Can you bring Xanax to Australia?

• Controlled medication

  allowed, within limits

  Australia's traveller's exemption lets you bring up to 3 months' supply of your prescription medicine, and the Office of Drug Control confirms this covers Schedule 8-type medicines too: 'Prescription medicines such as morphine, oxycodone, methadone, methylphenidate, Adderall, and benzodiazepines are all covered by the traveller exemption.' Codeine-containing medication is also covered but 'requires a prescription from your medical doctor.' You need a valid prescription or a doctor's letter stating the medicine name and dosage, and the medicine should stay in its original packaging with the dispensing label intact; declare everything to the Australian Border Force on arrival.

  If you need more than 3 months' worth, ODC's guidance points to either getting a new prescription from an Australian-registered prescriber, or importing a further 3-month supply if the medicine isn't otherwise restricted -- it does not describe an advance import-permit process for a longer personal supply of these particular drugs, unlike Thailand's or Japan's schemes. Lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse) is not named individually on this source (only 'methylphenidate' and 'Adderall' are used as the stimulant examples) and so is omitted from this entry's names, even though it is a similar stimulant class. Methadone is also named as covered by the source but isn't included here since it wasn't part of the requested drug list.

  Doctor's letter checklist

  Only what Australia's rule asks the letter or prescription to include. Tick each one off with your doctor.

  • A valid prescription or a doctor's letter
  • Stating the medicine name and dosage

  Copy the list for your doctor

  Source Australian Government Office of Drug Control -- Travelling to Australia with medicines and medical devicesChecked against the official source on 2026-09-13

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

  Download border card (PDF)

  Source Australian Government Office of Drug Control -- Travelling to Australia with medicines and medical devicesChecked against the source on 2026-09-13

Check your specific trip →|All medication rules for Australia →

Informational only — not legal advice. Customs rules change; confirm with the official source above before you travel. Not medical advice. Don't stop or change a medicine because of a travel rule without talking to your doctor. See update history