Destination file · australia
Buy from Switzerland,
delivered to Australia.
Tax here is simple — 5% duty above A$1,000, GST at 10% on everything. Biosecurity is not. Australia refuses more food and organic material at the border than any market we serve, and refusal usually means destruction rather than return.
What duty actually costs
The tax is easy. The biosecurity is not.
Duty and GST here are among the most predictable in our network. What catches people is the Biosecurity Act, which treats food, wood, seeds and animal products far more strictly than customs treats value — and applies regardless of how much the goods cost.
- Longstanding5% general tariffApplies to most goods above the A$1,000 threshold.5%
- Jul 2018GST on low-value importsGST extends to imported goods under A$1,000. No value escapes it.10%
- OngoingA$1,000 duty thresholdBelow it, duty is waived but GST is not.—
- OngoingBiosecurity screeningIndependent of value. Food, wood, seeds and animal products are assessed on risk, not price.—
- Biosecurity operates independently of customs. A CHF 12 bag of Swiss dried fruit can be destroyed at the border while a CHF 12,000 watch clears in an hour. The relevant question is never what the goods cost, it is what they are made of and what they might carry. We screen composition before purchase.
Sources: Australian Border Force tariff and low-value import guidance; Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry biosecurity import conditions (BICON). Verified 11 August 2026.
Landed cost
What it actually costs to land in Australia.
Every figure updates live. The duty basis, tax base and de-minimis rule change with the destination — that is the whole reason this page exists.
Nothing owed on arrivalCHF 2'118.68≈ 3,877.18 AUD
Most requested
What Australia buys from Switzerland.
Distance makes freight the dominant cost here, which pushes the mix towards high value per kilo and towards consolidation.
- ✓WatchesHigh value, low weight, and duty-free treatment above the threshold on most horological classifications.
- ✓Mammut and Swiss alpine equipmentTechnical gear that Australian retail carries thinly, bought ahead of northern-hemisphere seasons.
- ✓VictorinoxCheck state law before ordering. Import is generally fine; some states restrict specific lock and blade types on possession.
- ✓Coffee machines230 V matches Australia's 230 V supply, so no transformer is needed. A plug adapter for the Type I socket is all it takes.
- ✓ChocolatePermitted, but heat-sensitive and slow in transit. We pack insulated and advise against summer arrival dates.
Restricted or refused
What we will not ship there.
We screen every request against this list before quoting. A refusal costs you nothing; a seizure costs you the goods.
- ✕Most meat, dairy and honeyBiosecurity risk goods. Honey in particular is refused almost without exception.
- ✕Seeds, plants, soil and untreated woodIncludes souvenirs containing seeds or bark, and wooden gift boxes. A frequent and avoidable seizure.
- ✕Products containing egg or raw animal materialAssessed under BICON per ingredient, not per product name.
- ✕Certain supplements and therapeutic goodsTGA rules apply. Personal quantities sometimes permitted with documentation.
- ✕Knives restricted under state lawImport is generally lawful; possession of certain types is not, and it varies by state.
- ✕Anything sanctioned or dual-useScreened against SECO and destination lists at quote and payment.
Transit
Geneva to Sydney in four to six days.
The longest routing we quote as standard express. Biosecurity inspection adds a day when it triggers, which is why we screen composition before purchase rather than after.
Questions
Shipping to Australia, answered.
Why was my food parcel destroyed instead of returned?
Because biosecurity refusals are usually handled by destruction rather than return — sending the risk back out of the country is itself a movement of risk goods, and return freight generally costs more than the contents. This is why we screen composition before purchase and decline orders we expect to fail, rather than taking your money and hoping.
Does the A$1,000 threshold mean small orders are tax free?
No. It means duty is waived below A$1,000. GST at 10% has applied to imported goods of any value since July 2018, so a A$40 order is still taxed. Our quote shows both lines separately so you can see which applies.
Will a Swiss coffee machine work in Australia?
Yes. Australia runs 230 V at 50 Hz, the same as Switzerland, so no transformer is needed — just a Type I plug adapter. This is a genuine advantage over the US and Japan, where the same machine needs a rated step-up transformer.
Can you send a Victorinox knife to Australia?
Usually yes. Importing a standard folding pocket knife is generally lawful, but individual states restrict possession of particular lock mechanisms and blade types, and the rules differ between them. Tell us your state and we will check the specific model before purchase rather than after seizure.
Get an Australian landed cost in under a minute.
Related
Popular categories
Nearby destinations
- Ship Swiss products to New Zealand
- Ship Swiss products to Singapore
- Ship Swiss products to Japan
- Browse every destination file