On 16 December 2025, the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry received preliminary reports of outbreaks of FMD on the island of Cyprus. The department is actively monitoring the outbreaks and has conducted a risk assessment, and determined that, as a precautionary measure, the island of Cyprus should no longer be considered free from FMD from 8 November 2025.

To manage the biosecurity risk to Australia, Cyprus has been removed from the FMD-free country list, List of countries for natural casings derived from animals, the list of countries approved for cervine fluids and tissues and the list of countries approved for camelid fluids and tissues.

Impacted goods include:

• Dairy* that is sourced, manufactured or exported from Cyprus.

• Halloumi that is not ripened for 30 days and reaches a pH of 6 or below that is sourced, manufactured or exported from Cyprus.

• Personal dairy and meat food items imported as passenger personal effects or through the mail into Australia from Cyprus.

• Reproductive material derived from cattle, sheep, goats, zoo bovids, giraffe or elephants sourced or exported from Cyprus.

• Veterinary therapeutics containing ingredients derived from bovine, porcine, ovine, caprine, cervine or camelid animals domiciled in Cyprus.

• Pet food and stock feed containing or derived from bovine, porcine, ovine, caprine, cervine or camelid materials sourced from animals domiciled in Cyprus.

• Laboratory goods containing cervine and camelid fluids and tissues (including but not limited to test kits, animal fluids and tissues, culture media, environmental samples and other laboratory materials) sourced from Cyprus.

*Note: solid chocolate (including imitation chocolate), ripened cheese and goods containing less than 10% dairy for human consumption can continue to be imported into Australia from the island of Cyprus.

The department will contact individual import permit holders shortly to advise them on ongoing arrangements for their import permits.

Any goods in transit will be held and assessed on a case-by-case basis. Generally, product manufactured prior to the 8 November 2025 may be released from biosecurity control if suitable evidence can be supplied to biosecurity officers.

Product manufactured (or collected) after 8 November 2025 may not be permitted entry into Australia and may be directed for re-export or destruction. Importers and brokers that are unsure of the status of their goods should contact imports@aff.gov.au for advice before arranging for the export of any product to Australia.

Please contact the department by phone 1800 900 090 or email to imports@aff.gov.au if you have any questions.

Thank you

The DDWL Team

Story courtesy of IFCBAA & DAFF

Photos courtesy of DAFF