How to Complete the B534 Form
The B534 — the Unaccompanied Personal Effects (UPE) Statement — is the Australian Border Force declaration you complete when your household goods are shipped to Australia separately from your own travel. This guide walks through the form section by section, so you can fill it in correctly the first time and avoid delays at the port.
The B534 is a legally binding document
A false or misleading statement to a Customs officer is an offence under the Customs Act 1901 and may carry heavy penalties, including forfeiture of the goods concerned. Always declare honestly and, if in doubt, tick Yes and provide details. Source: Australian Border Force
What is the B534 form?
The B534 is the Australian Border Force's Unaccompanied Personal Effects (UPE) Statement. It is the single customs and biosecurity declaration required whenever household goods and personal effects are imported into Australia as unaccompanied cargo — that is, shipped by sea, air or mail rather than carried with you as luggage. It captures who you are, how your goods are travelling, your residency status, and whether the shipment contains any restricted, dutiable or biosecurity-risk items.
Two agencies rely on it: the Australian Border Force (ABF) uses it to assess customs duty and taxes, while the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) uses it to decide how your effects are inspected under Australia's biosecurity laws. The current version is coded B534e and is collected under the Customs Act 1901, the Quarantine Act 1908, wildlife-protection law and the Financial Transaction Reports Act 1988.
Who needs to complete a B534?
You need to complete a B534 if you are importing unaccompanied personal effects into Australia. In practice that includes most people relocating with a household shipment. You remain responsible for the declaration even when a nominee lodges it for you.
- You are moving to Australia and shipping household goods separately from your own travel (by sea, air or mail).
- You are a returning Australian resident bringing back personal effects sent as unaccompanied cargo.
- You are importing a deceased estate's personal effects (additional documents also apply).
- Your removalist, freight forwarder or customs broker is clearing goods on your behalf as your nominee.
You can clear your own effects or nominate a representative — a freight forwarder, customs broker, friend or relative — to act on your behalf. If you nominate someone, complete the nominee details on the form; they will need to show identification when clearing your goods.
How do you complete the B534, section by section?
The B534 is divided into eight sections. Work through them in order. In sections three to eight you must tick Yes or No to every item, and provide details wherever you answer Yes.
Section 1: Arrival and shipment details
How you arrived (or will arrive) in Australia and how your effects are travelling.
- Date, or estimated date, of arrival in Australia and the flight number or ship name.
- Country of departure and the port or airport of arrival.
- For returning residents: your period of absence and other countries visited.
- How your effects are arriving — By Mail, By Air or By Sea — plus the Sea Bill / Air Waybill number, container number, vessel or flight, and number of packages.
- The name of the Australian business (your destination agent) handling your personal effects.
Tip: If a date is not yet fixed, an estimated date is acceptable — but keep it realistic, because it should broadly match the shipping documents your removalist lodges.
Section 2: Your personal details and who is covered
Identifies you (the owner of the goods) and everyone whose effects are in the shipment.
- Full family name and given names, date of birth, sex, and passport number with country of issue.
- Your intended or actual Australian residential address and telephone number — a full street address is required.
- Whether the statement covers Myself, or Myself and Spouse, plus your spouse's name and passport number.
- Number of children under 18 covered by the statement.
Tip: The Australian Border Force does not accept a P.O. Box or a business address here. If you do not yet have a permanent address, use temporary accommodation or your agent's address and update it before clearance.
Section 3: Residency status and packing declarations
Your reason for coming to Australia and confirmation that you know what is in your boxes.
- Your status: tourist, temporary resident, taking up permanent residence for the first time, resuming permanent residence, or a returning Australian citizen (with length of stay where asked).
- Whether you packed the goods yourself, and if not, the name of the person who did.
- Whether you are fully aware of the contents of the packages.
- Whether the packages contain goods belonging to anyone other than you or those who travelled with you.
Tip: Your residency status affects your duty-free eligibility, so answer it carefully. Only returning citizens and holders of a permanent or long-stay visa can normally import personal effects duty-free.
Section 4: Restricted goods, currency and medicines
High-risk categories the ABF must know about before your goods are examined.
- Weapons — firearms or parts, ammunition, replica firearms, spring-bladed knives, daggers, knuckle dusters or martial-arts equipment.
- Drugs of any kind, including steroids and performance-enhancing drugs.
- Articles manufactured from wildlife (reptile skin, ivory, coral and similar).
- Material likely to cause offence to a reasonable adult.
- Australian and/or foreign currency of AUD 10,000 or more.
- Medicines, whether prescribed or not, including herbal preparations.
Tip: If you tick Yes to anything here, you must list the goods. Never guess — if you are unsure whether an item qualifies, declare it and let the officer decide. A false statement is an offence under the Customs Act 1901.
Section 5: Dutiable and recently acquired goods
Items that may attract customs duty and GST, or that need extra scrutiny.
- Cigarettes, cigars or tobacco; alcoholic liquor (spirits, wine or beer).
- A motor vehicle, motorcycle, trailer or watercraft.
- Goods belonging to another person, or goods for commercial purposes (sale, lease, hire or exchange).
- Any other goods you have owned for less than 12 months.
Tip: Anything owned for under 12 months must be declared with a description, price in AUD and date of purchase. These items may be assessed for duty and taxes, and penalties apply for not declaring them.
Section 6: Rural and farm-contact history
A single but important biosecurity question about recent exposure to animals.
- Whether you — or any family member arriving with you — visited a farm, sale yard, abattoir, meat-processing plant, research farm or animal sanctuary within one month before shipping.
Tip: This helps DAFF assess the risk that footwear, clothing or equipment could carry animal-disease contamination. Answer honestly; it does not automatically hold up your shipment.
Section 7: Animal biosecurity goods
Goods subject to animal biosecurity and wildlife import/export laws.
- Animals (alive or dead) or animal products — feathers, skins, horns, shells, hatching eggs, semen or embryos.
- Food of any kind, including meat, poultry, eggs, dairy, baby food, spreads, sauces and beverages.
- Equipment used with horses or other animals — saddles, harnesses, whips, collars, brushes, blankets or rugs.
- Biological specimens — vaccines, cultures, blood, cell samples or lines, semen or embryos.
Tip: List every item you tick Yes to. Used animal equipment and any food are common reasons shipments are held for treatment, so it is far better to declare and, ideally, leave high-risk items behind.
Section 8: Plant biosecurity goods
Goods subject to plant biosecurity laws — the category that catches most people out.
- Plants or parts of plants (fruit, nuts, seeds, bulbs, leaves, wooden articles, cuttings, flowers, mushrooms, fungi, straw, bamboo, herbs or teas).
- Furniture or other articles of wood, cane or bamboo.
- Soil or earth, or goods containing soil, rock or mineral samples.
- Straw or wood packing material (other than shavings or sawdust), and egg or fruit cartons used in packing.
Tip: Wooden furniture, cane and bamboo items are extremely common in household shipments — declare them so DAFF can inspect and, if needed, treat them. Clean any item that has touched soil (garden tools, boots, bikes, camping gear) before it is packed.
How do you sign the B534 correctly?
The B534 must be completed in English using block letters and signed by hand — electronic signatures are not accepted. The form carries a separate declaration at the foot of several pages, and each one must be individually signed and dated. Your signature must match the one in your passport, and any error or alteration must be crossed out and initialled rather than overwritten or hidden with correction fluid.
Common B534 mistakes (and how to avoid them)
Most clearance delays come from small, avoidable errors on the form. Check your B534 against this list before you sign it.
Leaving boxes blank
Every question must be answered. Any question you leave blank will be asked by an officer at clearance, which delays release. Tick Yes or No for each item in sections three to eight.
Typed or electronic signatures
The B534 must be signed by hand. Each declaration page (there are several) must be individually signed and dated, and your signature must match your passport.
Un-initialled corrections
The form is a legally binding document. Any error or alteration must be crossed out and initialled — do not use correction fluid or overwrite an answer.
Not completing it in English block letters
The statement must be completed in English using block capitals. If you need help, your destination agent can guide you, but the declaration remains yours.
Guessing to avoid an inspection
Ticking No to avoid a DAFF examination is a false statement and an offence. Every household shipment is inspected anyway, so a false declaration only risks penalties and forfeiture.
Using a P.O. Box as your address
The ABF requires a full residential street address. If you do not have one yet, use temporary accommodation and tell your agent when it changes.
What happens after you submit the B534?
Once your completed B534 is lodged with your shipping documents, the ABF processes the customs side of your import while DAFF arranges the mandatory biosecurity inspection of your effects at an approved facility. If you declared wooden, cane, food or soil-contacted items, expect them to be examined and possibly treated. After both agencies clear the shipment, your goods are released for delivery — and this can happen before you arrive in Australia.
For the full clearance timeline, inspection process, prohibited and restricted item lists and duty-free rules, see our Australian customs and quarantine guide.
B534 frequently asked questions
Answers to the questions people ask most about the Unaccompanied Personal Effects Statement.
What is the B534 form?
The B534 is the Australian Border Force's Unaccompanied Personal Effects (UPE) Statement. It is the customs and biosecurity declaration you complete when household goods and personal effects are shipped to Australia separately from your own travel — by sea, air or mail. It records who you are, how your goods are arriving, and whether they contain any restricted, dutiable or biosecurity-risk items.
Do I have to complete a B534 for my household removal?
Yes. Any unaccompanied personal effects imported into Australia require a completed B534 before the goods can be cleared by the Australian Border Force and inspected by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. Your removalist or customs broker lodges it as part of the clearance, but you, as the owner of the goods, must sign the declaration.
Can I complete the B534 before I arrive in Australia?
Yes. The B534 can be completed before your goods are shipped or after they arrive, and your goods can be cleared before you land in Australia provided all paperwork is in order. You do not need to be physically present, but you must provide a full Australian residential street address — a P.O. Box is not accepted.
Does completing the B534 mean my goods won't be inspected?
No. Every unaccompanied household shipment entering Australia is physically examined by DAFF, regardless of what you declare. The B534 tells officers where to focus. Declaring items honestly — especially wooden, cane, food or soil-contacted goods — speeds inspection; a false declaration risks fines, forfeiture and prosecution under the Customs Act 1901.
How do I sign and correct the B534?
The B534 must be completed in English block letters and signed by hand — electronic signatures are not accepted. Each declaration page must be signed and dated separately, and your signature must match your passport. Any error or alteration must be crossed out and initialled rather than overwritten or covered with correction fluid.
What happens if I tick 'Yes' to a biosecurity question?
Ticking Yes is not a problem — it simply means you must list the goods so DAFF can assess them. Many everyday items (wooden furniture, cane baskets, bamboo, camping gear) legitimately require a Yes. Inspectors decide whether an item is released, cleaned, treated or, rarely, destroyed. Declaring is always safer than concealing.
Where can I get a blank B534 form?
A blank B534 (Unaccompanied Personal Effects Statement) is available free from the Australian Border Force website at abf.gov.au. If you move with us, we provide the form, show you how to complete each section, and lodge it with the ABF and DAFF as part of our door-to-door service.
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We'll Prepare Your B534 For You
Our team provides the B534, guides you through every section, and lodges it with the ABF and DAFF as part of our door-to-door removals service — so your paperwork is right the first time.