Case Documentation Requirement

Case: Alcoholic beverages Effective 28 Feb 2024

Documentation Requirements

The information below describes the requirements for documentation presented to the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry to support the risk assessment of imported goods.

Food product label

1. Complete - All prescribed information required to be on a document must be present and complete. Additional prescribed information below:
   

   1. The document must include the product name.
      

   2. The document must include the country of origin (this includes where the product was manufactured and the origin of components if required by the import conditions).
      

   3. The document must include a listing of ingredients covering 100% of the product.
      

2. Legible - All prescribed information required to be on a document must be legible.
   

3. In English - All prescribed information required to be on a document must be in English. Exceptions to this rule include:

   1. company letterheads do not need to be translated into English but must be in English characters (roman alphabet).
   2. commercial, transport and government certification that are required to comply with international standard formats.
   3. signatures and names of individuals.

   Where a document cannot be provided in English, an affidavit will be accepted from either:

   1. that country’s consulate in Australia.
   2. the Australian embassy in the place of origin.
   3. a translator accredited by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters Ltd.

4. Free from erasures and alterations - All prescribed information on a document must be free from erasures and alterations unless endorsed by an employee of the company who issued the document, or an authorised government official from the government department who issued a certificate. The only acceptable endorsement is a company stamp or seal signed by the company employee (including printed name) or a government stamp or seal signed by a government employee (including printed name) applied adjacent to the alteration.

5. Date of issue - All documents must identify the date the document was issued including the day, month and year. Packing declarations may contain vessel/voyage number which can be used if a date of issue is not present on the document.

6. Conflicting information on documents - Where there is conflicting information contained within a document, the document must not be accepted. Conflicting information occurs when prescribed information on one part of the document conflicts with other prescribed information on the same document.

For further information, please refer to the Minimum documentary and import declaration requirements policy.

Related Information:

• Minimum documentary and import declaration requirements policy