Will you need to RE-APPLY for your customs brokers licence? (NNF 2015/079)

The Australian Customs and Border Protection Service (ACBPS) confirmed today that despite many Customs notices and communication by the CBFCA to members on a number of occasions, there are a large number of customs brokers licence renewals (both corporate and individual) that have, as of COB 29 June 2015, either not had the fees paid with clear funds, or the application for renewal received. While the ACBPS has advised that their staff worked late last night to process what could be done, as the ACPBS ceases to exist tonight, the accounts and finance area of the ACBPS has been closed as of COB last night.  Broker licensing therefore do not have access to the system as of today.

AT PRESENT THIS MEANS THAT THE LICENCE HOLDER WILL HAVE TO APPLY FOR A NEW CUSTOMS BROKERS LICENCE (CORPORATE OR INDIVIDUAL) AND THE MATTER WILL BE TAKEN AS A NEW APPLICATION WITH EACH APPLICATION BEING CONSIDERED BASED ON THE CRITERIA IN PLACE, WITH REFERRALS TO THE NATIONAL CUSTOMS BROKERS LICENSING ADVISORY COMMITTEE (NCBLAC) IF DEEMED NECESSARY.

The CBFCA has been working with ACBPS to ensure that customs broker licenses that are currently not renewed are able to be renewed as soon as possible. The following notice has been received from the ACBPS. If you have already paid, but you have not yet forwarded on to the ACBPS your application for renewal to ensure both corporate and individual licenses, you  need to do so via email before COB today. This because it has come to the attention of the CBFCA, in certain circumstances while payment has been made, the appropriate renewal documentation has not been returned to the ACBPS.

Notice received from ACBPS:

"As notified in Australian Customs and Border Protection Notice No. 2015/01 (and re-iterated in various messages by the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service and industry associations) completed renewal applications for a customs broker licence were to be accepted up until close of business on Monday, 29 June 2015 (the due date).  The Notice noted that “Any customs broker electing to pay their renewal fee by cheque or BPay should take into account the delay in processing such payments and that such payments made towards the end of June 2015 may not be cleared by the due date.  Where a payment is not cleared by the due date, the renewal application will be considered to be incomplete and will not be processed”.

The ACBPS has renewed those customs broker licences where cleared funds were received by close of business, 29 June 2015.

There are a large number of renewal applications for a customs broker licence, both corporate and nominee, for which payments either were not received or not cleared by the due date of close of business, Monday, 29 June 2015.

The ACBPS has decided that it will accept renewal applications for a customs broker licence up until the end of today, 30 June 2015 (by email to [email protected]) as long as the renewal fee is paid by no later than the end of tomorrow, 1 July 2015.  As a renewed licence cannot be issued until the funds for that application have cleared, it is recommended that late renewal fees be paid only by CASH.  If a renewal fee is not paid by cash, the licence cannot be renewed until the funds have cleared.

Anyone who has not yet had their licence renewed (due to their funds not being cleared by close of business on 29 June 2015) will need to provide evidence, by email to [email protected] and [email protected], that their renewal fee has been paid by 1 July 2015 otherwise their licence cannot be renewed.

It should be noted that the late lodgement of an application and the late payment of a renewal fee may result in a delay in the processing of that application and may necessitate the creation of a new (replacement) licence number."


The CBFCA will continue to liaise with the ACBPS to achieve the best possible outcome for affected members. In summary,

• If you have not sent your renewal do so before COB TODAY by email to broker licensing
• If you have not paid your renewal do so before COB today at Customs House in CASH (at latest by COB July 1)

CBFCA Team