Regulatory & compliance · International household goods
International: Australia
Beyond the domestic requirements on the Australia page, the government approvals involved in international household goods moves to and from Australia are customs and biosecurity matters, covered in Country Guides
Regulated byLiability for the international carriage leg is governed by the Hague-Visby Rules or the Montreal Convention, though the Australian Consumer Law can still apply to other parts of a door-to-door household goods contract
At a glanceRequirements at a glance
- ABN and GST Registration
- Required where applicable. As on the Australia page, a business must register for GST within 21 days once its GST turnover reaches $75,000 a year, and it needs an ABN to do so.
- Liability on the International Leg: A More Nuanced Picture Than Simple Displacement
- For international sea freight, the Hague-Visby Rules (as applied under Australia’s Carriage of Goods by Sea Act) generally govern the carrier’s liability for that specific leg; for international air freight, the Montreal Convention applies. But for a door-to-door household goods contract, covering packing, domestic transport, storage, and other services beyond the international carriage leg itself, the Australian Consumer Law can still apply to those other elements of the contract. The relevant international convention and the ACL are better understood as applying to different aspects of the same overall engagement, rather than one simply displacing the other in every respect.
OverviewOverview & Scope
International household goods moves to and from Australia involve customs and biosecurity clearance steps that are covered in Country Guides rather than here. On liability, the relevant international carriage convention (Hague-Visby for sea, Montreal for air) governs the international carriage leg specifically, while the Australian Consumer Law can continue to apply to the broader household goods contract’s other elements. The two frameworks operate alongside each other rather than one straightforwardly replacing the other.
Movers normally contract the international carriage to shipping lines and airlines. Where they do, the carrier’s own licences cover the transport it performs, and the mover should use carriers that hold them.
RegistrationRegistration & Compliance Essentials
Movers handling international relocations must:
- Maintain the domestic requirements on the Australia page, including an ABN and GST registration once GST turnover reaches $75,000 a year.
- Where transport is subcontracted, use carriers that hold the licences required for the transport they perform.
ChecklistCompliance checklist
Company licensing
- ABN held, with GST registrationWhere applicable (GST turnover of $75,000 or more a year)Verified by DocumentRequired
Subcontracted transport
- Where transport is subcontracted, the mover uses carriers that hold the licences required for the transport they performWhere applicableVerified by AffirmationRequired