AICIS registration: who must register, fees and key checks
AICIS registration generally applies to industrial chemical importers and manufacturers in Australia. Check 2026-27 fees and registration requirements.
AICIS registration for importers and manufacturers
A business generally needs AICIS registration before importing or manufacturing industrial chemicals for commercial purposes in Australia. You register the business with the Australian Industrial Chemicals Introduction Scheme (AICIS), not each chemical or product. That registration is not an approval of the chemicals or products (who must register). In 2026-27 the total is A$85 to A$3,585, based on the value of introductions in the previous financial year (AICIS fees).
Who must register with AICIS
Businesses of any size, including sole traders, can need this chemical registration. AICIS lists cosmetics, shampoo, soap, adhesives, paint and engine oil as products that can bring a business into scope. There is no general minimum quantity. Small businesses and low volumes are not automatically exempt. And if another company already imported the same chemical, that doesn't cover your own imports (AICIS, who must register).
Some activities don't trigger registration on their own. Reselling or relabelling products you bought from an Australian supplier is one. Blending only Australian-sourced ingredients, with no chemical reaction and no new chemical made, is another. Import a single ingredient yourself, though, and that import is a separate introduction that can need registration (AICIS, making products).
An Australian agent or distributor that imports is the introducer. A foreign seller that deals directly with Australian customers may be the introducer itself, and then it must register. Foreign companies register with an ARBN; if they can't get one, AICIS points them to an Australian agent or distributor (AICIS, foreign companies). Check who the introducer is for each arrangement. An Australian customer who imports cosmetics to resell at a profit is treated differently from one buying for personal use (AICIS, cosmetics).
Soap makers often ask about kilogram limits. Qualifying Australian saponification of Inventory-listed fats and oils, at no more than 10 kg of each fat or oil per registration year, can be an excluded introduction. If every introduction you make is excluded, you don't need to register. A separate pathway at up to 100 kg of each fat or oil is an exempted introduction, which still needs registration, records and an annual declaration (AICIS, soap). Both limits count fats and oils, not finished soap. Check imported ingredients and additives separately.
How to register through AICIS Business Services
You register online through AICIS Business Services. The steps, per the AICIS how to register page:
- Create a Business Services account and enter your business details.
- Set up your login credentials.
- Select Registration, then Register now.
- Enter the value of your relevant introductions.
- Submit and pay.
After processing, AICIS emails confirmation and you can download a certificate. Most Australian businesses use an ABN. A permitted option exists for small businesses without an active ABN. Register before importing or manufacturing, not just before selling. Registration expires on 31 August, even if you registered partway through the year. AICIS does not pro-rate registration (AICIS, how to register). The current registration year runs from 1 September 2026 to 31 August 2027 (AICIS, register now for 2026-27).
AICIS registration fees for 2026-27
Your tier depends on the value of industrial chemicals you introduced in the previous financial year. For 2026-27, that means introductions from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026. A first-time registrant with no introductions in that period is Level 1 (AICIS, register now for 2026-27).
Each total is an A$85 registration fee plus a levy. GST does not apply (AICIS fees).
| Level | Introduction value, previous financial year | Levy | Total payable |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $0 to $49,999 | $0 | $85 |
| 2 | $50,000 to $99,999 | $10 | $95 |
| 3 | $100,000 to $249,999 | $20 | $105 |
| 4 | $250,000 to $499,999 | $35 | $120 |
| 5 | $500,000 to $2,999,999 | $210 | $295 |
| 6 | $3,000,000 to $4,999,999 | $375 | $460 |
| 7 | $5,000,000 to $14,999,999 | $2,450 | $2,535 |
| 8 | $15,000,000 or higher | $3,500 | $3,585 |
Use the value of your chemical introductions. Turnover, sales and profit don't count. AICIS has separate calculators for importing, manufacturing and both, so pick the one that matches your business. For imports, that calculator uses customs value, insurance, freight and customs duty (AICIS, how much registration costs).
Don't budget from this table for next year. The 2026-27 levies for Levels 2 to 8 carry a one-off discount, and AICIS says levies return to 2025-26 levels with indexation in 2027-28 (AICIS, fees and charges 2026-27). Other services, such as assessment applications, have their own fees.
How to check if a business is registered
AICIS publishes each registered business's name and registration number. Ask your supplier for both, then look them up in the official Register of Industrial Chemical Introducers. If the entry or its registration period is unclear, contact AICIS.
A register entry covers the business. It does not authorise every ingredient or prove full compliance. AICIS does not test or approve products. A missing entry isn't proof of unlawful trading either. If the search fails, try again or contact AICIS. A supplier that only resells Australian-sourced goods may not need to register.
People searching for an "Australian chemical register" sometimes mean the Australian Inventory of Industrial Chemicals. That Inventory lists chemical identities and their conditions. You check each ingredient in a mixture separately. It is not the business register. You still categorise each introduction, for example as listed, exempted, reported, assessed or commercial evaluation (AICIS, basics).
Renewal and the annual declaration
Renewal and the annual declaration are separate jobs. Registration expires on 31 August. Renew through your existing account before introducing chemicals in the new registration year. Keep your value calculations and commercial documents for at least five years. Reasonable estimates are allowed, but AICIS can audit them (AICIS, renew).
The annual declaration covers the previous September to August registration year and is due by 30 November. So introductions from 1 September 2025 to 31 August 2026 must be declared by 30 November 2026. The declaration has no fee. Submit it through the Annual Declaration tile. A Did not introduce option exists. Small quantities and finished packaged products don't remove the duty (AICIS, annual declaration).
What happened to NICNAS registration
AICIS replaced NICNAS on 1 July 2020. Existing NICNAS registrations moved across and kept their IDs (AICIS fact sheet, 2020), but you still renew every year under AICIS. Do not use old NICNAS registration forms. Old NICNAS exemptions stopped authorising introductions after 31 August 2022, and they are not the same as an AICIS exempted introduction (AICIS, NICNAS exemptions).
RegAffairs AI answered whether a business needs AICIS registration and how to check a register entry, with links to the sources it used.