Bringing Egyptian souvenirs home to Australia and New Zealand

What do you have to declare when you get home?

In both Australia and New Zealand you must declare food, plant material, seeds, wood, animal products and anything that has been in contact with soil or animals, and a biosecurity officer then decides whether the item can come in. Declaring is not an admission of wrongdoing: the great majority of declared souvenirs are looked at and handed straight back.

The questions are on Australia's incoming passenger declaration and New Zealand's arrival declaration (the NZ Traveller Declaration at the time of writing). Bags are X-rayed and detector dogs work arrival halls in both countries, so undeclared items are often found. In Australia, failing to declare can bring an infringement notice or prosecution; in New Zealand an instant fine applies (NZ$400 at the time of writing). The authoritative lists are on the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry's biosecurity pages for travellers and the New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) pages on what to declare. Check them before you shop, because rules are updated after disease outbreaks overseas.

Item by item: what happens to typical Egyptian souvenirs?

Treat the table as a general guide: the outcome depends on condition and packaging, and the officer at the airport has the final say.

Is papyrus, wood or basketry allowed?

Generally yes, if it is dry, clean and declared: papyrus is plant material, and wood and woven palm or reed are checked for insects, bark, seeds and fungus. Real papyrus sheets are made from the pith of the papyrus plant pressed into a mat, so officers sometimes look at them closely; banana-leaf fakes are plant material too. See our guide to buying papyrus for telling them apart.

Wood is the item most likely to be held. Rough, freshly carved or bark-covered pieces can carry wood-boring insects, and a tiny pile of fine dust beneath an object is a giveaway. Finished, varnished pieces such as inlaid jewellery boxes are lower risk. If an item is held, you will normally be offered treatment, such as fumigation or heat treatment, at your own cost, re-export, or destruction. Ask the seller whether larger pieces such as furniture have been treated and get a certificate if they are shipping it for you.

Can you bring spices, dates and other food home?

Many commercially packaged, shelf-stable foods are allowed after inspection, but loose market spices, seeds, fresh produce, meat and dairy are the items most often confiscated.

• Spices: ground and processed spices in sealed, labelled packets are the safest buy. Whole seeds such as fenugreek, nigella or coriander may be restricted because they could germinate. Some spice shops in Khan el-Khalili will vacuum-seal purchases; see spices and food markets.
• Karkadeh and herbal teas: dried hibiscus flowers are popular; declare them and expect an inspection.
• Dates: dried, commercially packed dates (Siwa dates are excellent) usually pass; fresh dates do not.
• Sweets: boxed Turkish delight, halawa and biscuits are usually fine. Sweets with dairy fillings may not be.
• Coffee and tea: roasted coffee and packaged tea are generally allowed; green coffee beans are restricted.

Anything you cannot declare with confidence can go in the amnesty bins before the inspection point, with no penalty.

What about leather, bone, shells and wildlife products?

Tanned leather and clean, processed bone are usually allowed once declared, but products from protected species need permits under the international CITES convention and are best avoided altogether. In Egyptian markets that means crocodile and snake skin, ivory, tortoiseshell, stuffed animals, some shells and all coral. Australia and New Zealand both enforce CITES at the border, and many of these items are also illegal to sell or export in Egypt in the first place.

Feathers, horn and raw or hairy hides raise biosecurity concerns too. Camel-leather goods sold in Cairo's tanneries district and bazaars are generally tanned and fine, but brush off any dust or sand before you pack.

Can you take sand or shells home from Egypt?

No, in practice: taking sand, rocks, coral or shells from protected areas, archaeological sites and Red Sea reserves is illegal in Egypt, and soil and sand are high-risk items for Australian and New Zealand biosecurity. A jar of Sahara sand or a pebble from Giza feels harmless, but soil can carry pathogens and seeds, and it is likely to be seized on arrival. Shells and coral from the Red Sea coast can be confiscated on departure at Hurghada or Sharm el-Sheikh. Photographs and a glass bottle of coloured-sand art bought from a shop make better keepsakes; even then, declare it.

What about antiquities and old objects?

Genuine antiquities cannot legally be exported from Egypt, and Australia and New Zealand can seize cultural objects that were illegally exported from their country of origin. In Australia that power comes from the Protection of Movable Cultural Heritage Act 1986; New Zealand has comparable laws on protected objects. The reality in the bazaars is that almost every "ancient" scarab, coin or ushabti is a reproduction, which is perfectly legal to buy and bring home. Keep the shop receipt describing it as a replica, in case you are asked on either side. For what is worth buying and how to judge quality, see what to buy in Egypt.

Do you pay duty on souvenirs?

Usually not: most travellers' Egyptian purchases fall within the returning traveller's duty-free allowance, but large purchases such as carpets, gold or furniture can push you over it. At the time of writing Australia allows A$900 of general goods per adult before duty and GST apply, and New Zealand's concession is lower; alcohol and tobacco have separate limits, and shisha tobacco counts as tobacco. Allowances and Egypt's own rules are covered in our guide to Egyptian customs and duty free; check the Australian Border Force or New Zealand Customs Service before you buy anything expensive, and keep every receipt.

What if you ship things home instead?

Shipped and posted goods face the same biosecurity rules as luggage, plus possible duty and GST, so a carpet or a lantern sent by the shop will be inspected when it lands. Ask the seller for an itemised invoice, a description of materials (wool, cotton, brass, wood) and, for wooden furniture, any treatment certificate. Clean wool carpets and kilims are generally released, but soil or insects mean treatment fees. Allow weeks rather than days for sea freight, and get the shipping promise in writing before you pay.