The Bizarre Reason Two McDonald's McMuffins Cost More Than $1,800

Australia is known for being strict when it comes to point-of-entry regulations. During the pandemic, the nation has had some of the most stringent requirements on the planet. Although things have relaxed these days, earlier this year, tennis star Novak Djokovic was unceremoniously kicked out of the country and not allowed to play in the Australian Open because he was not vaccinated against COVID-19, a decision that made international headlines (per ABC News).

Now, the country is again making headlines for its inbound air travel regulations. Recently, a woman was fined for failing to declare a Subway sandwich on her Incoming Passenger Card, says Food & Wine. As part of the country's stringent biosecurity efforts, a passenger must declare any food items they're bringing into the country by air, which is done to avoid the introduction of diseases, damaging pests, or other related risks. As a result, "Certain food items brought into Australia, even small amounts or ingredients for cooking, need to be declared," says Australian Border Force. Well, a McDonald's patron apparently didn't get the memo about the Subway infraction, which has also landed them in hot water.

A passenger traveling to Australia from Bali, Indonesia probably just wanted a little something to enjoy during their travels. But instead, they got a lot more than they bargained for. The passenger reportedly brought two egg and beef sausage McMuffins — and a ham croissant — into the country without declaring the items on their Incoming Passenger Card, per CNN. The resulting infraction cost the passenger, to the tune of $2,664 Australian dollars — or about $1,800 in the U.S.

Australia recently instituted even tougher biosecurity rules and regulations since Bali has reported an outbreak of the highly contagious Foot and Mouth Disease (via CNN). Since many Australian tourists frequent the picturesque area, the government is focused on preventing the disease from spreading through air travel into the country. 

Intentional or not, it's a steep price to pay for breaking the country's air travel rules. Unfortunately for the traveler, no word yet on whether McDonald's will send over gift cards and swag to offset the fee, as Subway did for a passenger who didn't declare her sandwich upon arrival last month (per Food & Wine).