New ZealandTravelling with ADHD medication: rules, permits and documents
OceaniaLast checked 20 Jul 2026High confidenceHow we rate a record
Every medication we track comes into New Zealand on a doctor's certificate, and the certificate covers 30 days' supply.
By medication
Brand names first, generic in brackets. Each line resolves the drug class rule below, plus anything New Zealand records specifically for that medication.
- Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine)Restrictedmax 30 days' supply
Same 1-month controlled-drug rule. Lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse) is named as a Class B controlled drug in Schedule 2, Part 2 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975, with methylphenidate. Amphetamine and its isomers are in Part 1 of the same Schedule.
- Ritalin, Concerta (methylphenidate)Restrictedmax 30 days' supply
The same rule as Vyvanse above.
- Dexedrine (dexamfetamine)Restrictedmax 30 days' supply
Class B1, the same top stimulant tier as morphine/fentanyl, unlike methylphenidate/lisdexamfetamine at B2.
- Strattera (atomoxetine)Restrictedmax 90 days' supply
Atomoxetine, guanfacine ER and viloxazine are not internationally scheduled. New Zealand Customs and Medsafe allow up to three months' supply of a prescription medicine. Bring a copy of your prescription or a letter from your doctor, and keep the medicine in its original packaging. Declare it if you carry more than three months' supply or it is not prescribed to you.
- Adderall (mixed amphetamine salts)Restrictedmax 30 days' supply
The same rule as Vyvanse above.
- Intuniv (guanfacine)Restrictedmax 90 days' supply
The same rule as Strattera above.
- Qelbree (viloxazine)Restrictedmax 90 days' supply
The same rule as Strattera above.
Rules by drug class
Narcotic (opioids)
Restricted- Quantity
- 30 days. 1 month's supply for controlled drugs (3 months for non-controlled prescription meds)
- Permit
- Not required. No permit for personal carry within the limit; declare on arrival. Cannot be imported by mail/courier.
- Documents
- prescription, doctor letter, original packaging, customs declaration
Psychotropic (ADHD stimulants, benzodiazepines, sleep)
Restricted- Quantity
- 30 days
- Permit
- Not required. Same controlled-drug rule.
- Documents
- prescription, doctor letter, original packaging, customs declaration
Not internationally controlled
Restricted- Quantity
- 90 days. Up to three months' supply of a prescription medicine. This is New Zealand Customs and Medsafe guidance; the Medicines Act sets no number. Declare it if you carry more.
Connecting through New Zealand
New Zealand Customs' medicines guidance and its general travel page both use blanket language about travellers 'arriving into New Zealand' or bringing medicines 'into the country'. Neither page mentions international transit passengers, connecting flights, or an airside transit exemption. No official source states whether transit is exempt or treated as entry, so this is marked unclear rather than assumed either way. The silence on transit in New Zealand's traveller guidance suggests there is no published transit carve out for medicines.
If you clear immigration: If a traveller clears New Zealand Customs/Border for a landside connection or overnight layover (i.e., collects bags and passes through the border, rather than staying in a purely airside international transit facility), the same blanket entry guidance applies, per the officially confirmed pages above: carry a valid prescription, keep medicines in original labelled packaging, observe the 30-day-supply limit for psychotropic substances, and declare on arrival. These pages draw no distinction based on length of stay or transit intent, so a short landside connection appears to be treated identically to any other entry as far as published NZ Customs guidance goes.
Responsible authority
Medsafe / Medicines Control, Ministry of Health; NZ Customs
medicinescontrol@health.govt.nz
Sources
The sources behind everything above, so you can check it yourself rather than take our word for it. Always confirm the current rule with the source before you travel.
- Medicines (travel to/from NZ)Government, 2025-07-09
- Importing Medicines into New Zealand for Personal UseGovernment, 2021-11-12
- Bringing medicines into New ZealandGovernment
- What you can and can't bringGovernment
- Misuse of Drugs Act 1975 (version 10 July 2026): 1 month's supply when entering or leaving, s 8(1)(l), page 29; amphetamine and its isomers Class B1, page 91; methylphenidate and lisdexamfetamine Class B2, page 95Government
- Misuse of Drugs Act 1975 (version 10 July 2026): Schedule 3 Class C controlled drugs, pages 102 to 113 (codeine, buprenorphine); no ADHD stimulants in this scheduleGovernment
- Misuse of Drugs Regulations 1977 (version 28 May 2026): import and export licences, reg 7, page 12; no separate traveller rule (see s 8(1)(l) of the Act)Government
- Medsafe Classification DatabaseGovernment
- INCB country table: New Zealand (travellers carrying internationally controlled drugs)Treaty body, 2013-10-02
Your trip pack
A doctor's letter for New Zealand, filled in with your medications and your stops, ready to sign.
The rules above are free and stay free. The pack is the paperwork that goes with them: a checklist for each stop in travel order, a printable PDF, and the letter to take to your GP.
Build your trip packCommon questions
This page organises publicly available government information and links. It is not legal or medical advice. Rules change and enforcement varies, so always confirm with the official sources above or the New Zealand embassy or consulate before travelling.