Can you bring medication to New Zealand?

• Controlled medication

  depends on specifics

  Medicines that are controlled drugs under New Zealand's Misuse of Drugs Act must be declared on the New Zealand Traveller Declaration and are capped at one month's supply (versus three months for ordinary prescription medicines), carried in original packaging with a prescription copy or a doctor's letter confirming the treatment.

  Neither NZ Customs' nor Medsafe's traveller pages (as fetched in this pass) name which specific drugs count as 'controlled drugs' for this rule -- there's no breakdown by stimulant/benzodiazepine/opioid class or schedule number, unlike Thailand's or Canada's guidance for the same topic. Under NZ's Misuse of Drugs Act, amphetamine-type stimulants, benzodiazepines (diazepam, alprazolam, clonazepam) and many opioids (codeine above OTC strength, oxycodone, tramadol) are classified as controlled drugs, but that classification was not independently confirmed against a primary NZ legal source in this pass -- the Ministry of Health's controlled-drugs page returned an access error (403) when fetched. Verdict is marked 'depends' rather than 'allowed_with_limits' for that reason. Adderall and Vyvanse specifically were not checked and are omitted; treat their NZ status as unconfirmed.

  Also covers: controlled drug, narcotic medication, psychotropic medication, amphetamine, ritalin, methylphenidate, xanax, alprazolam, valium, diazepam, klonopin, clonazepam, codeine, oxycodone

  Checked 2026-09-13 — Source: New Zealand Customs Service -- Prohibited and restricted items: medicines

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Informational only — not legal advice. Customs rules change; confirm with the official source above before you travel. See update history