Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulations 1956

In force

Administered by

Department of Home Affairs

This item is authorised by the following title:

Customs Act 1901

Latest version

F2025C00211 (C144)

01 March 2025

This instrument was backcaptured in accordance with Section 36 of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003

Table of contents

1 Name of Regulations
2 Interpretation
3 Goods the importation of which is prohibited absolutely
3AA Importation of devices and documents relating to suicide
3A Criteria for the purposes of provisions of regulations 4F and 4H relating to defence forces of certain overseas countries.
3C Criteria for the purposes of provisions of regulations 4F and 4H relating to air security officers
3D Criteria for regulations 4F and 4H—transhipment of firearms and weapons etc. to a foreign country
3E Criteria for regulation 4F—importation of firearms and related items used overseas in lawful shooting competitions, or lawful hunting activities
3F Criteria for regulation 4H—Defense Trade Cooperation Treaty
4 Goods the importation of which is prohibited unless conditions or restrictions are complied with
4A Importation of objectionable goods
4AA Importation of plastic explosives
4AB Importation of polychlorinated biphenyls, terphenyls etc
4AC Importation of mercury
4B Importation of fish
4BA Importation of goods specified in Schedule 3A (toothfish)
4C Importation of asbestos
4D Importation of unmanufactured tobacco and tobacco refuse
4DA Importation of tobacco products
4E Importation of glazed ceramic ware
4F Importation of firearms, firearm accessories, firearm parts, firearm magazines, ammunition, components of ammunition and imitations
4G Importation of tablet presses and encapsulators
4H Importation of certain weapons and weapon parts
4I Importation of ice pipes
4K Importation of woolpacks
4MA Importation of rough diamonds
4R Importation of radioactive substances
4S Importation of lighters
4T Importation of counterfeit credit, debit and charge cards
4U Importation of goods the subject of a permanent ban under the Competition and Consumer Act 2010
4V Importation of Anzac goods
4VA Importation of incandescent lamps
4W Importation of cat or dog fur
4X Importation of security sensitive ammonium nitrate
4XA Importation of goods under autonomous sanctions
4Y Importation of goods from Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
4Z Importation of certain goods from Iran
4ZA Importation of certain goods from Eritrea
4ZB Importation of certain goods from the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
5 Importation of drugs
5A Importation of vaping goods
5F Importation of kava as food
5G Importation of certain substances
5H Importation of certain goods
5HA Review of decisions
5I Importation of certain organochlorine chemicals
5J Importation of goods containing certain chemical compounds
5K Importation of ozone depleting substances and synthetic greenhouse gases
5L Importation of viable material derived from human embryo clones
5M Importation of engineered stone benchtops, panels or slabs
6 Regulations do not derogate from any other law
8 Transitional matters—amendments made by the Customs and Other Legislation Amendment (Australian Border Force) Regulation 2015
9 Transitional matters—amendments made by the Customs (Prohibited Imports) Amendment (Firearms and Other Weapons) Regulation 2015
10 Transitional matters—effect of the Customs Legislation Amendment (Asbestos) Regulations 2019 on permissions and confirmations
11 Transitional matters—effect of the Customs Legislation Amendment (Prohibited Exports and Imports) Regulations 2019 on drug importation approvals
12 Transitional matters—amendments made by the Customs Legislation Amendment (Objectionable Goods) Regulations 2020
13 Transitional matters—amendments made by the Minamata Convention on Mercury (Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2021
14 Transitional matters—amendments made by the Customs Legislation Amendment (Flags) Regulations 2022
15 Transitional matters—amendments made by the Customs (Prohibited Imports) Amendment (Tablet Press and Encapsulator Administration) Regulations 2023
16 Transitional matters—amendments made by the Customs Legislation Amendment (Japan—Australia Reciprocal Access Agreement) Regulations 2023
17 Transitional matters—amendments made by the Customs Legislation Amendment (Prohibited Exports and Imports) Regulations 2023
18 Transitional matters—amendments made by the Customs Legislation Amendment (Vaping Goods) Regulations 2023
19 Transitional matters—amendments made by the Customs Legislation Amendment (Drugs Scheduling) Regulations 2024
20 Transitional matters—amendments made by the Customs (Prohibited Imports) Amendment (Chemical Weapons) Regulations 2024
21 Transitional matters—amendments made by the Customs Legislation Amendment (Drugs) Regulations 2025
Schedule 1—Goods the importation of which is prohibited absolutely
Schedule 2—Goods the importation of which is prohibited unless the permission in writing of the Minister or an authorised person has been granted
Schedule 3—Goods the importation of which is prohibited unless specified conditions, restrictions or requirements are complied with
Schedule 3A—Goods the importation of which is prohibited if permission is not granted under regulation 4BA
Schedule 4—Drugs
Schedule 6—Requirements for the importation of firearms, firearm accessories, firearm parts, firearms magazines, ammunition, components of ammunition and imitations
- Part 1—Tests
- 1. Official purposes test
- 2. Specified purposes test
- 3. Specified person test
- 4. Police certification test
- 5. Sports shooter test
- 5A. International sports shooter test
- 6. Dealer test—Category C and D articles
- 7. Dealer test—category H article
- 8. Returned goods test
- 8A. Public interest test
- 8B. National interest test
- 9. Application for Minister’s permission to import article
- Part 2—Requirements for specific firearms, firearm accessories, firearm parts, firearm magazines, ammunition, components of ammunition and imitations
- Part 3—Conditions relating to the importation of firearms, firearm accessories, firearm parts, firearm magazines, ammunition, components of ammunition and imitations
- 1A. Identification requirements for firearms, frames and receivers
- 1. Safety requirements for firearms
- 2. Specified purposes test
- 3. Official purposes test
- 3A. International sports shooter test
- 4 Dealer test—category C and D articles
- 5. Dealer test—category H article
- Part 4—Interpretation
- 1. Meaning of certified sports shooter
- 1A. Meaning of certified international sports shooter
- 1B. Meaning of relevant police representative
- 2. Meaning of certified primary producer
- 3 Meaning of category C article and restricted category C article
- 3AA Meaning of category D article
- 3A. Meaning of category H article
- 4. Meaning of certified buyer
- 5. Meaning of licensed firearm dealer
- 6. Meaning of certified for business or occupational purposes
- 7. Meaning of certified collector
- 8 Meaning of sanctioned activity
Schedule 7—Articles of glazed ceramic ware, methods of testing and permissible levels of metal release
Schedule 7A—Substances the importation of which is prohibited if permission is not granted under regulation 5G
Schedule 8—Goods the importation of which is prohibited if permission is not granted under regulation 5H
Schedule 9—Goods, being certain organochlorine chemicals, the importation of which is prohibited unless permission is granted under regulation 5I
Schedule 11—Chemical compounds
- Part 1—Interpretation
- Part 2—Compounds (Chemical Weapons Convention, Schedule 1)
- Part 3—Compounds (Chemical Weapons Convention, Schedule 2)
- Part 4—Compounds (Chemical Weapons Convention, Schedule 3)
Schedule 12—Goods the importation of which is prohibited without permission under regulation 4U
Schedule 13—Requirements for the importation of certain weapons and weapon parts
- Part 1—Tests
- Part 2—Requirements for specified weapons and weapon parts
- Part 3—Conditions relating to the importation of certain weapons and weapon parts
- Part 4—Interpretation
- Endnotes

Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulations 1956

Legislation text