New Zealand bans or restricts a wide range of medicines that are freely available in other countries. If you’re traveling there or shipping medication, the rules cover everything from CBD oil and cannabis products to codeine painkillers and certain sleep aids. Getting it wrong can mean having your medicines seized at the border or facing criminal penalties.
Medicines You Cannot Bring In at All
The strictest category is an outright import ban, and the biggest surprise for many travelers is cannabis-related products. You cannot personally import any medicinal cannabis product into New Zealand, including CBD oils, CBD cosmetics, CBD-infused beauty products, and even CBD jewelry. Any product containing hemp extracts marketed as “hemp oil” or “full spectrum hemp oil” is also treated as a prescription medicine at the border and will be seized. This applies regardless of whether the product is legal where you bought it.
The rationale is straightforward: New Zealand classifies anything containing CBD as having a therapeutic purpose. So even if you purchased a CBD skin cream over the counter in the United States or Europe, it’s treated as an unauthorized prescription medicine the moment you land in Auckland. Products adulterated with hidden prescription ingredients (common in some herbal supplements sold overseas) are also illegal to import and will be destroyed if intercepted.
Controlled Drugs Under New Zealand Law
New Zealand’s Misuse of Drugs Act 1975 divides controlled substances into three classes. Class A carries the heaviest penalties and includes drugs like methamphetamine and cocaine. Class B includes substances like fentanyl (upscheduled to Class B in July 2023), amphetamines, and various synthetic opioids. Class C covers a broader range of drugs with lower but still significant penalties.
A major update taking effect on 27 November 2025 adds a long list of new substances to these schedules, including fentanyl analogues, synthetic cathinones, synthetic cannabinoids, and several benzodiazepines. Tramadol, widely prescribed as a painkiller in many countries, was reclassified as a Class C controlled drug in October 2023. The sleep medications zopiclone and zolpidem were also scheduled as Class C controlled drugs in July 2023. If you take any of these, you’ll need proper documentation to bring them into the country.
Medicines That Catch Travelers Off Guard
Several medicines that are available over the counter in the US, UK, or Australia require a prescription or have special restrictions in New Zealand.
- Codeine. Since November 2020, all codeine-containing medicines are prescription-only in New Zealand. Products like codeine-based cold and flu tablets or painkillers that you can buy off the shelf in some countries must be prescribed by a doctor. If you’re bringing codeine into the country, carry your prescription or a doctor’s letter.
- Melatonin. Until very recently, melatonin required a prescription in New Zealand. As of June 2025, approved melatonin products can be purchased at pharmacies without a prescription for short-term use (up to 10 days for jet lag, up to 30 days for insomnia). However, if you want to import your own unapproved melatonin supply from overseas, you still need a prescription.
- Pseudoephedrine. Cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine were classified as a Class B controlled drug for years, effectively pulling them from pharmacy shelves. New legislation reclassifies pseudoephedrine to Class C, allowing pharmacies to sell it without a prescription again, though availability may depend on when the law receives Royal assent.
Medicines Withdrawn for Safety Reasons
New Zealand’s medicines regulator, Medsafe, has pulled several products that remain available elsewhere. Pholcodine, a cough suppressant found in many over-the-counter cough syrups globally, had its distribution consent revoked in January 2024 due to links with serious allergic reactions during anesthesia. Bufexamac, a topical anti-inflammatory used in some skin creams, was revoked in 2021. The migraine medication Cafergot (a combination of ergotamine and caffeine) was banned in 2020. Sibutramine, a weight-loss drug, and dextropropoxyphene, a painkiller, were also withdrawn. If you rely on any of these, you won’t be able to use or import them.
Rules for Carrying Prescription Medicines In
If your medicine is a standard prescription drug (not a controlled substance), you can bring up to three months’ supply. Oral contraceptives get a longer allowance of six months. For controlled drugs like tramadol, zopiclone, or strong opioid painkillers, the limit drops to one month’s supply.
In all cases, you need to:
- Carry medicines in their original labeled containers
- Have a copy of your prescription or a letter from your doctor stating the drug name, strength, and that it’s prescribed for your treatment
- Declare controlled drugs on your passenger arrival card
- Declare any quantity over three months’ supply, or any medicine not prescribed to you
Herbal medicines, dietary supplements, and standard over-the-counter medicines (provided they don’t contain restricted ingredients like codeine or CBD) can generally be carried without documentation. But if there’s any chance something in your bag could be mistaken for a prescription medicine or controlled drug, declare it. Customs officers can and do inspect medications, and undeclared items create problems even when they turn out to be legal.
Ordering Medicines by Mail
The same import restrictions apply to medicines ordered online and shipped to a New Zealand address. You cannot have CBD products, medicinal cannabis, or unauthorized prescription medicines mailed to you. Products seized by Medsafe at the border are destroyed. If you’re moving to New Zealand and take a prescription medication that isn’t approved there, check with Medsafe before assuming you can order a supply from your home country.