At the border
Bringing medication into New Zealand
How much you can bring, what documentation to carry, and which everyday medicines are treated as controlled here.
5 min read · updated 2026-09
Most travellers can bring the medication they need without any drama, provided it is clearly for personal use and properly documented. Problems arise from quantity, unlabelled containers and a handful of substances that are ordinary at home and controlled here.
The general allowances
- Prescription medicine: generally up to three months' supply for personal use, and one month for controlled medicines.
- Over-the-counter medicine: generally up to six months' supply.
- Keep everything in the original labelled pharmacy packaging.
- Carry a copy of the prescription or a letter from your doctor stating the condition, the medicine and the dose.
- Pack it in your carry-on, both for customs and in case a checked bag goes astray.
Declare it
Tick the medication box on your traveller declaration. Officers are used to this and it is normally a thirty-second conversation. The alternative — being found with undeclared controlled medicine — is a genuinely serious matter.
Substances that surprise people
- Strong painkillers containing opioids, including some codeine combinations sold over the counter elsewhere.
- ADHD stimulant medication.
- Sedatives and sleeping tablets from the benzodiazepine family, often taken for long-haul flights.
- Medicinal cannabis products, which need specific approval regardless of legality at home.
- Some herbal and traditional remedies containing animal or plant material, which also trip biosecurity rules.
If in doubt, carry less rather than more, and bring the paperwork. New Zealand pharmacies are well stocked, and a doctor's appointment is straightforward to arrange as a visitor — though not free, which is where travel insurance earns its keep.
Practical packing
Split your supply across two bags if you are travelling with someone. Bring enough for the trip plus a week, since a delayed flight home should not become a medical problem. And if you are heading somewhere remote — Fiordland, the Catlins, the far north — remember that the nearest pharmacy can be a couple of hours away.
Common questions
- Do I need a doctor's letter for my medication?
- It is not always required, but it is the single easiest way to resolve any question at the border, so carry one for anything prescribed.
- Can I bring medicinal cannabis to New Zealand?
- Not without specific prior approval, even if it is legally prescribed in your home country. Check well before you travel.
- Can I get my prescription filled in New Zealand?
- An overseas prescription cannot be dispensed directly, but a local doctor can assess you and write a New Zealand prescription. Visitors pay the full consultation cost.
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