Exhibition
Importing or exporting wildlife for exhibition purposes
Australia strictly controls trade in:
- Australian native specimens
- internationally endangered species (those on the CITES list)
- live animals
Import or export of specimens may be permitted if they will be for exhibition, including display at zoos.
Permits for exhibition purposes
To apply for a permit, complete these forms:
- Application for a Single Use Permit to import, export or re-export wildlife or wildlife products (PDF - 95 KB) | (RTF - 383 KB) *
- Supplementary Form C: Non-Commercial - Exhibition (PDF - 161 KB) | (Word - 681 KB)
* Multiple use permits are also available
If the application is for a live animal, also complete the appropriate form below:
- Supplementary Form G: Live Animal Imports/Exports (excluding koalas and macropods) (PDF - 219 KB) | (Word - 685 KB)
- Supplementary Form G: Live Koala Export (PDF - 180 KB) | (Word - 687 KB)
- Supplementary Form G: Live Macropod Export (PDF - 223 KB) | (Word - 686 KB)
First time permits for Zoological organisations
You may be required to complete an Application for assessment as a recognised zoological organisation for the purposes import and export of wildlife to and from Australia if you are applying to import or export wildlife to or from Australia and your organisation:
- has not previously successfully applied to the federal environment department for permits to import or export wildlife
- has opened in the past five years
- is under new management
- is an overseas institution with no history of importing wildlife from Australia.
* Multiple use permits are also available
Conditions
You will only be granted a permit if you can demonstrate that you and/or your organisation can satisfy the following requirements:
- The exhibition presents information with a cultural, scientific or conservation content.
- If the specimen is a live animal, it does not belong to a CITES Appendix I species.
- The specimen will not be used for commercial purposes after it is no longer needed for exhibition.
- The specimen is not needed for conservation breeding or propagation by the exporting country.
- If possible, the specimen comes from a captive animal or artificially propagated plant.
- For a specimen listed as a threatened species, the export is not inconsistent with any recovery plan for the species.
- For a live export of a koala, platypus, wombat or Tasmanian devil, or an animal of an eligible listed threatened species, the exporter, the importer and the federal environment department enter into an agreement about the treatment and disposal of the animal and/or any progeny of the animal.
Export of koalas, kangaroos, wombats, Tasmanian devils, wallabies and nationally threatened species
Specific conditions apply to the export of koalas, kangaroos, wombats, Tasmanian devils, wallabies and nationally threatened species.
Non-commercial purposes
Trade may be permitted for a range of non-commercial purposes.
- Trade for non-commercial purposes
- Conservation breeding or propagation
- Education
- Exchange of scientific specimens between registered scientific organisations
- Exhibitions
- Research
- Travelling exhibitions
Travelling with specimens as personal effects
Household pets
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