A French national has been charged after allegedly trying to import 22kg of methamphetamine into Australia.

The 20-year-old man was stopped at Sydney Airport for a routine examination after arriving on a flight from Europe on July 20.

Australian Border Force officers subsequently found 22 vacuum-sealed bags with a clear crystalline substance hidden within his luggage.

Presumptive testing allegedly revealed a positive result for methamphetamine.

According to the Australian Federal Police (AFP), the seizure has an estimated street value of over $20 million.

The man was charged with one count of importing a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug and one count of possessing a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug.

Both offences carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

The man appeared in Downing Centre Local Court on July 21, where he was formally refused bail.

He will return to the same court on September 16.