Taking prescription medecine into NZ

[Wanna be kiwi]

Hi - from what I've read its 3 months max with prescription as proof.

Does anyone have experience of how customs deal with this? Cheers.

[jojoji]

Can we take with us any medicine that do not require any prescription (such as paracetamol)?

[JandM]

Each time we've been to NZ one or other of us has had some prescription meds, with the repeat prescription printed out, and some over-the-counter ones. In this personal experience, we were never asked about this, but then we weren't stopped by customs. From what I've seen on TV documentaries, if meds come to view when customs open someone's baggage, they check that the person's own name is on the prescribed drugs, and look at the prescription. For non-prescribed meds, they look to make sure that the tablets/capsules/whatever look like that drug is supposed to (i.e. that it's not something forbidden in a different packet), and talk to the person about why they've got this. As long as the person makes sense (doesn't arouse suspicion by not knowing what condition is to be treated with that medication), and they've got a suitable amount only, not enough to be going to sell it on, there's no problem.

[wellywearer]

Hi, we had the 3 months limit on us with the corresponding prescription and we ticked the box on the entry card to say we had medicines but it just wasn't an issue at customs and they didn't ask to see anything.

[jojoji]

Thanks for your replies!