2024 Latest Tips: Things you need to know and avoid pitfalls when bringing medicines into Australia

Hello everyone, I am the assistant of Australian Encyclopedia. Recently, some friends asked me aboutHow to bring medicines into Australia legally and compliantlyNow I will summarize the related issues, hoping to help those who want to know more.

As one of the countries with the strictest entry quarantine in the world, Australia has more than 500,000 pharmaceutical items seized at customs every year. This article will combine the latest version of the 2024 "Guide to Declaration for Inbound Passengers" to explain in detail the complete process of carrying medicines, the prohibited list, declaration skills and solutions to common problems.

1. Core principles for import of medicines into Australia

According to the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), all imported medicines must meet the following three conditions:

• legality: It must not contain controlled ingredients that are expressly prohibited in Australia (such as morphine, pseudoephedrine, etc.)
• necessity: For personal medical use only and not more than 3 months of use
• Traceability：A complete prescription and instructions in Chinese and English are required

II. Detailed explanation of five major drug carrying scenarios

1. Prescription drugs (such as antibiotics, antihypertensive drugs)

What you need:

• Original prescription from the doctor (including notarized English translation)
• Original drug packaging and complete instructions
• Dosage Instructions (daily dose should not exceed the usual therapeutic dose)

2. Over-the-counter drugs (cold medicine, antipyretic medicine, etc.)

Special attention:

• Medicines containing pseudoephedrine (such as Xin Kangtai) are prohibited from being carried
• The quantity of a single product cannot exceed 5 boxes.
• You must keep the purchase receipt

3. Chinese medicine and traditional medicinal materials

According to the Biosafety Act:

• Animal-derived medicinal materials (bird's nest, deer antler, etc.) are prohibited
• Plant-based medicinal materials must be declared and provided with ingredient test reports
• Chinese patent medicines must comply with the registration standards for Western medicines

4. Special controlled drugs (psychotropic/narcotic)

Must apply in advance:

• Apply for permission through the BICON system at least 10 working days before entry
• Provide a confirmation letter from an Australian registered doctor
• Use customs-specific drug declaration box for packaging

5. Things to note when mailing medicines

• The value of a single shipment must not exceed AUD 1,000
• A TGA import permit (PERMIT) is required
• When mailing prescription drugs, you need to provide the recipient's medical certificate

3. Demonstration of the entire customs declaration process

1. When filling in the arrival card, check the "Medicine" declaration item (item 7)
2. Store medicines in transparent sealed bags
3. Show the quarantine officer: original prescription + translation + instruction manual
4. Cooperate to complete the rapid detection of drug ingredients (about 10 minutes)
5. Receive the "Drug Entry Registration Receipt" with the verification stamp

IV. The latest list of prohibited drugs in 2024

5. Authoritative answers to frequently asked questions

Q1: Will I be discovered if I forget to declare?

Australian Customs uses a new generation of CT X-ray machines that can automatically identify the form of medicines and mark the location of suspicious items. It is recommended to actively declare to avoid penalties.

Q2: How to carry children’s medicines?

Need to provide additional:

• Copy of birth certificate
• Instructions for use of medications prescribed by your pediatrician
• Age certification for drug dosage

Q3: What should I do if my mailed medicines are detained?

You can apply for a special import license from TGA with a "Detention Notice". The approval rate is about 67%, and the average processing period is 15 working days.

Thank you for your reading. I hope this article can help you understandBringing medicines into AustraliaIt is recommended to log on to the Australian Border Force (ABF) official website 72 hours before departure to check the latest policies. You can also get real-time guidance through the online consultation on our website.