the Incoming Passenger Card.

Pets

You must declare all pets and animals onboard your vessel in the Quarantine Pre-Arrival Report.

Entry Ports
Proclaimed First Ports of Entry
The Quarantine Act 1908 requires overseas vessels to only enter Australia at a first port of entry (section 20).
A master of a vessel is guilty of an offence under the Quarantine Act 1908 if they permit a vessel to be moored, anchored or otherwise secured anywhere other than a first port of entry, unless written permission is provided.

Permission to enter a place other than a first port of entry

Under section 20AA of the Quarantine Act 1908, the Minister (or a delegate) may give permission for a vessel to be brought to a place other than a proclaimed first port of entry (non-proclaimed) into Australia subject to specified conditions.
Further information is available in the following guidelines:

Guidelines to entering a non-proclaimed port - pdf format   
Guidelines to entering a non-proclaimed port - WORD format

Queensland’s proclaimed ports are:

• Abbot Point
• Brisbane*
• Bundaberg
• Cairns
• Gladstone
• Hay Point
• Lucinda
• Mackay
• Mourilyan Harbour
• Port Alma
• Thursday Island
• Townsville
• Weipa

*The Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service berth is located at Rivergate Marina, Brisbane River, Latitude 27°26.418'S  • Longitude 153°06.518'E, www.rivergate.com.au. The Brisbane Harbour Master is on VHF channel 12 and appreciates arrival notification when entering the Brisbane River. AQIS in Brisbane often monitor channel 16 and 12, and have a 24hr on-call telephone number 0400919001 should the Superyacht wish to update their ETA.

Further information on Queensland ports of entry, including their latitudinal and longitudinal position, can be found on the Customs website.

Ship Sanitation & Ballast Water

Ship Sanitation Certification Scheme

Ship Sanitation Control Exemption and Ship Sanitation Control Certificates are issued to comply with the Australian Government’s International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR) scheme.  The scheme aims to control the spread of human diseases by controlling any disease vectors that may be onboard a superyacht.

The scheme requires that AQIS inspects for and controls animal vectors such as rats and mosquitoes, prevents the discharge of untreated ballast water, checks certification of potable water and sewage, and undertakes quarantine measures for human carriers of disease.

AQIS advises that Ship Sanitation Certificates are valid for six months from issue date. This may be extended by up to a month if the necessary inspection or control measures cannot be done at a particular port.  Nothing in the certificate prevents or prejudices further ship inspection by competent authorities of any country.

Operator Guidelines can be viewed on the AQIS website.

Ballast water

AQIS is the lead agency for the management of ballast water taken up overseas. AQIS’s role is to ensure foreign ballast water is managed in accordance with the Australian Ballast Water Management Requirements before it is discharged inside Australia's territorial sea.

Acceptable ballast disposal

Any ballast water that has been exchanged at sea, by an approved method, is deemed to be acceptable for discharge in Australian ports / waters.

Vessels must retain all ballast water records in the AQIS Ballast Water Management Summary Sheet and any relevant vessel logbooks, and make these available to quarantine officers on request. Refer to the Guide to AQIS Ballast Water Reporting Forms for information on completing the AQIS Ballast Water Management Summary Sheet.

Australian ballast water management requirements are consistent with International Maritime Organisation (IMO) guidelines for minimising the risk of translocation of harmful aquatic species in ships' ballast water. Safety of vessels and crews is of paramount importance. Vessels undertaking ballast water management to comply with Australian requirements should do so in accordance with the IMO guidelines and the Mariners' Guide to Ballast Regulations in Australia.

Quarantine Fees and Charges

AQIS charges fees for the services it provides. A schedule of fees is available on the AQIS website.

Disclaimer:
The information on this site is subject to change and that for the most up to date information the relevant government agencies should be consulted via their websites.  It remains the responsibility of the owner, master or appointed agent to ensure they are relying on current information as to their specific obligations.