Customs Brokers
Customs Brokers near you
A customs broker is one of the few genuinely licensed roles in Australian logistics. The licence is issued by the Australian Border Force under the Customs Act 1901, and it exists because the law restricts who may lodge an import declaration at all. If you are not the owner of the goods, and you are not licensed, you cannot enter goods for home consumption on someone else's behalf.
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The work is technical rather than administrative. A broker decides how goods are classified in the tariff, what their customs value is, whether a preferential rate under a free trade agreement can be claimed and evidenced, what concessions might apply, and what permits or other agency requirements attach. Those decisions determine the duty and taxes payable and they remain reviewable long after the container has been unpacked.
For an importer, the broker is also the point where customs and biosecurity meet. The two systems are administered by different agencies with different questions, and a consignment can be cleared by one and held by the other. A broker who explains that boundary clearly at the quoting stage is worth more than one who quotes a lower lodgement fee.
Where the licence comes from
The Customs Act 1901 provides that only the owner of goods, or a customs broker licensed by the Comptroller-General of Customs for the Department of Home Affairs, can submit an import declaration to enter goods for home consumption. Licensing sits in Division 3 of Part XI of that Act, and the Australian Border Force administers it.
The licence is granted subject to conditions specified in the Act, and undertaking sufficient continuing professional development is one of them. That is a meaningful detail for an importer: tariff classifications, free trade agreement rules and other agency requirements change, and the licence condition is what keeps a broker current rather than trading on knowledge from a decade ago.
Who is allowed to hold a licence
- Natural persons, that is individual brokers licensed in their own name.
- Companies, where the corporate entity holds the licence.
- Partnerships.
- A licence cannot be issued to other forms of entity, and the ABF names a trust as the example that does not qualify.
- Applicants and licence holders operate through an Integrated Cargo System account, which is where declarations are lodged and licence details are kept current.
How long a broker licence runs
A customs broker licence is granted for a period of up to three years. All broker licences expire on 30 June, at three-year intervals, so the whole population renews on a common cycle rather than on individual anniversaries. That is worth knowing if you are appointing a broker close to a renewal date.
The ABF sends a renewal application to the last known address of the licensee, and the licensee is then responsible for returning the completed application and paying the licence fee. Licence holders are also responsible for keeping their details correct and up to date, and a variation requires a form and a variation application fee.
What a broker does with your shipment
- Reviews the commercial invoice, packing list and transport document against what was actually shipped.
- Classifies the goods in the tariff and determines the customs value.
- Assesses whether a preferential rate under a free trade agreement can be claimed and whether the origin evidence supports it.
- Identifies permits, prohibited or restricted goods provisions and other agency requirements.
- Lodges the import declaration electronically and arranges payment of duty and taxes.
- Manages any hold, documentary question or physical examination, and advises on the biosecurity pathway in parallel.
Declarations, mail and temporary imports
- Form B650 is the import declaration for goods arriving as sea or air cargo.
- Form B374 is the import declaration used for goods arriving by international mail.
- Certain goods may be temporarily imported into Australia for a period of up to twelve months without duty or taxes being paid, provided the conditions are met.
- Goods bought online and arriving by post follow the ABF's guidance for buying online and importing by post or mail.
- Labelling requirements apply to many imported goods and are assessed separately from tariff classification.
Classification and valuation are where disputes start
- A tariff heading chosen for convenience rather than accuracy, which can change the duty rate materially.
- Free trade agreement preference claimed without the origin evidence to support it if the claim is tested.
- Customs value understated by leaving out assists, royalties or related-party pricing adjustments.
- Invoices describing goods too generically, so the broker has to guess and the declaration is exposed.
- Undeclared timber packaging or treatment certificates, which is a biosecurity issue rather than a customs one but stops the same container.
- Records not retained, leaving nothing to produce if a declaration is reviewed later.
How brokers charge
- A per-declaration fee is the usual base, sometimes scaled by the number of tariff lines.
- Disbursements such as duty, taxes and agency charges are passed through and are separate from the fee.
- Additional attendance for holds, documentary questions or examinations is generally charged at an hourly or event rate.
- Tariff advice, ruling applications and refund or drawback claims are quoted separately.
- A broker holding a standing authority and pre-loaded product classifications usually costs less per shipment than one starting fresh each time.
Customs Brokers: frequently asked questions
Do I need a customs broker to import into Australia?
Not always, because the Customs Act 1901 allows the owner of the goods to submit an import declaration themselves. What you cannot do is have an unlicensed third party lodge it for you. In practice most businesses use a broker because tariff classification, customs valuation and free trade agreement origin rules carry real financial consequences if they are wrong.
How do I check a customs broker is licensed?
Ask for the licence details and confirm with the Australian Border Force, which administers broker licensing under Division 3 of Part XI of the Customs Act 1901 and maintains the licensing function through its Broker Licensing area. Because licences are issued to natural persons, companies or partnerships, check that the entity you are contracting with is the entity that holds the licence.
When does a broker licence expire?
A licence is granted for up to three years, and all customs broker licences expire on 30 June at three-year intervals. The ABF sends the renewal application to the licensee's last known address, and the licensee must return it and pay the fee. Keeping licence details current is the licence holder's responsibility, not the regulator's.
Does my broker also handle biosecurity requirements?
Many do, but they are separate systems administered by different agencies. Customs clearance and biosecurity clearance answer different questions, and a consignment can satisfy one while being held by the other. Confirm in writing whether your broker is handling import conditions and permits as well as the customs declaration, and what happens if treatment is required.
Can goods come in temporarily without paying duty?
Certain goods may be temporarily imported for a period of up to twelve months without having to pay duty or taxes if certain conditions are met. Exhibition equipment, samples and goods for repair are typical candidates. The conditions and any security requirement need to be settled before arrival, so it is a conversation to have with your broker at booking rather than on the wharf.
Sources
Written by the LokalMatch editorial team. Last reviewed 22 September 2026. How we write and check our guides
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What affects the fees customs brokers charge
Fees depend on the work involved and how the professional bills. We only publish fee ranges when they’re backed by real LokalMatch data or reliable sources. Until then, here’s what usually changes the fee:
- Scope and complexity of the work
- How the firm bills: hourly, per project or on a monthly retainer
- Experience of the team
- Timeline and how urgent the work is
- Ongoing support after the work is delivered
How to compare customs brokers before you hire
- Ask for examples of similar work for clients like you.
- Read reviews and ask for references you can contact.
- Make sure the scope, deliverables and timeline are written down before work starts.
- Ask who will do the work: an in-house team, freelancers or subcontractors.
- Compare two or three proposals before you decide.
Questions to ask customs brokers before you hire
- Have you done work like this before, and can I see examples?
- Who will work on this, and who is my main contact?
- How do you charge: hourly, per project or monthly?
- What is included, and what costs extra?
- How long is the contract, and how can either side end it?
- How will you report on progress?
- Who owns the work, files and accounts you set up for me?
Licences and registration
This kind of work is often limited to licensed or registered professionals, and the rules depend on where you are. Ask which body they’re registered with, and check their status on that body’s public register before you hire.
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