Part of Australia’s appeal is the landscape and its unique wildlife. But experience has shown how easy it is to damage the ecosystem by introducing diseases and invasive plants and animals and diseases from abroad. So the Australian government uses strict biosecurity measures to protect its natural environment. This includes refusing imports of certain items and requiring enhanced cleaning of others.

One category of items that require extra care when you move to Australia is footwear. These can carry soil which may contain seeds, eggs or even live pests and bacteria. Any of these are seen as a biosecurity risk, so your shoes, trainers and boots will be inspected when your domestic goods arrive in Australia.

Any items that fail the biosecurity checks will have to be cleaned or destroyed at the importer’s expense. You will have to pay this bill before your goods can come out of biosecurity control – so as you can see, taking a bit of extra care will save you delays and cash.

Declutter your shoe collection

Before you pack, think about what shoes you will need in your new life and discard anything that you don’t need to bring. It may be cheaper to buy new at your destination, particularly if the shoe is close to the end of its useful life.

Clean all footwear thoroughly before you bring it to Australia

Clean your boots, shoes, wellies and trainers thoroughly before you pack. There should be no visible soil and your footwear needs to be dried thoroughly. Remember it is going to be boxed up for quite a while – between six and twelve weeks by sea, depending on how you are shipping your goods.

Each type of shoe will have its own cleaning instructions, so see if the manufacturer has some pointers. Adidas, for example, provides advice on cleaning running shoes.

Pack similar items together

The Australian Department for Agriculture, Water and the Environment asks that you group items that need inspecting together. A good shipping company will pack such items so that they are easy to access, and it may be worth getting advice on this.

Use shoe boxes for packing footwear

Shoe boxes are ideal for keeping shoes in tip-top condition on their journey round the world. It’s worth stuffing shoes to help them keep their shape – use shoe trees or tissue paper. Remember that any packing material must comply with biosecurity rules, however, so no plant material, and check wooden shoe trees for pest damage.

Does home contents insurance cover shoes during a move?

You’d need to check with your home contents insurance provider to find out whether your insurance coverage extends to your relocation. You may find it more appropriate to buy separate cover from a specialist removals insurer – like Insure Your Move. It’s quick and easy to get a quote to help you compare costs and work out the various benefits.

It’s important to know the facts when you import your household goods to Australia – but as long as your footwear is clean and easy to access, you should have no problems with biosecurity.