This isn’t the first time we’ve heard a story like this, and it almost certainly won’t be the last time either…
In this post:
Celebrity fined for not declaring flowers in Australia
Indian actress Navya Nair recently traveled to Australia for the Onam celebrations (a Hindu cultural festival), organized by the Malayali Association of Victoria. She flew from Kochi (COK) to Singapore (SIN) to Melbourne (MEL) in Singapore Airlines business class, and was traveling with a small jasmine flower garland, which was given to her by her dad.
Australia has some of the world’s strictest biosecurity laws, restricting the import of plant materials, food products, etc. The biggest issue was her failure to declare this, as she ticked “no” in the box about bringing in prohibited goods. So she ended up being fined 1,980 AUD (1,312 USD) for “knowingly producing a false or misleading document in compliance or purported compliance with the biosecurity act.”
She had a pretty good attitude about this whole situation, and shared the following:
“Before I came here, it was my father who bought jasmine for me. He cut it into two parts and gave it to me. He asked me to wear one in my hair from Kochi to Singapore, since it would wither by the time I reached. He told me to keep the second one in my handbag so I could wear it on the onward journey from Singapore. I put it in my carry bag,”
“What I did was against the law. It was a mistake I made unknowingly. However, ignorance is no excuse. For bringing a 15 centimer jasmine string, officials asked me to pay a fine of $1,980. A mistake is a mistake, though it was not intentional. They told me the fine must be paid within 28 days.”
Is Australia too strict, or just enforcing the rules?
Countries take varying approaches when it comes to the extent to which they enforce rules, and issue fines vs. warnings for first time offenders. It sure seems like Australia is one of the strictest countries in the world when it comes to fining people for things like this.
For example, a couple of years ago, I wrote about how a rather prolific airline geek flew Qatar Airways to Australia. She received a rose in the Qatar Airways lounge in Doha and traveled with it on her flight to Perth (PER). The exact same thing happened — she didn’t declare it, and ended up facing a huge fine.
I see both sides here. On the one hand, in all of these situations, it’s clearly an honest mistake, and bringing one flower into the country isn’t the same as arriving with a bag of cocaine.
At the same time, if Australia believes it’s important to keep plant materials out, and if people fill out binding government documents without actually carefully reading what they’re agreeing to, then I guess it’s not totally unreasonable that they’d try to hold people accountable for that.
After all, stories of people being fined for things like this probably increases awareness of the country’s regulations, which I imagine is the goal.
Bottom line
An Indian actress has been fined for entering Australia with a small jasmine flower garland, but failing to declare it. Australia has among the strictest biosecurity regulations in the world, and takes this kind of stuff seriously. So as wild as it might seem to fine someone so much for a little flower garland, this is pretty standard for the country.
It’s just a reminder to think twice regarding what you bring into Australia…
What do you make of this fine for bringing a flower garland into Australia — is it fair, or an overkill?
"Their Country = Their Rules" is not an argument
The biosecurity/customs officers are pretty chill IF you make a full declaration. As someone else has confirmed, it's been my experience that you never get fined for unwittingly bringing in banned items like jasmine flowers, or other things (UNLESS concealment or drugs/weapons are involved!). It's not these guys you have to worry about. It's the awful power-tripping Australian immigration officers who should concern you. They, along with their British counterparts are the roughest thugs in...
The biosecurity/customs officers are pretty chill IF you make a full declaration. As someone else has confirmed, it's been my experience that you never get fined for unwittingly bringing in banned items like jasmine flowers, or other things (UNLESS concealment or drugs/weapons are involved!). It's not these guys you have to worry about. It's the awful power-tripping Australian immigration officers who should concern you. They, along with their British counterparts are the roughest thugs in uniform I've encountered. American immigration officials I encounter are positively gentlemen (or at least disinterested!), compared to our own mob. And yes, I say this as an ozzie too!
Why is it that everyone can follow the very basic rules to protect the environment and behave peacefully when visiting Australia, except for Americans, Indians and Israelis?
Everytime at the airport (or in recent days at Bondi Beach) they think they know better, and believe rules do not apply to them.
OZ -- That's a pretty sweeping generalization. Do you have actual data showing nationality breakdowns for biosecurity violations, or is this just your personal impression? The government doesn't appear to publish those statistics, so claims about specific nationalities seem more like stereotyping than fact.
I'll give you the Americans - the rest is just vile racism
It is amazing how someone always ties Israelis or Jews into every topic, no matter how tenuous or lacking the argument is.
It's nice to finally see from other comments that a country's immigration laws are sacrosanct and must be respected, or harsh penalties are warranted. It seems to only apply to everywhere except the US for some reason though.
It’s not exactly like we hide the rules when someone flies in or on arrival. There are signs everywhere and multiple announcements made. The country is free from pests and agricultural diseases, and we’d like to keep it that way.
Cam -- The 2-minute video races through dozens of categories without meaningful distinction. When "plants, flowers or seeds" gets lumped with "rotting meat," it's not surprising people miss the connection to small cultural items.
Oh please, it does not get lumped together, those videos and announcements are pretty clear. Any reasonable person would realise that carrying flowers in would be an issue, cultural item or not.
Despite having heard them 3 times so far this year, they still make me think if I have something in my bag that I should not.
Also, I find the officers genuinely helpful. Even if you did not declare, but walk up...
Oh please, it does not get lumped together, those videos and announcements are pretty clear. Any reasonable person would realise that carrying flowers in would be an issue, cultural item or not.
Despite having heard them 3 times so far this year, they still make me think if I have something in my bag that I should not.
Also, I find the officers genuinely helpful. Even if you did not declare, but walk up and ask as you are suddenly in doubt, you get a very helpful attitude.
"The problem with Australians is not that so many of them are descended from convicts, but that so many of them are descended from prison officers."
Crocodile Dundee
Back in the 1late 970's Australian authorities took away a can of (cooked) chicken I had. No fine for not declaring it, tho.
If you are unsure, just declare it. You will NEVER be fined for declaring...so just do it. Their country, their rules, their laws and only logical for us to follow, I dont see any issues w that.
Blubot -- "Just declare it" only works for items you think about. Most people don't mentally catalog every possession as a potential biosecurity risk, especially culturally significant items like religious flowers.
A kiwi here, NZ has stricter bio security law as, but takes a far more pragmatic and reasonable approach to imposing penalties. Screening is typically far more thorough and fines are usually imposed only for purposeful concealments.
Rob -- Exactly right. New Zealand proves you can have strict biosecurity without punitive fines for obvious mistakes. Proportionate enforcement works better than revenue generation.
I hope their interaction at the airport Custom was captured by the TV show “Border Security.” I love watching this show on the UTube.
“ bringing one flower into the country isn’t the same as arriving with a bag of cocaine” - I think the Australian border control would agree and can assure you the consequences for importing a bag of cocaine would be much more severe
Of course it isnt the same. But its their country and their rules, they can do whatever they want and if we dont like to follow these rules then we get fined...or if we dont like them, then then dont travel. Simple as that.
Blubot -- Love the groupthink and smug dad mantra of "Their country, their rules" - which misses the point entirely. The issue isn't whether Australia can make rules, but whether $1,300 fines for honest cultural oversights are proportionate or effective
All you have to do is follow the rules. Actually reading the questions on the arrival card and thinking about your answers before you tick the boxes is good practice, and goes a long way to preventing incidents like this. If in doubt, declare it. The customs and quarantine staff are a lot more user-friendly to those who declare than they are to those who don't.
Exactly! Last year, my daughter and I went there via Fiji, where we received a small shell necklace at our hotel. I didn't know if it was ok to bring into Australia, so I declared it just to be safe. Turns out, it was the correct call. Their country = their rules. And it's not like this is a new thing.
Pete -- The arrival card asks about "plant material" without context. A reasonable person might not connect a small ceremonial flower to agricultural threats, especially when rushing through a 2-minute video that lists dozens of categories. Bit like the "You must declare any shoes or equipment with soil on them." That one is like asking all travelers to declare whether or not they have working spleens - most people do, and most wouldn't think to declare it.
Australia is weird: you can’t bring in fruit and vegetables in your pocket, but you can eat them an hour before landing, then crap them out into their sewer system at your hotel.
What’s the difference when it comes to spreading seeds from elsewhere???
Dunno, but they're doing seems to work.
Because your digestive system kills basically all the dangerous aspects of the fruit/seed…? Lol
It is then processed food.
I think these rules are indicative of how routine air travel has become that people forget what a novel thing it is. An honest mistake of not thinking about these rules could actually ruin the ecosystem of another country.
Also, pro-tip: If you have muddy hiking boots, declare them at customs in New Zealand or Australia and the customs agent will clean them for you.
I remember a few years ago on one of your flights that you had to throw something out because of Australia's strict regulations. I forgot exactly what exactly and when, but I do remember you mentioning something along those lines.
Moving on, a small pest can cause wreck the entire country's ecosystem as well as biodiversity. And that apple you eat? There can be a pest inside and once it gets loose, it can...
I remember a few years ago on one of your flights that you had to throw something out because of Australia's strict regulations. I forgot exactly what exactly and when, but I do remember you mentioning something along those lines.
Moving on, a small pest can cause wreck the entire country's ecosystem as well as biodiversity. And that apple you eat? There can be a pest inside and once it gets loose, it can cause damage in the millions if not billions.
So when in doubt, throw it out.
About eight years ago I was flying into Sydney and was scared senseless by the customs video which is shown prior to landing. I was carrying with me my prescription Adderall, and it was made very clear, that even with the prescription, I could be fined heavily or even jailed.
Not worth the risk - I destroyed my medication on the plane.
I feel like you have to be completely checked out not to...
About eight years ago I was flying into Sydney and was scared senseless by the customs video which is shown prior to landing. I was carrying with me my prescription Adderall, and it was made very clear, that even with the prescription, I could be fined heavily or even jailed.
Not worth the risk - I destroyed my medication on the plane.
I feel like you have to be completely checked out not to get the message about what is and what is not allowed into Australia. And that’s their right and I respect it.
Adderal is just fine in Australia with a prescription. It is not I many Asian countries (Japan, Singapore, Korea) some places you have to get a permit to bring it in, some places it’s completely prohibited.
It always pays to check, and make sure all medicines are in the original packaging with the pharmacy dispensing label attached. Naturally this should be the name that matches the one in your passport ;-).
Australia's $1,300 fine for a jasmine flower garland reveals bureaucracy at its most tone-deaf. Yes, biosecurity matters - but surely common sense should distinguish between a sentimental keepsake and genuine contraband. When the penalty for an elderly father's flower gift exceeds most speeding fines, the system has lost all sense of proportionality. A brief educational chat and confiscation would achieve the same deterrent effect without the Kafkaesque cruelty.
"A brief educational chat..."
Obviously you've never been to Australia.
There is a five minute "chat" (video) BEFORE LANDING, TELLING EVERYONE NOT TO BRING IN VEGETATION.
But never having arrived into Oz, you wouldn't have known that.
TravelinWilly -- Your assumption that I’ve never been to Australia is wrong. And the in-flight biosecurity video is 2 minutes and 18 seconds long, not 5 minutes.
In that short span it races through fruit, vegetables, spices, grains, meat, eggs, dairy, plants, flowers, seeds, wood, and animal products - then barrels on to soil, shoes, farms, illness, and penalties. A traveler with a 15 cm jasmine garland could easily miss that their festival flower is...
TravelinWilly -- Your assumption that I’ve never been to Australia is wrong. And the in-flight biosecurity video is 2 minutes and 18 seconds long, not 5 minutes.
In that short span it races through fruit, vegetables, spices, grains, meat, eggs, dairy, plants, flowers, seeds, wood, and animal products - then barrels on to soil, shoes, farms, illness, and penalties. A traveler with a 15 cm jasmine garland could easily miss that their festival flower is treated like rotting meat or animal fur.
The pace and lack of nuance explain why honest mistakes happen. It’s absurd to impose punitive rules for declarations that wouldn’t occur to most people — for example, “declare any shoes or equipment with soil on them.” Does that include obvious dirt, or invisible particles picked up from everyday urban walking?
And “not sure? declare it” isn’t a real solution - people don’t travel with an exhaustive itemized list of all their items, and grey-area items aren’t obvious from the video or customs forms.
That similar cases keep recurring suggests the messaging is failing. Penalizing people $1,300 when your own education tool doesn’t prevent cultural oversights isn’t good governance - it’s bureaucracy posing as effectiveness.
Mate, seriously just piss off.
Every airline that flies into Australia must screen a video just before descent onto Australian soil about what to do, snd what not to do, regarding Australian biosecurity. Every pax is given a paper (for the time being) declaration where they are asked very clear questions regarding biosecurity compliance. As they exit into the quarantine halls, there are massive bins and signs with pics of food, wood and flowers...
Mate, seriously just piss off.
Every airline that flies into Australia must screen a video just before descent onto Australian soil about what to do, snd what not to do, regarding Australian biosecurity. Every pax is given a paper (for the time being) declaration where they are asked very clear questions regarding biosecurity compliance. As they exit into the quarantine halls, there are massive bins and signs with pics of food, wood and flowers as a last-minute option, telling pax, “If in doubt, declare it”, or, “If in doubt, bin it”. Our farmers’ families and their entire livelihoods, and indeed our country’s precious foodbowl, are totally dependent upon remaining pest-free.
Our country, our rules; OK?
NathanJ — The hostility isn’t warranted, but let’s address your points.
Yes, Australia has videos, forms, bins, and signs. The question isn’t whether they exist, but whether they prevent honest mistakes or just generate fines. The video lists “wood” with no context — is that jewelry, a pen, an umbrella handle? The forms say “shoes with soil” — clumps of dirt, or just dust from walking down a street? Those aren’t clear distinctions.
Bins and...
NathanJ — The hostility isn’t warranted, but let’s address your points.
Yes, Australia has videos, forms, bins, and signs. The question isn’t whether they exist, but whether they prevent honest mistakes or just generate fines. The video lists “wood” with no context — is that jewelry, a pen, an umbrella handle? The forms say “shoes with soil” — clumps of dirt, or just dust from walking down a street? Those aren’t clear distinctions.
Bins and “if in doubt” signs only help people who already suspect something might be a problem. They don’t help someone who doesn’t realize a small cultural flower counts the same as bulk agricultural imports.
Nobody disputes the need to protect farmers. The real question is whether a $1,300 fine for a 15 cm jasmine garland is effective biosecurity or bureaucratic overreach. New Zealand enforces stricter laws but uses proportionate penalties for first-time, harmless mistakes.
And in a discussion about reasonableness, “our country, our rules” isn’t a defense — it’s just avoidance.
These are valuable regulations for the protection of native species. Heck if we paid more attention in the US, we would have been spared of the invasive china berry and other plants I curse every time I weed my garden. Many countries offer certified flowers that can be exported