🍵 Loose-leaf tea

Loose-leaf tea is a dry solid and passes through security screening without any restriction at all checkpoints worldwide. Screeners may occasionally open a bag of tea for a visual check if the granular texture creates an unusual X-ray image, but you will always be waved through. There are no quantity limits at security.

Australia and New Zealand treat dried plant material — including tea leaves — as a potential biosecurity risk, since plant pests and diseases can survive in dried plant matter. You must declare all plant-based products on arrival. Commercially sealed, manufactured tea is almost always cleared after inspection, but homemade blends or unfamiliar herbal mixes may be refused. The US also requires declaration of plant products, though enforcement for commercial tea is generally less strict.

Confiscation at security is not something that happens with loose-leaf tea anywhere in the world — it is a security-permitted item. Confiscation can happen at arrival biosecurity if you fail to declare it when required. If a biosecurity officer questions your tea, present it openly, explain it is commercially purchased tea, and show the original packaging if you have it. Declaring it is always the right move.

Keep loose-leaf tea in its original sealed packaging wherever possible, as this helps both security screeners and customs officers identify the product quickly. If you have decanted it into a tin or pouch, a label indicating the type and origin is helpful at customs. There are no security-specific packing requirements — it does not need to go in a liquids bag.