Tobacco Cigarettes 🇦🇺 Australia
25 cigarettes duty-free per adult. Excess requires import permit and duty payment.
Can I bring Tobacco Cigarettes into Australia?
25 cigarettes duty-free per adult. Excess requires import permit and duty payment.
25 cigarettes (or 25g) duty-free; larger quantities require declaration and duty payment
AUD 1.63 per cigarette stick above duty-free allowance (approx.)
- Declaration on Incoming Passenger Card
Required at the destination customs authority
Full details
Travellers aged 18 and over may bring 25 cigarettes (or 25g of tobacco products) into Australia duty-free. Any amount above this duty-free limit must be declared and either surrendered at the border or will attract full customs duty. The duty on tobacco is among the highest in the world — currently AUD 1.63 per cigarette stick. Travellers importing more than 25 cigarettes without an import permit will have the excess confiscated or charged duty. Tobacco products may not be imported by persons under 18. All tobacco must be declared regardless of quantity.
Active — Customs actively enforces this rule.
At the airport
- Australia's duty-free allowance is 25 cigarettes (one open packet). Any quantity above 25 cigarettes must be declared and duty paid at the ABF customs counter.
- Proceed to the Red Channel if you have more than 25 cigarettes. Present the goods to the ABF officer and pay the applicable duty (AUD 1,272 per 1,000 cigarettes as of 2025).
- Undeclared tobacco is subject to confiscation and a penalty of up to 5× the duty owed. Illicit tobacco with no duty markings may also be referred to ATO.
Duty-free: 2.25L of alcohol (18+), 25 cigarettes or 25g tobacco (18+), and AUD $900 worth of general goods per adult (AUD $450 for those under 18). Children under 18 cannot claim alcohol or tobacco allowances. USD equivalent is approximate.
Stick to 25 cigarettes or less for a straightforward customs experience. Carrying more is legal with duty payment but the cost is very high.
25 cigarettes (or 25g) duty-free; larger quantities require declaration and duty payment
- Declaration on Incoming Passenger Card
AUD 1.63 per cigarette stick above duty-free allowance (approx.)
Customs Act 1901; Excise Tariff Act 1921; Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulations 1956
This page covers destination customs rules in Australia. Whether you can carry tobacco cigarettes through security, in carry-on, or in checked baggage depends on airline and screening rules — see air travel rules.
Related rules
Tobacco Cigarettes rules in other countries
Tobacco Cigarettes
🇸🇬 Singapore
No duty-free tobacco allowance. All tobacco must be declared and duty paid.
Tobacco Cigarettes
🇵🇭 Philippines
400 cigarettes or 50 cigars duty-free
Tobacco Cigarettes
🇻🇳 Vietnam
400 cigarettes duty-free
Tobacco Cigarettes
🇰🇷 South Korea
200 cigarettes duty-free for travelers over 19
Tobacco Cigarettes
🇪🇸 Spain
200 cigarettes from non-EU; 800 from EU
Tobacco Cigarettes
🇿🇦 South Africa
200 cigarettes duty-free