{"id":7760,"date":"2026-10-07T01:04:02","date_gmt":"2026-10-07T05:04:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/?p=7760"},"modified":"2026-10-08T04:35:39","modified_gmt":"2026-10-08T08:35:39","slug":"tsp-lite","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/tsp-lite\/","title":{"rendered":"Australia TSP Lite Explained"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you’re flying into Australia, you’ll need a Transport Security Program (TSP)<\/a> approval – and for international operators, getting one can be a tedious, doc-heavy process. But the good news is that there is a TSP-Lite version that you can apply for!<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Dept of Home Affairs calls this a “Secretary-Issued TSP<\/em> – a simplified way for operators who meet certain criteria to apply for a TSP”. The application is much shorter than the standard TSP process.<\/p>\n

It’s aimed at operators who are only flying to Australia now and then, rather than running a regular operation. The Department will review your operation and let you know whether TSP Lite is available or a full TSP is needed.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Do you qualify for the TSP-Lite?<\/strong><\/h6>\n

Yes, if you can answer YES to all of these questions (the first two are the big ones):<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Your flights are private or charter operations and not operated on a fixed schedule or route<\/strong>; and<\/li>\n
  2. You do not have temporary or permanent operational facilities<\/strong> in Australia; and<\/li>\n
  3. You do not allow passengers or aircraft operator staff to enter the landside security zone (sterile area) of a security controlled airport; and<\/li>\n
  4. You do not allow passengers or aircraft operator staff to mix with other passengers of prescribed air services in airside areas; and<\/li>\n
  5. You do not transport persons in custody.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    Start Your Application<\/strong><\/h6>\n

    Complete the Application for Foreign Irregular and Intermittent Aircraft Operator form<\/a>, including its 3 attachments (explained below) and send it to national.coordinator@homeaffairs.gov.au<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    What goes in the 3 attachments?<\/strong><\/h6>\n

    The form itself is pretty straightforward, but there’s a bit of hassle with the 3 attachments which basically tell the Department who you are, what you’re planning to do in Australia, and who is looking after security.<\/p>\n

    Attachment A: your operator and key contacts<\/h4>\n

    Tell them who the operator is and who they should deal with. You’ll need to nominate a Security Contact Officer and an alternate. The Security Contact Officer needs to be your own employee with operational control – not some random agent or ground handler.<\/p>\n

    Use the legal operator’s company email address for these contacts where possible. Just recently, an OPSGROUP member found that mixing personal and company email addresses created unnecessary delay.<\/em><\/p>\n

    Attachment B: aircraft and planned operation<\/h4>\n

    This is where you tell them what you’re actually planning to do.<\/p>\n

    Give them some useful detail: the aircraft you’ll use, what sort of flying you’re doing, how often you expect to visit Australia, and your likely routing and arrival airports, etc.<\/p>\n

    In other words, don’t just write \u201cprivate flight to Sydney\u201d and leave it at that!<\/p>\n

    Attachment C: how security is managed<\/h4>\n

    This one is basically – who is responsible for security, and what do they actually do?<\/p>\n

    A short description\/table\/organisation chart is fine. Also use job titles rather than individual names.<\/p>\n

    One member said they were also asked for a management chart identifying the Safety Officer.<\/em> The form asks for a Security Contact Officer, so make sure both roles are clear if they’re separate, or explain how one person covers both!<\/p>\n

    Before you press send<\/strong><\/h6>\n

    One thing to watch – tech stops!<\/p>\n

    One member was asked how the aircraft would be kept secure while on the ground.<\/em><\/p>\n

    So if you’re planning to use remote or unfamiliar airports – be ready to explain where the aircraft will park, who can access it, and what security will be in place until departure.<\/p>\n

    Apply early<\/strong><\/h6>\n

    Expect the process to take at least 60 days.<\/strong><\/p>\n

    One member said they applied less than 60 days before departure and received approval only shortly before departure after being asked for more info.<\/em> An expedite helped in that case, but it may not always work.<\/p>\n

    So apply as soon as you know the core operation! You can update the Department if things change, but getting a complete application in early is the much safer option.<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

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    If you’re flying into Australia, you’ll need a Transport Security Program (TSP) approval – and…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":51,"featured_media":31820,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[76,1380,1379,1378],"class_list":["post-7760","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-briefings","tag-australia","tag-transport-security-program","tag-tsp","tag-yzzz"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7760","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/51"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7760"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7760\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31821,"href":"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7760\/revisions\/31821"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31820"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7760"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7760"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7760"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}