New Zealand: Guidelines for Importing Medicines for Personal Use

1. Does New Zealand allow individuals to import prescription drugs by mail order?

Allow. Under the personal use exemption provisions of the Medicines Act 1981 , New Zealand allows individuals to import up to a three- month supply of prescription medicines from overseas for their own use. For more details, please refer to New Zealand Medsafe's "Importing Medicines FAQs"

2. Do I need to submit an application to the government in advance when importing medicines for my own use?

unnecessary. However, customs may conduct random inspections and require you to provide a prescription certificate to prove that the medicine is for the applicant's own medical treatment.

3. How much tariff do individuals need to pay for importing medicines?

New Zealand has a zero tariff policy on most medicines. It should be noted that goods imported into New Zealand are usually subject to a 15% Goods and Services Tax ( GST ). This part of the tax is generally calculated based on the declared value of the medicine, freight and insurance premiums, etc.