Under the
Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Arrangement, health certification is not required for commercial consignments provided the products are in sealed packaging within the original unopened packaging, and either:
- identifiable as manufactured in Australia (using Australian and/or imported dairy ingredients), or
- if manufactured in a third country and imported into Australia are accompanied by a declaration from the Australian importer/ exporter identifying the product, the country of origin and the date the product was given quarantine clearance into Australia.
Personal consignments of milk and milk products (including products containing dairy ingredients) must fulfil the following requirements:
- be commercially prepared and packaged
- in original sealed packaging on arrival
- the country of origin must be identifiable from the packaging
- the total weight of the consignment must be 20 kilograms or less.
If these products are shelf stable, they must be commercially prepared and packaged and in its original sealed packaging on arrival. There is no limit to the weight of these consignments.
Provided the products are intended for human consumption, health certification is not required if the dairy products or products containing dairy ingredients meet the requirements above and contain refined tallow (such as margarine, shortening, tallow stearine) or gelatine.
Milk and milk products that are prescribed under Australia's export rules
- are milk or milk products derived from a bovine animal, and
- are intended to be exported as food.
Milk and milk products that are not prescribed under Australia's export rules
Milk and milk products which do not meet the criteria under the
Export Control (Milk and Milk Products) Rules 2021 are classified by Australia as non-prescribed goods. It is the responsibility of the exporter to confirm with the importing country if there are any specific requirements for the import of these products. Typically, non-prescribed goods include ice-cream, non-bovine milk products, colostrum and products with a minor component of dairy.
Further information on
exporting non-prescribed goods from Australia is available on the Department's website.
In some cases, an importing country requires specific health certification and government oversight for what would typically be non-prescribed milk and milk products. When required, these products become prescribed under export legislation and must meet all export and importing country requirements. This includes the products being manufactured and stored at an export registered establishment and must have a valid export permit and health certificate for each consignment. Guidance on export registration can be found at
Dairy export registered establishments.
Health certification for milk and milk products
For milk and milk products produced for human consumption (including milk and milk products classified as a prescribed good by an importing Country), use health certificate template.
NZEXD2 contains the following attestations:
I hereby certify that to the best of my knowledge the conditions or restrictions applicable under the particular inspection system prescribed under the Export Control Act have been complied with in respect of the prescribed good described above, being goods that are:
- In sound condition.
- Fit for human consumption.
- Of Australian origin.
Endorsement 447 – DAIRY – NEW ZEALAND heat-treatment and foot-and-mouth statement
The dairy products listed above have been heat treated for a time and at a temperature recognised as effective for destroying pathogenic organisms, either:
- 63 – 66 degrees Celsius for at least 30 minutes, or
- 72 degrees Celsius for at least 15 seconds, or
- Ultra high temperature (UHT) treatment of 132 degrees Celsius for not less than 1 second (for UHT milk products), or
- Ultra high temperature (UHT) treatment of 133 degrees Celsius (for UHT cream products), or
- An equivalent time/ temperature combination that causes, immediately after it has been applied, a negative reaction to the phosphatase test.
Foot-and-mouth disease has not occurred in Australia during the twelve (12) months prior to the manufacture of the above mentioned product.
NZEXD2 can also be used with optional endorsements 300, 356 or 463.
Optional endorsement 300 – DAIRY – NEW ZEALAND radioactivity statement
The goods described in this certificate have not been contaminated by radioactive elements from nuclear fallout. Analyses of representative samples of similar product have shown that the radioactivity level does not exceed 50Bq/kg.
Optional endorsement 356 – DAIRY – NEW ZEALAND radioactivity and animal health statement
The goods described in this certificate have not been contaminated by radioactive elements from nuclear fallout. Analyses of representative samples of similar product have shown that the radioactivity level does not exceed 50Bq/kg. Animals from which these products were taken were clinically free from bovine spongiform encephalopathy, foot-and-mouth disease, Rinderpest, vesicular stomatitis, contagious bovine pleuropneumonia, bluetongue, lumpy skin disease, peste des petits ruminants and Rift Valley fever and live in areas free from these diseases. I further certify that foot-and-mouth disease, Rinderpest and bovine spongiform encephalopathy do not exist in Australia.
Optional endorsement 356 – DAIRY – NEW ZEALAND animal health statement
Animals from which these products were taken were clinically free from bovine spongiform encephalopathy, foot-and-mouth disease, Rinderpest, vesicular stomatitis, contagious bovine pleuropneumonia, bluetongue, lumpy skin disease, peste des petits ruminants and Rift Valley fever and live in areas free from these diseases. I further certify that foot-and-mouth disease, Rinderpest and bovine spongiform encephalopathy do not exist in Australia.
Exporter declarations
Whenever export documentation is obtained, the exporter must provide a declaration stating that all the information provided in the permit is true and complete. They must also state that they are in possession of a declaration of compliance that:
- applies to the milk and milk products
- complies with the requirements of the
Export Control (Milk and Milk Products) Rules 2021.
Further information
For information on New Zealand's Import Health Standards of milk and milk products for human consumption from Australia refer to:
Updates to this standard can be found on the MPI
database.
