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Export documentation

Some customs authorities or importers require additional certification for wine imports

Refer to the Export Market Guides for country specific information. Wine Australia is authorised to issue VI-1 documents for exports to the European Union and United Kingdom and Certificates of Origin for most markets. Wine Australia can also issue Certificates of Free Sale.

Exporters can apply for most export documents online via Wine Australia Licensing and Approval System (WALAS). Please refer to the applicable fees.

Proof of Origin

Origin documentation, including Certificates of Origin and Declarations of Origin, may be required for grape products exported from Australia, either to certify origin for non-preferential trade purposes or to support a claim for preferential tariff treatment under an Australian Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

Certificates of Origin and Declarations of Origin

A preferential Proof of Origin is used to support a claim for preferential tariff treatment under an Australian FTA. Depending on the FTA, a preferential Proof of Origin may be:

a Certificate of Origin issued by an authorised issuing body
a Certificate of Origin completed by an authorised exporter, producer or importer, where permitted by the relevant FTA, or
a Declaration of Origin completed by an authorised exporter, producer or other authorised person in accordance with the relevant FTA.

A preferential Proof of Origin provides customs officials with evidence that the grape product satisfies the relevant FTA Rules of Origin and qualifies for preferential tariff treatment.

In contrast, a non-preferential Proof of Origin certifies the country of origin of a grape product but cannot be used to claim preferential tariff treatment under an FTA. It may be required for customs clearance, regulatory, statistical or other trade administration purposes.

WALAS can be used to obtain:

non-preferential Certificates of Origin; and
preferential Certificates of Origin issued under the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA).

Other authorised issuers accredited under Australia's FTA Certificate of Origin Recognition Scheme also provide a range of preferential and non-preferential certificates. For more information, see the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s (DFAT) guidance on obtaining a Certificate of Origin.

Rules of Origin

Rules of Origin determine whether a good qualifies as originating under an FTA and is eligible for preferential tariff treatment. For wine and grape products, originating means that the grape product, and any materials remaining in the final grape product, satisfy the applicable Rules of Origin.

As Rules of Origin vary between Australia's FTAs, exporters should ensure the requirements of the relevant agreement are met before making an origin claim in a preferential Proof of Origin. This includes selecting the appropriate origin criterion, which identifies how a grape product qualifies as originating under the FTA, for example, as Wholly Obtained (WO) or under a Product Specific Rule (PSR). Any origin criterion specified under the relevant FTA, including a PSR, may support a claim for preferential tariff treatment, provided the grape product satisfies the applicable Rules of Origin.

Exporters are responsible for ensuring the origin criterion stated in the Proof of Origin is correct and supported by sufficient documentary evidence. Customs officials may request this evidence as part of an origin verification process. Where sufficient evidence is unavailable, exporters should seek additional information or reconsider whether preferential tariff treatment can be claimed.

A WO claim should only be used where all materials remaining in the final grape product originate in Australia. Where foreign materials, such as imported additives, remain in the final grape product, another origin criterion may be more appropriate. Depending on the FTA, this may include a PSR, such as a Change in Tariff Classification (CTC) requirement.

The origin criterion stated in a Proof of Origin is used solely to determine eligibility for preferential tariff treatment under the relevant FTA. The use of a PSR does not mean that a grape product is not of Australian origin or Australian made.

Guidance on the use of WO and PSRs, including CTC requirements, is available at Step 2 of DFAT's webpage on how to take advantage of FTA tariff rates.

Australia’s Free Trade Agreements

The following list outlines Australia's bilateral and plurilateral FTAs and includes links to the relevant FTA texts, Rules of Origin and tariff schedules that may apply to Australian grape products:

Please note, under some plurilateral FTAs, tariff commitments for eligible grape products vary between Parties. Eligibility for preferential tariff treatment should therefore be assessed on a market-by-market basis.

For further information on tariff rates and Rules of Origin under Australia's FTAs, visit the DFAT FTA Portal.

Certificates of Free Sale

A Certificate of Free Sale certifies that wine can be legally sold freely without restrictions in Australia (subject to State Licensing Laws) and is approved by Australian regulatory authorities. Certificates of Free Sale can be obtained through WALAS and other accredited bodies.

China-Australia Free Trade Agreement

Wine Australia is an authorised body under ChAFTA to issue Certificates of Origin for wine. On 1 July 2026, Wine Australia transitioned to issuing electronically signed, dated and stamped Portable Document Format (PDF) ChAFTA Certificates of Origin via WALAS to streamline the export documentation process for Australian wine exports to China. Physical signing and stamping of ChAFTA Certificates of Origin have ceased; however, exporters may still request printed certificates through WALAS.

PDF ChAFTA Certificates of Origin, developed to meet the requirements of the ChAFTA certificate template, are the official format issued by Wine Australia for exports of Australian wine to China. To support the transition, Wine Australia worked with DFAT to notify relevant Chinese authorities of the change in certificate format.

For information about China's self-registration and labelling requirements, please refer to the China Export Market Guide.

VI-1 documents for the EU and the UK

VI-1 documents are required for imports to the EU, including in relation to products exported from Australia to the UK, and subsequently re-exported to the EU. In these circumstances, the process is that Wine Australia will provide a VI-1 certificate to the exporter, and a second VI-1 will need to be obtained from the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) in the UK and provided to the EU customs authority.

Exporters must obtain a VI-1 analysis report for each product destined for the EU.

The analysis can be obtained from any NATA-accredited laboratory.

The analytes required for the VI-1 document differ for packaged and bulk wine and include the following parameters:

Analytical parameter	Packaged	Bulk
Total alcoholic strength – % v/v		♦
Actual alcoholic strength – % v/v	♦	♦
Total dry extract – g/L		♦
Total acidity – g/L	♦	♦
Volatile acidity – meq/L		♦
Citric acidity – g/L		♦
Sulphur dioxide – mg/L	♦	♦

You do not need a VI-1 document for wines exported from Australia to the EU that is:

labelled containers of not more than five litres fitted with a non-reusable closing device where the total quantity transported, whether or not made up of separate consignments, does not exceed 100 litres
in quantities not exceeding 30 litres per traveller contained in the personal luggage of travellers
in quantities of not exceeding 30 litres, sent in consignments from one private individual to another
forms part of the belongings of private individuals who are moving house
for trade fairs - provided that the products in question are put up in labelled containers of not more than two litres fitted with a non-reusable closing device
imported for the purpose of scientific or technical experiments, subject to a maximum of 100 litres
or bound for diplomatic, consular or similar establishments and imported as part of their duty-free allowance
held on board international means of transport as victualling supplies

Organic Goods Certificate

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry administers the export organic program for the organic and biodynamic sector in Australia.

Australia’s agricultural export legislation comprises the Export Control Act 2020 (Cth) and the Export Control (Organic Goods) Rules 2021 (Cth) (Organic Rules). Under the Organic Rules, the export from Australia of goods described as ‘organic’, ‘biodynamic’ (or indication of similar meaning, including ‘biological’, ‘ecological’ and ‘in-conversion to organic or biodynamic’) in a wine’s description and presentation is considered an organic claim. Wines with organic claims require an Organic Goods Certificate (OGC) issued by an approved certifying body prior to export. It is an offence to export a product labelled as organic or biodynamic in the absence of an OGC and significant penalties apply.

Exporters of organic wine must upload an OGC to WALAS prior to gaining shipping approval.

Most markets including China, Japan, South Korea, the United States of America, Canada, the EU and UK have specific requirements for organic products that must be met to ensure market access.

Wine Australia has published an Organic Wine Export Requirements Guide.

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