Coral & Seashells → 🇦🇺 Australia

Full details

All stony corals are CITES Appendix II listed, requiring export permits for international trade — coral souvenirs purchased in tourist shops likely lack these permits. Giant clams (Tridacna species) are also CITES Appendix II. Sea turtle shell products (hawksbill tortoiseshell) are CITES Appendix I. Enforcement in Australia carries fines from AUD 0 to AUD 222,000 and imprisonment up to 10 years in aggravated cases. In the reverse direction (taking coral & seashells out of Australia): restricted — Corals are CITES-listed — taking coral out of Australia requires permits, while ordinary non-protected seashells move freely in small quantities.

ENFORCEMENT

Active — Customs actively enforces this rule.

Leaving Australia with coral & seashells

All stony corals (and black coral) are listed in CITES Appendix II, so exporting coral from Australia — including souvenir pieces and jewellery — requires a CITES export permit; beach-collected fragments are covered the same as purchased items and are routinely seized at airports. Giant clams and queen conch are similarly listed. Ordinary non-protected seashells in small personal quantities generally move freely, though some origin countries protect specific species and destination biosecurity rules (Australia, New Zealand) require declaration of all shell material on arrival.

OFFICIAL SOURCES · VERIFIED 2026-07-25