BICON Australia is one of the most important checks an importer can run before cargo leaves origin. It can tell you whether the goods are permitted, what biosecurity import conditions apply, whether documents or treatment are required, and whether a biosecurity import permit is needed.
For Australian importers, BICON is not only a government lookup tool. It is a shipment-planning control. A BICON result can affect supplier instructions, offshore treatment, packing declarations, customs broker timing, warehouse receiving, inspection location, delivery date and final landed cost.
Use this guide alongside the official DAFF BICON page, clearance and inspection guidance, and TwayS guides to customs clearance documents, bonded warehouse in Australia, and shipping from China to Australia.
What BICON Australia is for
DAFF explains that some products are subject to biosecurity import conditions by law. Some are not permitted entry, while others can enter only if conditions are met. DAFF says BICON can help determine whether a commodity intended for import into Australia:
- Is permitted.
- Is subject to biosecurity import conditions.
- Requires supporting documentation.
- Requires treatment.
- Needs a biosecurity import permit.
That means BICON should be checked before shipment, not when the cargo is already at the port, airport, depot or warehouse.
TwayS can support the operating pathway through Biosecurity-Approved Premises support, Section 77G bonded premises, freight forwarding, warehousing and 3PL, and shipment review.
When to check BICON
Run a BICON check when the goods, packaging or cargo history carry biosecurity risk. Common triggers include:
- Food, ingredients, supplements or edible products.
- Plant material, seeds, grains, timber, bamboo, straw, bark or soil exposure.
- Animal products, hides, wool, feathers, dairy, eggs or biological materials.
- Used machinery, vehicles, equipment or tools.
- Natural materials, minerals, samples or items that may carry contamination.
- Timber pallets, crates, dunnage, skids, bearers or bamboo packaging.
- Goods shipped during Brown marmorated stink bug season.
The safest workflow is to run BICON before purchase order approval or, at minimum, before freight booking. If the goods need an import permit or treatment, late discovery can create storage, delay, export or destruction risk.
BICON is not the same as customs clearance
Customs and biosecurity are connected, but they are not the same control. The Australian Border Force manages customs, duty, GST and border entry requirements. DAFF manages biosecurity and imported food controls.
ABF’s import declaration guidance explains that declarations are used by importers, or licensed customs brokers acting on their behalf, to clear goods from customs control. DAFF’s BICON system deals with biosecurity import conditions.
In practice, a shipment may need both:
- ABF import declaration, tariff classification, customs value, duty and GST handling.
- DAFF biosecurity assessment, permit, treatment, inspection or document checks.
- Carrier release, terminal or depot availability and delivery planning.
The TwayS customs clearance Australia guide explains why “customs cleared” and “biosecurity cleared” may not be the same milestone.
How to prepare a useful BICON check
Do not search BICON with only a vague product name. Prepare enough detail for the result to make sense:
- What the goods are called commercially.
- Scientific or technical description where relevant.
- Material, ingredients, composition or species.
- Intended use.
- Country of origin, manufacture and export.
- Processing method, cleaning, sterilisation or preservation details.
- Packaging type, including timber, bamboo, pallets, crates or dunnage.
- Whether the goods are new or used.
- Photos, labels, manuals, specifications or manufacturer declarations.
If the cargo is also being classified for customs, connect the BICON work to the HS code Australia and tariff classification work. The same product evidence can often support both customs and biosecurity planning.
What the BICON result can mean
A BICON result may say the goods are allowed without special action, but it may also create conditions. Common outcomes include:
- Supporting documentation must be provided.
- Treatment must be completed before export or after arrival.
- A biosecurity import permit is required.
- Inspection is required on arrival.
- The goods must move to an approved location or be handled under an approved arrangement.
- Packaging or container cleanliness conditions apply.
- The goods are not permitted or cannot enter unless conditions are met.
Treat the result as an instruction set. The freight quote should then include the right mode, destination pathway, handling site and timing.
Biosecurity import permits
DAFF says BICON will identify whether goods require a biosecurity import permit. It also states that most permits will be issued within 20 business days for standard category 1 applications and within 40 business days for non-standard category 2 to 5 applications after payment and a completed application, while complex or incomplete applications can take longer.
That timing matters. If a permit is needed, do not book cargo first and hope it arrives in time. DAFF also states it no longer facilitates clearance of conditionally non-prohibited goods that arrive without the required import permit, and goods may be directed for export or destruction.
For importers, the practical action is simple:
- Check BICON before shipment.
- Apply for any permit early.
- Give the permit or application status to the broker and forwarder.
- Make sure the permit covers the actual goods, origin, supplier and shipment details.
Supporting documents and treatment evidence
Many biosecurity outcomes depend on evidence. Depending on the goods, evidence may include:
- Manufacturer declaration.
- Treatment certificate.
- Phytosanitary certificate.
- Veterinary certificate.
- Imported food documentation.
- Packing declaration.
- Cleaning declaration.
- Permit approval.
- Laboratory analysis or test results.
The document must be consignment-specific where required and match the shipment. If the invoice says one product, the packing list says another, and the treatment certificate uses a vague description, the shipment can still be delayed.
For a broader document workflow, use the TwayS customs clearance documents checklist.
Timber packaging and dunnage
Timber and bamboo packaging is a frequent hidden issue. DAFF’s timber and bamboo packaging guidance says timber and bamboo packaging used to support, protect or carry imported goods must meet import conditions in BICON.
Examples include:
- Pallets.
- Crates.
- Cases.
- Bearers.
- Beams.
- Skids.
- Load boards.
- Drums.
- Blocks.
- Dunnage.
DAFF says packaging made from solid timber or bamboo must be treated and declared on the packing declaration, and if acceptable treatment has not been completed, it may require mandatory treatment on arrival or be exported or disposed of at the importer’s expense.
Ask suppliers early:
- Is any solid timber or bamboo packaging used?
- Is it ISPM 15 treated where applicable?
- Is the packaging clean and free from bark, soil or contamination?
- Will the packing declaration match the cargo and container?
- Is treatment evidence available before shipment?
BMSB season
Brown marmorated stink bug measures can affect sea freight during the seasonal window. DAFF’s BMSB seasonal measures apply to targeted goods manufactured in or shipped from target risk countries between 1 September and 30 April inclusive, and to certain vessel pathways in the same period.
DAFF notes that the shipped-on-board date shown on the ocean bill of lading is used to determine when goods have been shipped. Target high-risk goods can require mandatory treatment, while target-risk goods can be subject to random inspection. DAFF also notes that random inspections apply to target high-risk goods shipped as airfreight from the United States and China during the seasonal window, but BMSB treatment of those airfreight goods is not required.
For import planning, check:
- Country of manufacture.
- Country of shipment.
- Ocean bill of lading shipped-on-board date.
- Tariff chapter and whether the goods are target high-risk or target-risk.
- Whether the cargo is FCL, LCL, FAK, break bulk, Ro-Ro or airfreight.
- Whether offshore treatment is required or available.
Do this before booking because treatment availability, documentation and container handling can affect both cost and timing.
Approved premises and release pathway
A BICON or DAFF outcome may require cargo to be inspected, treated or handled at an approved site. DAFF’s approved arrangements framework is relevant where biosecurity risks are managed at approved premises under approved conditions.
For the logistics plan, this means you need to know:
- Where the cargo can legally move after arrival.
- Whether it can go straight to a customer or must go to an approved premises.
- Whether unpacking, inspection or treatment is required before normal warehouse receiving.
- Who pays storage, transport, inspection, treatment and redelivery charges.
- Whether goods remain under customs or biosecurity control while being handled.
This is where Biosecurity-Approved Premises support and bonded warehouse planning become operational, not just compliance terms.
Importer checklist before the supplier ships
Use this as a pre-shipment control:
- Identify the exact goods, material, use and origin.
- Run BICON using detailed product and packaging information.
- Save the BICON result and note the conditions.
- Check whether a permit is required and apply early.
- Confirm supporting documents and treatment evidence.
- Check timber, bamboo, dunnage and packing declaration requirements.
- Check BMSB season exposure.
- Tell the forwarder and customs broker what biosecurity conditions apply.
- Confirm whether a BAP, inspection location or treatment provider is needed.
- Build inspection, treatment, storage or redelivery risk into the landed-cost worksheet.
The TwayS import duty and GST worksheet can help keep these costs visible instead of treating them as surprises after arrival.
Common mistakes
The first mistake is assuming a supplier or overseas forwarder has checked Australian biosecurity rules. They may understand export paperwork from China, Europe or the United States, but not Australian DAFF import conditions.
Other common mistakes include:
- Searching BICON with a vague product name.
- Forgetting packaging and dunnage.
- Treating a permit application as the same as an issued permit.
- Not checking BMSB season before the shipment date.
- Assuming customs release means biosecurity release.
- Sending cargo to a normal warehouse when approved handling is required.
- Letting the invoice, packing list and treatment certificate describe the goods differently.
If the shipment has already departed and you discover an issue, act quickly. Share the BICON result, documents, ETA, arrival point and cargo details with the forwarder, customs broker and receiving site.
Bottom line
BICON Australia should be a pre-shipment check, not an arrival surprise. It helps importers turn biosecurity rules into practical freight instructions: what documents to collect, what treatment to arrange, whether a permit is needed, where cargo can move, and how release timing may change.
If you want TwayS to review the logistics pathway around a BICON result, send the contact team the product description, supplier invoice, packing list, origin, packaging details, shipment mode and any BICON outcome before the supplier ships.
