Moving bees interstate

The Livestock Disease Control Regulations 2017 specify restrictions on the introduction of:

• bees
• hives
• used beekeeping equipment
• bee products, including pollen

into Victoria from other parts of Australia.

Health requirements

Note: new health certificate forms have gone into effect from 1 October 2024.

All bees, bee products, bee collected pollen, used hive components and beekeeping equipment must:

• be from hives free of pests and diseases including notifiable diseases
• not be from a quarantine property or area
• not be from an area subject to restrictions on movements imposed by other jurisdictions.

To apply to introduce bees, bee products or used beekeeping fittings into Victoria the following  application forms, known as a health certificate must be completed:

• Introduction of bees (apiaries/colonies) and/or used beekeeping fittings into Victoria (WORD - 38.6 KB)
• Introduction of queen bees (including escorts, queen cells) and bee semen into Victoria (WORD - 42.6 KB)
• Introduction of bee products and/or fodder into Victoria (WORD - 42.4 KB)

A Multiple Shipment Health Certificate is now available for queen bee producers who are seeking to introduce multiple queens to Victoria.

All queens covered under the single certificate, must be shipped within the specified one-month period, and the destination details for all person’s receiving the queens must be provided with the application.

If you are importing queens, queen cells or semen into Victoria from overseas you must apply for a health certificate in addition to the Commonwealth Department Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries permit. For more information, visit our dedicated importation page.

If you have any queries regarding multiple shipment health certificates contact honeybee.biosecurity@agriculture.vic.gov.au.

For apiaries with 50 or more hives

You must now provide a honey culture test together with your health certificate application that is no greater than 12 months old.

Movement of honey and wax

Unprocessed honey and wax can be moved into Victoria providing Agriculture Victoria is notified via email at honeybee.biosecurity@agriculture.vic.gov.au

There is no restriction on the movement of processed honey or wax into Victoria.

Processed honey is defined as any honey that has undergone extraction, filtering to remove wax cappings and dead bees, decanting into clean containers and packaging in a facility that is inaccessible to bees.

Processed wax is defined as any wax that has undergone melting, filtering (to remove bees, brood, debris), rendering, packing into clean containers and packaging in a facility which is inaccessible to bees.

Movement of bees, bee products and used beekeeping equipment outside of Victoria

Each state or territory has their own requirements for the movement of bees, bee products and used beekeeping equipment.

The most up-to-date information about entry conditions, approval forms and requirements is on the government website of the state and territory you are seeking entry to.

If you are still unsure, please contact an Apiary Officer at honeybee.biosecurity@agriculture.vic.gov.au

Pollen used for feeding bees

You must provide an invoice or together with your health certificate to prove the pollen has been gamma irradiated at a minimum of 15 kilogray before its introduction to Victoria.

If irradiation is to occur immediately after introduction you must provide proof with your application.

In addition, there are conditions related to specific diseases and jurisdictions.

American foulbrood disease (AFB)

In addition to current movement restrictions, there are additional strict controls on importing items from hives affected by AFB into Victoria.

The following items must not be imported:

• bees, including queen cells, queen bees, escorts and packaged bees
• bee products.

The following items may only be imported after approval is granted by Agriculture Victoria and if labelled and treated as required:

• honey and beeswax must be sent directly to a processing plant
• pollen and used beekeeping fittings must be gamma irradiated at an approved plant.

The following form must be completed to seek approval before the introduction of any items from hives affected by AFB. Evidence of required treatments must be provided together with your application:

• Certification: Introduction of materials from a hive affected by American foulbrood disease into Victoria (WORD - 43.7 KB)

Important timelines

Health certificates must not be issued retrospectively for bees, bee products, pollen or used beekeeping fittings that have already entered Victoria.

An approved certificate must be provided to Agriculture Victoria:

• no longer than one month and no less than 72 hours before the introduction into Victoria of the bees, bee products, pollen or used beekeeping fittings or
• no longer than four months and no less than 72 hours before the introduction into Victoria of a queen bee, escorts, queen cell or  packaged bees.

Enquiries and where to submit completed health certificate application

All enquiries and completed application forms should be sent to honeybee.biosecurity@agriculture.vic.gov.au

Providing copies of the approved health certificate

A person who introduces any bees, bee products, pollen or used beekeeping fittings into Victoria must ensure that a copy of the certificate

• accompanies the bees, bee products, pollen or used beekeeping fittings, and
• is given to the consignee specified in the certificate.