Tips For Parents Traveling With Kids To Australia

Let’s face it; traveling with small kids is a challenging task, and if you have just booked your flights to Australia, one of your number one fears is probably about how your child will behave on the plane! 

While this is one of the many concerns parents traveling with kids are faced with, there are other things that you need to think about too. Over and above finding cheap flights to Australia, the customs laws in the country should also be on your mind. 

To some, the laws seem trivial, but that doesn’t detract from the fact that the Aussies take them very seriously. That being said, it’s important to know what you can and can’t take into the country with you. 

Traveling with a baby or small child often requires you to carry milk, formula, puree and snacks, but food products (of any kind) are generally not allowed into the country. This can make things a little bit tricky for the traveling parent.

Tips For Parents Traveling With Kids To Australia

If you are traveling to Australia with kids and need to take food products with you, these tips can help:

• When in doubt, declare it! As a general rule, it’s advised to take no food or animal products into the country, but that isn’t always possible, especially if you are traveling with a baby, toddler or child with special needs. If you have food products of any kind on you, make sure that you declare it when entering the country. Be as upfront as possible from the start. If you forget to mention even something small and it is discovered, you could be fined or detained.
• Opt for packaged foods. Generally, fresh produce is frowned upon which means you stand a better chance of getting by with packaged sweets and snacks than you would with an apple or a sandwich. 

What To Do: You’ve Booked Cheap Flights To Australia & Have To Carry Food For Your Baby

The restrictions on food products into Australia don’t really put parents in too much of a tricky situation. Here are a few pointers that might help you better prepare for your flight to Australia:

  

• Take food on board, but be willing to lose it when you arrive. You can still carry food for your child or baby on board your flight to Australia, but to avoid issues and hold-ups, try and leave any left overs or unused food items on the plane (yes, this includes milk!). 
• The authorities generally consider packaged food products acceptable, whereas home made purees and opened products are not allowed. If you have packaged baby foods, make sure that you still declare it on the customs form when entering the country. Sorry moms, breast milk will also be confiscated, so discard of any left overs before you exit the plane.
• Quarantine & customs queues can be long, so make sure that all the food items that you need to declare are kept at hand (in your hand luggage is best). It helps to be able to quickly show authorities what you are carrying instead of having to go through the entire bag-check process.

Of course, the restrictions on food are not the only ones to be aware of. Anyone entering Australia is required to be advised or familiar with the items on the “Not Allowed” list set in place by the Department of Immigration & Border Protection. 

A full list of items that are not allowed into the country (or back into the country for those returning home) can be found here. This is an extensive list that covers the likes of contamination, duty-free restrictions, fire arms, food and drink, market and shopping goods, medicines, substances, terrorism material and weapons. 

The government also features a list of quarantine requirements (regularly updated) which can be viewed here.

While you are searching for cheap flights to Australia, it’s strongly recommended that you visit the official Australian government website to view updated costoms, quarantine and restrictions lists. Being informed is the best way forward!