Leaving Australia with your medication

Summary

Australia is a Schedule 8 (controlled drug) jurisdiction for methylphenidate, dexamphetamine and lisdexamfetamine. Entering Australia, the 'traveller's exemption' lets you carry up to 3 months' supply for personal use or for an immediate family member travelling with you, with a valid prescription OR a doctor's letter stating the medicine name and dosage, medication in original packaging with dispensing label intact, and mandatory declaration to Australian Border Force on arrival. No prior permit is needed within the exemption. Leaving Australia is a different rule: no export cap for a personal supply is published. The ODC recommends following the same advice, and the TGA tells travellers to take enough for the whole trip. What does constrain the outbound leg is PBS subsidy rules, not a quantity limit. Import permits/licences (issued by ODC) are only for commercial quantities, not individual travellers - if you need more than 3 months' supply on arrival you should see an Australian-registered prescriber for a local script.