Freight & Trade Alliance (FTA) and the Australian Peak Shippers Association (APSA) wish to inform members of important upcoming changes announced by the Department of Home Affairs regarding the renewal of its Gatekeeper certificate.
The Department's existing Gatekeeper certificate will expire on 24 August 2025, and a new certificate will be introduced, valid until 2027.
Following is the Department's transition schedule:
Test Period – ~12:30 am 30 July to 12:30 am 6 August 2025:
- ICS Test messages sent from Home Affairs will be signed with the new certificate
- ICS Production messages sent from Home Affairs will continue to be signed with the current certificate
- ICS Test and ICS Production messages sent to Homes Affairs may both be encrypted with either the current or new certificate
Final Cutover – from ~12:30 am 6 August 2025 onwards: - All messages sent from Home Affairs will be signed with the new certificate
- All messages sent to Home Affairs must be encrypted with the new certificate
The new certificate's public key will be available on the ABF website by approximately 21 July 2025, on the same page as the current public key:
ABF Digital Certificates Page — look under the "Department of Home Affairs public key" heading.
Please also see ACN number 2025/18.
In addition, the ABF will issue an Australian Customs Notice (ACN) in due course to formally outline these changes.
FTA/APSA strongly encourage members to review this change carefully, coordinate with their IT teams, and prepare for testing ahead of the final cutover date. |