Complete online
Complete your customs form online, then show your confirmation QR code when you lodge your parcel at the Post Office.
Customs declaration forms
You need to fill out a customs declaration form for all parcels, International Courier letters and International Express letters you mail overseas.
Choose from 3 options to fill out your form.
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Complete with MyPost Business
Complete your customs form with your MyPost Business account, pay for and print your postage label, then lodge your parcel in a street posting box or Post Office.
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Complete in store
Complete your online or paper customs form at the Post Office. For paper customs forms, our team will key in your declaration details into the system when you lodge your parcel over the counter.
Complete the correct customs form
Check which customs form you need to complete for your international parcel or letter.
| Delivery service | Forms to complete |
|---|---|
International Courier Parcels up to 20kg Letters up to 500g |
Available at participating outlets (PDF 832kB) |
International Express Parcels up to 20kg Letters up to 500g | CN23 customs form |
International Express Parcels up to 2kg (5kg for the US) Select countries only | CN22 customs form |
International Standard Parcels up to 20kg | CN23 customs form |
International Standard without Signature on Delivery Parcels up to 2kg (5kg for the US) Select countries only | CN22 customs form |
International Economy Air Parcels up to 2kg | CN23 customs form |
International Economy Sea Mail Parcels from 2kg to 20kg | CN23 customs form |
| International Post Registered | Not required |
Size and weight guidelines
Check our guide to confirm if your item is a parcel, small letter, large letter or greeting card/postcard. If your letter is larger than our maximum size and weight, it will be considered a parcel and require a customs form.
Guide to completing your customs declaration
Providing clear and accurate information on your International shipment helps your items clear destination customs. Without this information, your shipment may be held up or returned to you, resulting in unnecessary delays and a poor delivery experience for the recipient of your items.
It’s important to declare and provide a good description on the customs declaration form, of the item you’re shipping.
What is a 'description of goods'?
This is a detailed description of the goods you’re shipping overseas. Each item must be clearly identified and should address the following questions:
- What are the goods?
- What are the goods made from?
What is a 'good' or 'insufficient' description?
A ‘good’ description is specific and concise and indicates exactly what the item is and what it’s made from. An ‘insufficient’ description is vague and unclear, and may result in your shipment being held by customs until more details are provided, or rejected and returned to you, the sender.
For example:
Insufficient description: Shoes
Good description: Men’s leather shoes, women's plastic sandals, kids' fabric shoes.
Examples of 'insufficient' and 'good' descriptions
| Insufficient description | Good description |
|---|---|
| Apparel | Men’s shirt, lingerie, girl's vest, boy's jacket |
| Appliances | Stove, microwave oven, coffee machine |
| Documents | Passports (or any other kind of documents) |
| Electronics | Computer, CD player, Walkman, tape recorder, mobile phone, monitor, printer |
| Food | Prepared cakes, rice, tomato sauce, powdered eggs |
| Gifts | Dolls, remote control cars (describe type of gifts) |
| Merchandise | Cotton facemasks, name stickers for children, women’s dress shirt |
| Plastic goods | Plastic kitchenware, plastic houseware |
| Sporting goods | Football shoes, boxing gloves |
| Toys | Plastic Barbie doll set |
All goods intended to be exported from Australia with a value of $2000 or more must be declared to Australian Customs Service (Customs) on an export declaration (EDN). Any goods that require a permit for export must be reported on an export declaration, regardless of value.
An HS (Harmonised System) tariff number is an internationally recognised code that classifies international shipments. You enter the HS tariff number on your customs declaration form to help customs authorities assess which taxes, duties and restrictions may apply to the delivery of your goods.
As different countries may subdivide items into more granular categories, a HS tariff number may be 6, 8 or 10 digits, and may not be the same in every country, even if your product is the same.
Do I need an HS tariff number?
All eCommerce shipments need an HS tariff number to help the destination country’s customs authority assess which taxes, duties and restrictions may apply.
If you’re sending a gift with no commercial value, you will still need to provide the HS tariff number to help your items clear destination customs for faster deliveries, to avoid delays and/or returns.
Is a TARIC Commodity Code the same thing as an HS tariff number?
Yes, a TARIC Commodity Code is used by the European Union (EU) to describe the HS tariff number. They both reference the same harmonised set of codes to classify goods.
How do I get an HS tariff number?
It is your responsibility to ensure that the correct HS tariff number is used.
You can find HS tariff numbers at the following external websites:
For business sending, you can find your HS tariff number when creating your shipment through MyPost Business or Parcel Send. If you’re an API integrated customer, you can leverage our International Export Tools to look up and classify your products.
For personal sending, you can find your HS tariff number when you enter your description of goods when declaring online.
What does an HS tariff number look like?
HS tariff numbers are usually six digits, however some countries – including Japan, Germany, Ireland and the US – add extra digits for further classification. You’ll need to ensure that you’re providing the correct HS tariff number for your destination country. This information is available through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Sometimes the HS tariff number is presented with a full stop in the middle (example 8517.12). Our system accepts digits only, so leave out the full stop and submit just the digits (851712).
Examples of HS tariff numbers:
- mobile phone 851712
- knitted cotton T-shirt 610910
- laptop 847130.
What happens if I put in the wrong HS tariff number?
If you enter or select the incorrect HS tariff number, your shipment may be delayed at customs. In the event of an incorrect declaration of an HS tariff number, where you have registered as an offshore supplier (example EU IOSS), you – or the receiver – may be required to pay additional taxes to clear your shipment from customs, or your shipment may be returned to sender.
Check out the video below to learn how to prepare an online declaration.
Read transcript
Video: The red Australia Post logo appears on a white screen.
Text: Sending Parcels Overseas, Online Declaration Form.
Audio: Upbeat music.
Video: A young woman places parcels on a table, then uses a laptop to navigate an Australia Post website.
She clicks on ‘Send overseas’, then scrolls to “Customs forms & regulations”. Under ‘Prepare forms online, she clicks ‘Get started now’.
Voiceover: If you’re sending a parcel overseas with Australia Post, rather than filling out a paper customs form, you can complete your customs declaration form online at auspost.com.au/DeclareOnline.
This will help you save time during your next visit to the Post Office.
The online option is also tailor-made for countries like the US and China, where electronic customs data is now required by Customs authorities.
Here’s how the new online process works.
Video: The voiceover's instructions are demonstrated on the website.
Voiceover: Start by selecting the country you’re sending to.
You’ll see an overview of the steps involved in preparing your declaration.
These steps will vary slightly based on the country you’ve selected, because different countries have different data requirements.
When you’re ready, just select ‘Get started’.
Video: She fills in the “Sender details” form, which includes name, address, email and phone number.
Voiceover: Now, enter the sender’s details… that might be yourself, or you could be completing the form on someone else’s behalf.
Either way, giving us your contact details — like an email address and phone number — means we can keep you updated on your delivery.
Video: She fills in the “Receiver details” form, which includes name, address, email and phone number.
Voiceover: Next, you’ll enter the receiver’s information. This time, those contact details help our delivery partner in the destination country.
They can provide updates and options to the receiver, or get in touch if there’s nobody around for delivery.
Video: She fills in the “Parcel contents” form, which includes description, weight, value and quantity.
Voiceover: To help make sure your parcel gets through Customs without delay, it’s important that you declare everything that’s in your parcel.
For example, if you’re sending two t-shirts and a pair of shoes, you’ll need to add the t-shirts and the shoes as separate items.
Video: She fills in the “Customs declaration” form.
Voiceover: Next, tell us why you’re sending the parcel, and what you’d like us to do with it if it can’t be delivered.
It is also your responsibility as the sender to ensure that your parcel doesn’t contain dangerous or prohibited items.
No explosives, flammables, corrosives, aerosols. Those types of things. This may include items like perfume or nail polish.
Video: The information on the forms appears on a webpage titled “Review your information”.
The woman clicks a box confirming she understands Australia Post’s dangerous good policy.
Voiceover: Finally, it’s a good idea to check that your information has been entered correctly.
Once you’re satisfied, go ahead and submit your declaration.
Video: The woman takes labels from a printer.
Voiceover: OK, now your customs declaration label is ready to be downloaded — so you can print it at home or at work.
Video: The woman carries her parcels and the labels to a Post Office.
Voiceover: You can bring your printed declaration label to your nearest Post Office, along with your parcel.
Video: At the counter, an Australia Post staff member scans the woman’s custom’s label. She places a barcode sticker on a label, then puts the label inside a plastic sleeve and sticks it to a parcel.
The woman smiles and leaves.
Voiceover: Or, if you’re sending to the US or China, you don’t even have to print your declaration label.
Just bring your confirmation email or SMS to the Post Office counter, and our staff will print a label for you.
The red Australia Post logo appears on a white screen.
Text: auspost.com.au
Audio: Upbeat music.
Important information for international shipping
Dangerous and prohibited goods
Check our Prohibited and Restricted item list and packaging guide (PDF 1.1MB) for the country you’re shipping to.
You can also check our International post guide for destinations specific prohibitions.
Security and ID regulations
We use screening technology to check every outbound international item, so you don’t need to show ID when shipping overseas.
Letter of indemnity
A letter of indemnity (available only at Post Offices) needs to be completed when sending items International Express to Belarus, Crimea, Cuba, Iran, North Korea (DPR), Russia and Syrian Arab Republic.
Sending wine overseas
If you’re sending wine by International Express to any of the destinations listed below, you'll need to complete a Wine Export Declaration Form and include it with the item.
Call 1800 007 678 for more information.
If you are sending wine by International Express to one of the destinations listed below, you'll need to complete a Wine Export Declaration & FDA Notification Form (PDF 140kB) and include it in the item.
If you have any questions, please call us on 1800 007 678.
| Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Antigua & Barbuda Armenia Azerbaijan Bahamas Belize Benin Bolivia Bosnia & Herzegovina Botswana Burkina Faso Burundi Cameroon Canary Islands Cabo Verde Chad Colombia Comoros Congo (Rep.) Congo (Democratic Rep. Of The) Costa Rica Cuba Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Ethiopia Faroe Island French Guiana Gabon | Georgia Gibraltar Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guatemala Guinea Guinea Bissau Haiti Honduras Iceland Italy Jamaica Kazakhstan Kenya Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Luxembourg Madagascar Malta Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Moldova Monaco Montserrat Mozambique Namibia Netherlands Antilles & Aruba Nicaragua Niger | Nigeria North Macedonia Panama Paraguay Reunion Romania Rwanda Saint Christopher (St Kitts) & Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent & the Grenadines San Marino Sao Tome & Principe Serbia Seychelles Slovak Republic (Slovakia) Sudan Suriname Syrian Arab Republic Tajikistan Togo Trinidad & Tobago Turkiye Turkmenistan Turks & Caicos Islands Uzbekistan Vatican Venezuela Virgin Islands (British) Yemen Yugoslavia - See Serbia Zambia Zimbabwe |
Frequently asked questions
Does your business send parcels regularly?
Send with ease, access savings,1 offer a great customer experience, and get local support when you need it.
Legislation in the US and China requires that Electronic Advance Data be provided for all parcels entering the country. This means that customs information—about the sender, receiver and parcel contents—is captured digitally and sent ahead to Customs at the destination.
We capture this customs information over the counter at the Post Office, or via online sending solutions like MyPost Business and eParcel. If we’re unable to capture the customs information digitally for a parcel, there may be delays in processing it through Customs in the destination country.
You can find your customs declaration number on your original postage receipt or under the barcode of your customs declaration form.
If you’ve sent a parcel overseas, we’ll need this number in order to track your parcel.
Some countries have their own regulations or restrictions regarding what they’ll accept, and some items shouldn’t be posted overseas at all.
If you’re unsure as to whether your item can be posted, please refer to the International Post Guide for the destination country. You may also wish to check out the following information:
When mail is held for an extended period or delayed by customs or quarantine authorities, they’ll get in touch with the addressee directly via a written letter to let them know.
If you see the tracking status ‘possible delay’ when tracking your item or in tracking notifications, this might also indicate that your item has been delayed by customs. If your item is experiencing significant delays, please log an enquiry with the postal service that you lodged the item with.
Incoming international items
While Australian customs authorities will try to process all parcels as fast as possible, it may take up to 15 days to complete.
If duties are payable or there are other reasons your item needs to be held, it may take longer to be released. If this happens, they’ll let you know directly.
Outgoing international items
Unfortunately, we cannot provide any advice regarding how long a parcel you’ve sent overseas will take to be cleared by an overseas customs authority. The recipient of the item can contact their local customs authority for further assistance or clarification on clearance times.
1 MyPost Business savings bands are based on your spend on products and services over specific periods using your MyPost Business account, with certain exceptions. Savings are calculated on standard postage rates (PDF 642kB), and apply to MyPost Business products, with certain exceptions. For more information, read the MyPost Business Postage Rates Guide (PDF) for the spend requirements of each savings band and for a full list of MyPost Business products, including the lists of exceptions.