Permit requirements for collecting insects in Australia

Do I need a collecting permit or can ANIC provide me with one?

ANIC cannot provide you with a collecting permit. You will need to apply for a collecting permit from the state or territory you plan to visit while in Australia. Each region manages their own permitting and the conditions vary from state to state. ANIC cannot provide you with a collecting permit.

The following links provide more information on how to apply for collecting permits from each state and territory:

• Queensland:
  • National Parks permits
  • State Forests permits
• New South Wales:
  • Forests NSW
  • NSW Environment and Heritage  
• Victoria:
  • Parks Victoria
• Australian Capital Territory:
  • Project approval and scientific licence
• South Australia:
  • National Parks permits
  • State Forests permits
• Tasmania:
  • National Parks permits
• Western Australia:
  • WA has particularly stringent regulations around collecting and removing wildlife from the state borders. We strongly advise you contact a licensing officer as early as possible when planning your trip.
  • Fauna licences - Department of Parks and Wildlife
• Northern Territory
  • Permits - Parks and Wildlife Commission NT
  • Some areas of the NT are designated as aboriginal-owned land and visitors are not permitted to enter these areas without an appropriate permit.
• The Australian Alps National Parks:
  • The eleven national parks and reserves that make up the Australian Alsps National Parks cross state and territory boundaries. You will need the appropriate partner to contact for your trip. Contact the Australian Alps Cooperative Program

Do I need an export permit?

If you intend to permanently remove the specimens from Australia and lodge them in an overseas institution you will need to apply for an export permit. Details on the procedure for applying for an export permit can be found on the Federal department of environment research pages.

If you wish to borrow the specimens for a period of time and then return them for lodging in an Australian institution, such as ANIC, you will not require an export permit.

Before specimens can be exchanged your institution will need to be registered either with CITES or the Federal department of environment.

Please note that any native Australian specimen that is described and designated as a Type (holotype or paratype) must be lodged in an approved Australian institution.

Approved institutions include the ANIC, as well as the state and territory museums. Australian Type specimens must not be lodged in an overseas institution.