Foreign Office issues 'strict' warning for anyone travelling to Australia

Holidaymakers heading to Australia have been warned about a "strict" rule that they need to know about before heading to the airport.

The Foreign Office states in their 'entry requirements' section under 'quarantine of goods' that the country has "strict quarantine rules". This is to stop the spread of pests and diseases which could affect plant, animal or human health.

If you are travelling, you will need to fill out a form as well as do one of two things - depending in what you're bringing in, if anything.

The Foreign Office states that travellers must fill out an Incoming Passenger Card and either:

• Declare any risk goods including food, animal products and plant material (including wooden articles)

• Dispose of any risk goods in the bins at the airport or sea port

They warn that every piece of luggage is x-rayed upon arrival. If there are any items of concern, there will be further inspections where they will be treated and if necessary, confiscated and destroyed.

They also caution that you can be heavily fined for breaking these rules and say you will be asked to declare whether you have ‘visited a rural area, or been in contact with, or near, farm animals outside Australia in the past 30 days’.

You can find more information on the Department of Agriculture website.