Export permits

You might need a permit to take trophies, sporting objects and memorabilia that are more than 30 years old out of Australia. This is because they could be Australian protected objects.

You also need an export permit for a trophy that will be awarded to the winner of an international competition.

If you expect the winning team to take their trophy back to their home country, you will need to apply for an export permit beforehand. If you don’t arrange this in advance, the trophy could be forfeited by law. Its ownership then passes to the Commonwealth.

Make sure you leave enough time to arrange an export permit as the process can take many months.

Certificates of exemption

You can apply for a certificate of exemption for sporting objects, such as trophies, that will be brought into Australia temporarily for an international competition. If the object is important to Australia but might need to leave the country after the competition, you may need a certificate of exemption for it to be re-exported.

Make sure you leave enough time to arrange for a certificate of exemption. Without a certificate of exemption, you would need to apply for an export permit for the object to leave Australia.