What is BICON?
BICON (Biosecurity Import Conditions system) is the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry's (DAFF) official database of import conditions for every type of good entering Australia. If you're importing anything — from timber furniture to electronics packed in wood crates — BICON tells you whether a permit, treatment, or inspection applies to your specific product and its country of origin.
Search it directly at bicon.agriculture.gov.au. It's free to search, but reading the result correctly is where most importers get tripped up.
How to search BICON correctly
- Select the correct case type — most commercial imports use "Individual Case" rather than "Bulk Import Permit."
- Enter the commodity as specific as possible. Searching "furniture" alone often misses timber-specific conditions that apply to your product's packaging, not the product itself.
- Check the country of origin field carefully — conditions differ significantly between China, Vietnam, and other sourcing countries.
- Read every linked "case" result, not just the first match. A single product can trigger multiple overlapping conditions (e.g. the item itself plus its wooden packaging).
What BICON results actually mean
| Result | What it means | What you need |
|---|---|---|
| No conditions apply | Free of biosecurity requirements | Nothing extra — standard customs clearance |
| Conditions apply | Treatment, inspection, or documentation required | Import permit and/or treatment certificate before or on arrival |
| Permit required | Product needs pre-approval | Apply via BICON before shipping — some permits take 20+ business days |
| Prohibited | Cannot be imported | Do not proceed; contact DAFF or a broker for alternatives |
What triggers a DAFF inspection regardless of your BICON result
- •Timber packaging that isn't ISPM-15 stamped (see our wooden pallet guide)
- •Food, plant, and animal-derived products
- •Used machinery, outdoor equipment, or anything with soil/organic contamination risk
- •High-risk origins or seasonal pest programs (e.g. brown marmorated stink bug season, Sep–Apr)
Common documents BICON conditions ask for
- •Treatment certificates (fumigation or heat treatment)
- •Manufacturer or supplier declarations
- •Product-specific import permits
- •Cleaning certificates for used machinery
Reduce delays after checking BICON
- Run the BICON search before you place your supplier order, not after the goods ship.
- Share the BICON case number with your customs broker so it's referenced on the import declaration.
- Request treatment certificates and photos from your supplier before the container is sealed.
- Build BICON permit lead times (can exceed a month for some categories) into your shipping schedule.
BICON vs a customs broker: do you need both?
BICON tells you what's required. It doesn't lodge permits, book inspections, or clear cargo on arrival — that's what a licensed customs broker does. Most importers use BICON to scope the requirement, then hand the case number to their broker to execute it.
Helpful official links
Need help interpreting a BICON result or coordinating the permit and inspection? Spotyard's customs clearance service manages BICON liaison, treatment bookings, and inspection coordination end-to-end alongside your import.
How Spotyard Helps
Our licensed third-party broker partners and compliance team handle:
- •HS code validation, tariff concession checks, and valuation memos
- •DAFF biosecurity submissions, inspection bookings, and audit support
- •Automated duty/GST calculations synced with your BAS workflow