What to Pack for Your Trip to Australia

Plus, at the end, we’ve included a checklist so you can do a final review and make sure you have everything under control. Let’s go!

First and foremost: the items you cannot bring because you’ll have trouble with customs. So, pay close attention and remember that it’s always “better to be safe than sorry” because Australian customs take things very seriously. They are very strict, and you won’t want to deal with stress after such a long flight. So, don’t take any risks and check carefully what is prohibited!

• Food: You cannot bring any meat (including ham) or other fresh products like fruit. If you bring certain foods like cheese, honey, nuts, or teas, you must declare them. You can check on this page whether you’re allowed to bring the food you’re thinking of. Our advice: when you arrive, you won’t feel like running around the airport because of food, so unless it’s absolutely necessary, don’t bring food. If you do, always declare it! The worst that can happen is that they confiscate it, but if you don’t declare it, you could be fined or even have your visa canceled.
• Medicines: If you are undergoing medical treatment, you’ll need a prescription from your doctor in English and the medication in its original packaging. Here’s how to travel to Australia with medications.
• Plants, seeds, and flowers: You cannot bring plants or flowers, and seeds must be declared.
• Soil: You cannot bring any kind of soil.
• Tobacco: If you smoke, you cannot bring more than one unopened pack with up to 25 cigarettes or 25 grams of other tobacco products, plus one open pack.
• Alcohol: You cannot bring more than 2.25 liters of alcohol.

Now, let’s move on to the things you can (and should) bring to Australia.

• Towels and household linens: They take up too much space, and you can buy them cheaply in Australia.
• Appliances: In general, they are not more expensive than in Europe. Stores like Kmart sell them at great prices, and you can also buy second-hand ones from sites like Gumtree or even from students leaving Australia. (This doesn’t apply to your laptop or camera—you should bring those.) If you use expensive, small appliances (like an epilator), bring them.
• A bike or surfboard: There’s a huge second-hand market in Australia, so unless you really need your own because you’re a pro, consider buying one there.
• Winter clothes: This depends on your destination, but in places like Brisbane or the Gold Coast, a light jacket and a hoodie will be enough all year round.
• Shampoo, shower gel, etc.: They’re heavy, and you can buy them at reasonable prices in Australia. Unless you use a specific brand that’s unavailable or expensive there, just bring a small amount for the journey.

• Think 30 kg of luggage won’t be enough? We disagree! Check out our article on minimalist packing for Australia.
• Make a list of essential items and another for optional ones. Pack the must-haves first, then use any extra space for “nice-to-haves.”
• Download our checklist to ensure you don’t forget anything.
• Use compression bags to save space.
• Don’t overfill your suitcase—you’ll likely buy things in Australia that you’ll want to take home.
• Check the weather in your destination city. If it’s usually hot, don’t bring your entire wardrobe—pack only what you’ll need for your area. You can always buy extra clothes when you travel.
• Shipping your extra luggage is cheaper than paying for overweight baggage at the airport. Extra baggage fees are very expensive, so if you need to bring more than your airline allows, consider using Sinmaletas. If you’re a #DingoosFamily member, you get a discount thanks to our partnership with them.
• If you’re traveling to Australia with us, you can bring more baggage when flying with Qatar Airways and get flight discounts.

Here’s a super tutorial to help you figure out what to pack for Australia.

And if you have any questions, just ask us; we’ll be happy to help.