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Exporting alcoholic drinks from Australia

Wine and other grape products leaving Australia in consignments over 100 litres need a Wine Australia export licence, product registration and a shipping approval for each consignment. Wine Australia issues certificates of origin, VI-1 documents and certificates of free sale. Beer and spirits stay under excise control until delivered for export, and the export is declared to the ABF.

Updated · Each section links to the official source it comes from

Wine export controls
Wine Australia Act 2013 and Wine Australia Regulations 2018
Threshold
Consignments of grape products over 100 litres
Per consignment
Shipping approval, applied for at least 5 days before export
Documents
Certificates of origin, VI-1 and certificates of free sale from Wine Australia
Beer and spirits
Excisable goods under the CEO's control until delivered for export
Export charge
Wine Export Charge on the FOB value of wine exports

Before the goods leave

The questions to answer, in the order they usually come up.

  1. 1Is the product a grape product, and is the consignment over 100 litres? Read more
  2. 2Does the exporter hold a Wine Australia licence, and is each product and label registered? Read more
  3. 3Which Food Standards Code requirements apply to the export label, and which exemptions? Read more
  4. 4Which documents does the importer ask for: origin, VI-1, free sale or organic? Read more
  5. 5Is the excise or wine tax position settled for goods delivered for export? Read more
  6. 6Has the export declaration been lodged with the shipping approval number? Read more

The rules, by area

What each area covers, the texts that set it, and what the official pages say.

Wine Australia export controls

The licence, product approval and export certificate that grape product exports need.

  • Exporting a grape product in contravention of the Regulations is an offence under section 44 of the Wine Australia Act 2013.
  • The export of a consignment is prohibited unless the exporter is a licensee, the product is approved for export, and an export certificate is in force, with any conditions met (section 7 of the Regulations). Consignments of 100 litres or less are exempt.
  • The controls cover wine made in Australia from grapes or grape juice, brandy, grape spirit, and products that include wine to which an Australian standard applies, such as wine-based beverages and low-alcohol wines.
  • Licences are issued for 12 months, are not transferable, and a change of business address is notified within 14 days.
  • Product registration states the vintage, variety and origin composition, the label claims, the analysis and the destination market; Wine Australia checks label claims against the blending rules.
  • Labels of bottled or packaged products are uploaded to WALAS before shipping approval, and the Export Label Image Search System is a public library of exported labels.
  • The application for an export certificate (shipping approval) is given at least 5 days before export and names the date, destination country and consignee. Wine Australia issues an Export Permit Number, needed to obtain an export declaration number from the ABF.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the licence ID, product approval numbers, label images and each shipping approval with the consignment, dated, and shows what is missing or expiring before it ships. Ask about this

Food Standards Code on export labels

Which domestic label rules apply to exported wine, and where Wine Australia allows exemptions.

  • Unless Wine Australia grants an exemption, exported grape products comply with the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code, including additives, allergens, standard drinks, alcohol content and lot identification.
  • Wine Australia exempts exported grape products from the standard drinks statement, the pregnancy warning mark, the energy statement and the egg and milk allergen declaration, unless the importing country requires them. Added sulphites must still be declared.
  • With a translation provided to Wine Australia, the supplier's name and address, the name of the food and required allergen statements may be in the importing country's language.
  • Wine outside the Code's sulphur dioxide limits, or fortified wine outside the ±0.5% alcohol tolerance, may be approved where it meets the destination's rules.
  • Wine Australia must refuse a shipment if it reasonably believes a product in it cannot lawfully be sold in the destination country.

How we help: Compliant Always reads your export label against the Code and the Wine Australia exemptions for that destination, and keeps the translation and analysis with the product. Ask about this

Origin, VI-1, free sale and organic certificates

The export documents Wine Australia and other bodies issue for wine.

  • Wine Australia issues non-preferential certificates of origin, and preferential certificates of origin under the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement, through WALAS. Since 1 July 2026, ChAFTA certificates are issued as electronically signed PDFs.
  • Exporters are responsible for the origin criterion in a preferential proof of origin being correct and supported by documentary evidence; a wholly obtained claim suits wine whose materials all originate in Australia.
  • Wine Australia issues VI-1 documents for exports to the EU and the UK, supported by a VI-1 analysis report from a NATA-accredited laboratory.
  • A certificate of free sale certifies that wine can be legally sold in Australia, subject to state licensing laws.
  • Wine with organic or biodynamic claims needs an organic goods certificate from an approved certifying body before export, uploaded to WALAS before shipping approval.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps each certificate of origin, VI-1 analysis and organic certificate with the shipment, and reads them against what the destination asks for. Ask about this

Excise, WET, export charge and the export declaration

How tax and customs treat alcohol leaving Australia.

  • Excisable goods, which under the Excise Tariff include beer, brandy and other spirits, stay under the CEO's control until delivered for home consumption or for export (section 61, Excise Act 1901).
  • Exporting excisable goods is dealt with under Part VI of the Customs Act 1901; a Collector may permit a person to deliver goods under control for export (section 61A).
  • If goods delivered for export under permission are not shown to have been exported, the person can be asked to pay the excise that would have been due.
  • An assessable dealing with wine is not taxed under the WET Act if it is a GST-free supply; a supply of goods is GST-free if the supplier exports them within 60 days of payment or invoice.
  • The Wine Export Charge is a levy on exporters, calculated on the FOB value of wine sales.
  • Excisable goods with excise unpaid need an export declaration whatever their value.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the excise permission, export declaration and proof of export with each consignment, so the record shows the goods left. Ask about this

Who answers for what

WhoWhat they answer forHow we help
Licensed exporterThe Wine Australia licence, product and label registration, shipping approval and the Wine Export Charge.Licence, approvals and labels kept with each consignment, dated.
Producer or brand ownerThe composition, analysis and the vintage, variety and origin claims on the label.Analysis and label claims read against the blending rules and the destination.
Customs broker or freight forwarderThe export declaration, quoting the Wine Australia permit number.Permit and certificate numbers ready from the record.
Wine AustraliaLicences, product approvals, shipping approvals and export documents.Each approval and document kept with the shipment it covers.

Ports and certifying bodies

Export controls on food, plants and organic goods are Commonwealth law under the Export Control Act 2020, administered by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, with registered establishments and accredited properties across the states and territories.

Export declarations go to the Australian Border Force through the Integrated Cargo System, or at an ABF counter in each state or territory.

Where are the goods going?

Most of what alcoholic drinks have to meet is set where they are sold. Each guide sets out the rules on arrival, with the official source for each.

Questions businesses ask

Do I need a licence to export wine from Australia?
Yes, for consignments over 100 litres. Wine Australia grants licences for 12 months, after considering matters including whether the applicant is a fit and proper person.
What is a shipping approval for wine exports?
The export certificate Wine Australia issues for each consignment over 100 litres. The licensee applies through WALAS at least 5 days before export, and receives an Export Permit Number used to obtain the ABF export declaration number.
Can I send wine samples overseas without a licence?
Consignments of 100 litres or less are exempt, and exemptions also cover trade fairs, scientific purposes, personal luggage and commercial samples for a prospective buyer. Exemptions are applied for through WALAS.
Does exported wine need the Australian pregnancy warning label?
No, unless the importing country requires it. Wine Australia exempts exported grape products from the pregnancy warning mark, standard drinks statement and energy statement, but added sulphites must still be declared.
Can an Australian wine label be in another language?
With a translation given to Wine Australia, the supplier's name and address, the name of the food and required allergen statements may be in the importing country's language instead of English.
How do I get a certificate of origin for wine?
Through WALAS, Wine Australia issues non-preferential certificates of origin and ChAFTA certificates of origin for China. Other authorised issuers provide other preferential certificates.
Do I need a VI-1 to export wine to the EU or UK?
Wine Australia issues VI-1 documents for exports to the EU and the UK, based on a VI-1 analysis report from a NATA-accredited laboratory. Small labelled consignments and some other cases are excluded.
How do I export organic wine from Australia?
An organic goods certificate from an approved certifying body under the Export Control (Organic Goods) Rules 2021, uploaded to WALAS before shipping approval.
Is excise payable on beer or spirits exported from Australia?
Excisable goods stay under the CEO's control until delivered for home consumption or export. A Collector may permit delivery for export, and excise can be demanded if the goods are not shown to have been exported.
Is WET payable on exported wine?
A dealing that is a GST-free supply is not taxed under the WET Act, and a supply of goods is GST-free if the supplier exports them within 60 days of payment or invoice, or a longer period the Commissioner allows.
How does Compliant Always help with exporting from Australia?
Our team reads the rules for the routes you ship. Compliant Always shows which export documents apply to your product, keeps them with the shipment beside what the destination asks for, and watches the sources for changes. It shows what the requirements say and what your documents show; you decide.

Sources

Compliant Always is a product of Lettuce Labs LLC. It shows what requirements say and what your documents show. It is not legal advice, and you decide.

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